What Led To The Formation Of The Anti-Federalist Groups

On June 21, 1788 the Constitution of the United States of America was signed. It was signed by some of America’s greatest heroes. Men like George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin. But just signing it wasn’t good enough. It needed to be ratified.

When it came to the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists the differences are many and at times very complex, due to the beliefs that the Federalists are nationalist at heart. The Federalists had an incredibly big role in shaping the new Constitution, which the Federalists used to create a stronger Constitution at great cost to the Anti-Federalists. If you ask the Anti-Federalists They believe that should be a ratification of the US Constitution in every state. But due to the Anti-Federalists being poor at organizing they really didn’t gain any ground. Although they didn’t achieve their goals of ratification of the US Constitution, but they did force the first congress under a new Constitution along with the bill of rights.

A few other members of the federalist group included: John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. This group strongly stood for ratifying the constitution unlike the anti-federalists. One main reason this group stood for ratifying the constitution was because they wanted a stronger government that would aid with all of the debt and chaos caused by the American Revolution. When it came down to the anti-federalists, they were totally against anything to do with the ratification of the constitution until it

This broke people up into two groups: Anti-Federalists and Federalists. The Anti-Federalists were those in favor of strong states’ rights. They disliked the Constitution because they believed that there was a chance that Constitution would destroy the freedoms the colonies fought for. They were scared of tyranny, especially pertaining to the fact that under the new Constitution, the national government, or Congress, would be able to make decisions without even asking for the states’ permission.

Federalist V. Anti-Federalist Federalist and Anti-Federalist were two factions most commonly known for debating during the transition from the Articles of Confederation of the United States Constitution. Both sides debated many things, including the liberties of a citizen in the United States. I believe that the Anti-Federalist 's ideals best preserved the liberties of Americans. The Anti-Federalists believed that there were three defects of a large republic. First, only a small republic can enjoy a voluntary attachment of the people to the government and a voluntary obedience to the laws (Storing, 16).

The American Revolution, a war fought against a distant and all too powerful government, instilled a fear of centralized governmental power in the United States. The idea of the U.S. constitution sparked a political divide; it encouraged heated debates from those who are known as Federalists, and those who are known as Anti-Federalists. The Federalists, individuals who supported the ratification of the constitution, argued that the Articles of Confederation were too weak and that a strong national government with checks and balances was needed. On the other hand, the Anti-Federalists argued that the president would be like a king and that there needs to be a Bill of Rights to protect the people. If I had been alive in the time of this intense debate, I would have voted for the federalist side of the argument.

The thought that the states should have more power and that the rights of the people should be protected. The leaders of the Anti-Federalists were well know due to the revolutionary war. Other people who supported the well known Anti-Federalists were those who would benefit from an economic and political system less tight than the constitution. These people included Backcountry Baptists and

At the Constitutional Convention, our founding fathers met to reconstruct the Articles of Confederation, not knowing that they would create the United States Constitution, an entire new format of government. They wanted to create a government that was powerful yet restricted in certain ways, in order to create equal representation for all people. Three main compromises were made at the Constitutional Convention. These compromises were The Great Compromise, the Three-Fifths Compromise, and the addition of the Bill of Rights.

According to the Articles of Confederation the states had power and the federal government was to help the states. This system as many was filled with fraud. There also was no stable trading system with other countries. Britain would not allow the states to have a trade and this was causing trouble with the states. The states had a meeting where there were two separate groups the federalist and the anti-federalist.

Led by Alexander Hamilton, constructed secretly at first, the Federalists were the first political party of the United States. Supporters of the Constitution, they attempted to convince the States to validate said document. Hamilton, with John Jay and James Madison- said individuals anonymously published a series of essays known as the Federalist Papers as a response to any argument Anti-Federalists could offer. Both Hamilton and Madison argued against the formation of a Bill of Rights for the Constitution; they argued it would create a "parchment barrier" that limited the rights of the people, as opposed to protecting the common man. They eventually did make the concession and announced a willingness to confront the matter- the series of

As the country’s first president, George Washington supplied a national sense of unity for eight years. When Washington retired, the people split into two political parties, the Federalists and Republicans, and they started the first party system in our country’s history. The national government was strengthened because the Federalists were so involved in shaping the new U.S. Constitution. However, the Antifederalists disapproved the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.

After the American Revolution, the formation of a new government was precedent. Federalists were afraid of disorder, anarchy, and chaos; the unchecked power of the masses, and sought for the constitution to create a government distant from popular passions. On the other hand, antifederalists were more concerned about the dangers of concentrated power. Equally, the antifederalists opposed the constitution because of the obstacles between the people and the exercised power, which is why federalists supported it. Hamilton was the Leader of the federalist party while Jefferson was the leader of the Republican party.

Federalists favored a strong central government, and favored limiting the state powers, and thought 2 representatives from each was enough. Most Federalists were wealthy, well-educated, and put together by the desire for a powerful, centralized government. Their leaders were usually influential men like George Washington & Benjamin Franklin. They were advocates of an orderly, competent government that could protect their economic status.

The Federalist is led by James Madison, the “Father of the constitution” (Sinopoli 45) he was supporting the new constitution. One of the biggest main focus of the federal constitution was to secure the union, and also to include any other states that would join as a part of the union, “to prove the utility of the UNION, appoint, no doubt, deeply engraved on the hearts of the great body of the people in every

The new constitution, a document granting the framework for a new democratic government, replacing the Articles of the Confederation. This new document gained approval from some of the citizens, but also raised questions and concerns from others. There was a constant back and forth between the two groups on whether or not the constitution should be ratified. This editorial provides historical background on the issue and expresses my opinion on which side I would’ve chosen.