In 1787, toward the end of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Mason proposed that a bill of rights preface the Constitution, but his proposal was defeated. Why did the Federalists win? Federalists seized the initiative and were better organized and politically shrewder than Anti-federalists.
Notable Anti-Federalists
- Patrick Henry, Virginia.
- Samuel Adams, Massachusetts.
- Joshua Atherton, New Hampshire.
- George Mason, Virginia.
- Richard Henry Lee, Virginia.
- Robert Yates, New York.
- James Monroe, Virginia.
- Amos Singletary, Massachusetts.
Federalists wanted a strong central government. They believed that a strong central government was necessary if the states were going to band together to form a nation. A strong central government could represent the nation to other countries.
Federalists argued that the Constitution did not need a bill of rights, because the people and the states kept any powers not given to the federal government. Anti-Federalists held that a bill of rights was necessary to safeguard individual liberty.
Even though they did not play a significant role in New York's decision to ratify the Constitution, the Federalist Papers remain an important collection today because they offer insight into the intentions of key individuals who debated the elements of the Constitution.
Those who supported the Constitution and a stronger national republic were known as Federalists. Those who opposed the ratification of the Constitution in favor of small localized government were known as Anti-Federalists. They did not share one unified position on the proper form of government.
Key Features of Federalism:
- There are two or more levels (or tiers) of government.
- Different tiers of government govern the same citizens, but each tier has its own jurisdiction in specific matters of legislation, taxation and administration.
Federalism is a compromise meant to eliminate the disadvantages of both systems. In a federal system, power is shared by the national and state governments. The Constitution designates certain powers to be the domain of a central government, and others are specifically reserved to the state governments.
Features of Federalism
- It is comprised of two or more levels of government.
- Both central and state governments govern the same set of the same citizens, but the level has varying powers in some issues like administration, taxation, and legislation.
- The constitution guarantees the authority of each tier.
State governments have the authority to make final decisions over many governmental actions. Federalism explains many of the government actions that affect our everyday lives: â–« How much we pay in taxes. â–« How fast we can drive.
The anti-Federalists agreed to support ratification, with the understanding that they would put forth recommendations for amendments should the document go into effect. The Federalists agreed to support the proposed amendments, specifically a bill of rights.
Federalists argued for counterbalancing branches of government. In light of charges that the Constitution created a strong national government, they were able to argue that the separation of powers among the three branches of government protected the rights of the people.
The Federalists wanted a strong government and strong executive branch, while the anti-Federalists wanted a weaker central government. The Federalists did not want a bill of rights —they thought the new constitution was sufficient. The anti-federalists demanded a bill of rights.
Many Anti-Federalists preferred a weak central government because they equated a strong government with British tyranny. Others wanted to encourage democracy and feared a strong government that would be dominated by the wealthy. They felt that the states were giving up too much power to the new federal government.
Which Founding Fathers were Federalists?
Led by Patrick Henry of Virginia, Anti-Federalists worried, among other things, that the position of president, then a novelty, might evolve into a monarchy. Though the Constitution was ratified and supplanted the Articles of Confederation, Anti-Federalist influence helped lead to the passage of the Bill of Rights.
The US Constitution was written to remedy those weaknesses and provide the US with a better, more representative form of government. Federalists campaigned to support ratification because they believed the Constitution was the best way to balance these needs.
what Anti-Federalist warnings are still worth heeding today? the federal government often over steps its bounds and impedes on states' and individuals' rights, the forcing of states into a "union" they can not get out of (aka civil war), and the process of amending the constitution was too easy.
The Antiâ€â€‹Federalists are particularly important, though somewhat overlooked, for the way they warned about the ways the Constitution's federalist system could be misused and for their role in the ratification process and the passing of the Bill of Rights.
Still others were concerned that a strong central government could too easily violate individual rights to liberty (freedom). Although they often spoke in terms of democratic governance by the people, the AntiFederalists generally did not favor political rights or civil liberties for women, slaves, and similar groups.
Influential public leaders who accepted the Federalist label included John Adams, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, Rufus King, John Marshall, Timothy Pickering and Charles Cotesworth Pinckney. All had agitated for a new and more effective constitution in 1787. Antifederalists rejected these points. They denied that state economic policies were bad or that economic conditions were disastrous. They were persuaded that the new government would be dominated by a narrow aristocracy of the rich who would seek to control the economic affairs so as to benefit themselves.
In the 1780s Robert Yates stood as a recognized leader of the Antifederalists. He opposed any concessions to the federal congress, such as the right to collect impost duties, that might diminish the sovereignty of the states.
The Anti-Federalists mobilized against the Constitution in state legislatures across the country. Anti-Federalists in Massachusetts, Virginia and New York, three crucial states, made ratification of the Constitution contingent on a Bill of Rights.
