Federalists vs Anti-Federalists: The Constitution Debate

719 Words2 Pages
bulb-icon

Recommended: The debates in the creation of the constitution

FEDERALISTS OR ANTI-FEDERALIST: GOVERNMENT OR THE PEOPLE? My fellow citizens. I stand here today, December 1, 1787, to open your eyes as to what is going on around you and why it is happening. As you may have heard the Constitution was approved by the delegates on September 17. It was sent to the states for ratification on September 28. 9 out of 13 states have to ratify the Constitution before it becomes a law. Not all states agree with the Consitution as it is, consequently 2 opposing groups emerge: Federalist (those who support) and Anti-Federalist (those who oppose). I am here tonight to humbly say, I am what a federalist would call an Anti-Federalist. We, as Anti-Federalist, are here to tell the Federalist that we will not ratify anything in this state …show more content…

No quartering of soldiers. 4. Freedom from unreasonable searches and seizures. 5. The right to due process of law, freedom from self-incrimination, double jeopardy. 6. Rights of accused persons, e.g., right to a speedy and public trial. 7. The right to trial by jury in civil cases. 8. Freedom from excessive bail, cruel and unusual punishments. 9. Other rights of the people. 10. Powers reserved to the states. Just to name a few. We are demanding a Bill of Rights added to the Constitution to protect our rights. We want guaranteed protection of our basic liberties, is that too much to ask? So, therefore, NO RATIFICATION WITHOUT JUSTIFICATION! Together we stand here tonight to let the Federalist know that, unless there is some amending of the Constitution, there will be no ratification. We live in rural areas and we want our people in our states to speak for us. We want the legislative branch to have more power. We are not going to live under the rule of another King. We want our liberties to be in a separate Bill of Rights. IF YOU WANT A RATIFICATION CONSIDER THESE JUSTIFICATIONS TO IMPLEMENT A MORE PERFECT UNION BROUGHT ON BY THE CONSTITION. Thanks for listening, everybody. Have a blessed

Show More
Related

  • The Pros And Cons Of The Anti-Federalists

    835 Words  | 2 Pages

    On September 28, 1787 Confederation Congress sent out the draft of the Constitution. This was the first time in history for the people to debate, discuss, and decide with a vote for how they wanted to be governed. There were two groups that debated the thought of the Constitution. They were called Federalists and anti-Federalists.

    Read More

  • Dbq The Beliefs Of The Federalist And Anti-Federalists

    576 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Federalists and Anti-federalists shared the common beliefs of John Locke’s Enlightenment ideals such as all men were born equal (even though most of these men owned slaves), but their opinions about the role of government were different. Both parties had their own visions of how a new government would function and how the Constitution would support the government being proposed. Many argued that the Articles of Confederation had created a very weak government with very limited power. Specifically, the amount of power or the absence of power of a central government was the main disagreement between the Federalists and Anti-federalists. As a result, the Federalists and Anti-federalists argued about the ratification of a new constitution, which would give the central government more power.

    Read More

  • The Similarities and Differences between the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers

    882 Words  | 2 Pages

    The Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers played a major role in US History. They dealt with many problems in politics. The papers were made after the Revolutionary war. People started to worry that the government would not last under the Articles of Confederation. Without having a backup plan just yet, some delegates met up and created the Constitution. The constitution had to be ratified before it became the rule of all the land. The Federalist and Anti-Federalist papers discuss whether the constitution should be approved or not. Some things Anti-Federalist and Federalists argued was a strong national government, a standing army, and whether or not the constitution should be ratified and why.

    Read More

  • The Federalists vs. The Anti-Federalists

    664 Words  | 2 Pages

    who thought that the constitution would not be able to protect the rights of the people.

    Read More

  • Strengths And Weaknesses Of The Anti-Federalists

    853 Words  | 2 Pages

    Eric Foner claims the definition of Federalism refers to the relationship between the national government and the states. Unlike the Constitution, the Articles of Confederation came with many weaknesses. Some provided by our powerpoint include that the Federal government had no power to make the states obey the Articles and laws that were passed by the legislature. The states also had the power to tax, and the opportunity to print their own money. Our powerpoint focuses on the $10 million Congress owed to other countries, as well as the $40 million it owed to the American veterans. The Constitution differed. Foner states that not only did the Constitution enhance national authority, but it also permitted Congress to levy taxes, conduct commerce, confirm war, deal with the foreign nations and Indians, and rent and help the “general welfare”. According to the powerpoint, Federalists focused on the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

    Read More

  • Bill of Rights To Protect From Tyranny

    768 Words  | 2 Pages

    When the new Constitution was drafted, the ratification, the official approval by the people of the United States, sparked a national debate. People were shocked by the radical changes it proposed; they expected the convention to merely amend the Articles of Confederation. They were afraid of regressing back into a state under tyranny, a form of rule where a single or small group reigns with vast or absolute power. Americans had just fought for their freedom from the tyrannical rule of the king of England. All their efforts and revolutionary ideas would have gone to waste.

    Read More

  • Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

    348 Words  | 1 Pages

    The Anti-Federalist Party, led by Patrick Henry, objected to the constitution. They objected to it for a few basic reasons. Mostly the Anti-Federalists thought that the Constitution created too strong a central government. They felt that the Constitution did not create a Federal government, but a single national government. They were afraid that the power of the states would be lost and that the people would lose their individual rights because a few individuals would take over. They proposed a “Bill of Rights”, to make sure the citizens were protected by the law. They believed that no Bill of Rights would be equal to no check on our government for the people.

    Read More

  • Compare And Contrast The Anti-Federalist And Anti Federalists

    710 Words  | 2 Pages

    Since the Dawn of time, man was had many beliefs from the belief of gods or a god, democracy and communism. In the beginning days of our nation (United States of America) the bill of rights was being created due to American Revolution and the weakness of the articles of the confederation. The articles of confederation were the constitution at the time for the United States of America before and after the American Revolution, which we fought against the tyranny of the British government. The American government at the time realized the Articles of Confederation was weak and need to be changed. This resulted in the bill rights being drafted and added into the US Constitution. But before the bill rights

    Read More

  • Aristotle's Legacy In The Federalist Papers

    2064 Words  | 5 Pages

    While it is always debatable as to the extent of influence the Federalist Papers had in the final success of the ratification of the new constitution, they remain a crucial element in the understanding of the Constitution of the United States and provide a stable foundation from which Constitutional interpretation and study can be

    Read More

  • Ratification of the Constitution and the Louisiana Purchase

    551 Words  | 2 Pages

    Some historical circumstances surrounding the issue of the ratification of the Constitution was weakness of the new government under the Articles of Confederation which led to the Constitutional Convention. Members of Congress believed that the Articles of Confederation, the first government of the United States, needed to be altered while others did not want change. This desired Constitution created a huge dispute and argument between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The people who supported the new Constitution, the Federalists, began to publish articles supporting ratification. As stated in document 2 John Jay (Federalist) had many arguments to support ratification of the Constitution. One argument John Jay used was, with the ratification of the Constitution, he says, “…Our people free, contented and united…” The Antifederalists had numerous arguments they used to oppose the ratification of the Constitution. The Antifederalists believed that a free republic wouldn’t be able to long exist over a country of the great extent of these states.

    Read More

  • Federalists and Anti-Federalists

    1659 Words  | 4 Pages

    The Constitution, when first introduced, set the stage for much controversy in the United States. The two major parties in this battle were the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The Federalists, such as James Madison, were in favor of ratifying the Constitution. On the other hand, the Anti-Federalists, such as Patrick Henry and Richard Henry Lee, were against ratification. Each party has their own beliefs on why or why not this document should or should not be passed. These beliefs are displayed in the following articles: Patrick Henry's "Virginia Should Reject the Constitution," Richard Henry Lee's "The Constitution Will Encourage Aristocracy," James Madison's "Federalist Paper No. 10," and "The Letters to Brutus." In these documents, many aspects of the Constitution, good and bad, are discussed. Although the Federalists and Anti-Federalists had very conflicting views, many common principals are discussed throughout their essays. The preservation of liberty and the effects of human nature are two aspects of these similarities. Although the similarities exist, they represent and support either the views of the Federalists or the Anti-Federalists.

    Read More

  • Philosophers Of The Federalist Papers

    1120 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Independent Journal published the first Federalist essay in 1787, closely following the Constitutional Convention. This was one of 85 essays that were all soon published in support of the Constitution. The essays were all published under the alias name “Publius.” All essays were compiled into a single volume titled The Federalist Papers. The Federalist Papers is considered a significant illustration of American political philosophy under the Articles of Confederation, which were adopted by the Continental Congress. The Articles set up the first legislative system that unified the thirteen states that battled in the American Revolution. A major theme that was discussed in the essays centers around the idea that the United States could not continue to endure under the Articles of Confederation and the weaknesses that accompany it. The Articles gave states the authority to create their own laws, however they were unsuccessful in creating a strong government. The essay suggested that immediate action be taken to prevent the impending anarchy that would ensue under these Articles.

    Read More

  • Partnership and Negotiaton: Updates to the Constitution of the US

    1103 Words  | 3 Pages

    Let’s face it – our current form of government plagued by the Confederation is growing weaker, and recent events such as Shay's Rebellion prove evident that there is growing unrest. As many of my fellow Federalists have proposed, it's crucial that we ratify the Constitution.

    Read More

  • Essay On Ratification Of The Constitution

    1213 Words  | 3 Pages

    The Constitution is the foundation of our county it represents liberty and justice for all. We are able to live freely and do, as we desire because of the constitution. The constitution was, signed September 17, 1787 at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. It took time and many debates were held before an agreement was achieved in both the drafting and ratification of the constitution. These disagreements came with several compromises before the constitution was fully ratified on May 29, 1790, with Rhode Island being the last and the thirteenth. The First, challenge was the Articles of Confederation; it was a sort of a draft of the Constitution but was weak and inadequate. Second, obstacle was the Anti-Federalists fight for more

    Read More

  • The Creation Of The Constitution

    1073 Words  | 3 Pages

    On further analysis, most of the issues within the document were due to vast cultural, racial, and economic lifestyles that our country did and will continue to support, as unintentional as it may be. This document lessened some of those issues and attempted to accommodate the requests of all states. However, Elitist framers manipulated the idea of a constitution in order to protect their economic interests and the interests of their fellow white land and slave owning men' by restricting the voices of women, slaves, indentured servants and others.

    Read More

More about Federalists vs Anti-Federalists: The Constitution Debate

Open Document