The Federalists And The Anti Federalists - 1656 Words

After the Constitution was composed and signed in 1787, there was still the pressing need for ratification. Nine of Thirteen states had to agree to its terms before the document would become binding. In the months that followed, the people who staunchly opposed the new constitution, and the people who supported began to write articles defending their positions. They were named the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The Anti-Federalists, however, were incredibly displeased with the name that the Federalists had coined for them. In that time, Federalism was synonymous with Confederation, which was what the Anti-Federalists were fighting to protect. The arguments were varied, and consisted of valid points from both sides. One of the major arguments of the Anti-Federalists was the supposed validity of a large scale republic. They were skeptical that such a thing could be successfully executed. They wrote about their concerns, worrying about liberty, state and individual, and delegatio n. James Madison, in Federalist 10, refuted their claims about these issues, and brought about solid reasoning for his desired large republic. While the Anti-Federalists made sound arguments for small republics in terms of liberty and representation, Madison provided better evidence on the sustainability of a large republic. One problem the Anti-Federalists had with the notion of a large republic was the major power shift that would occur between the States and the Federal government. PatrickShow MoreRelatedThe Federalist And Anti Federalist1263 Words   |  6 Pages The Anti-Federalist put up a long and hard fight, however, they were not as organized as the Federalists. While the Anti- Federalist had great concerns about the Constitution and National government, the Federalist had good responses to combat these concerns. The Federalist were and for the Constitution and feel the Article of Confederation were not worth ratifying, these should be scrapped altogether. They felt that the Articles limited the power of congress, because congress had to request cooperationRead MoreThe Federalist And The Anti Federalist864 Words   |  4 Pagesthe federalist, then later on the anti-federalist in 1796. Alexander Hamilton was the leader of the federalist party. Thomas Jefferson was the leader of the anti-federalist; who called themselves the Democratic-Republicans. Our first president, George Washington warned us about having parties and the danger of them. However, not until Congress debated the ratification and implementation of Jay’s Treaty wit h Great Britain did two political parties clearly emerge; the Federalist and the Anti-FederalistRead MoreThe Federalists And The Anti Federalists1189 Words   |  5 PagesIn debate of the ratification of the Constitution, the Federalists and the Anti- Federalists agreed on several things: the necessity of some form of national government, the preservation of the right to vote, and the need to secure our liberties. The Federalists wanted a strong central government, whereas the Anti- Federalists wanted more power reserved to the state government. The right to vote is important for both sides, but they hold conflicting views on the amount of involvement through theRead MoreThe Federalists And The Anti Federalists1305 Words   |  6 Pagesthe cause for a huge debate between; The Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The Federalists were those who thought that there should be a new Union created with a strong centralized government and individual regional governments. They felt that i t was not necessary for there to be a bill of rights because it was implied that those rights the Constitution did not specifically state would be handed down to the states. On the other hand, the Anti-Federalists were opposed to such a form of governmentRead MoreFederalists Vs. Anti Federalists1518 Words   |  7 PagesIn early 1788, Federalists and Anti-Federalists held fierce debates over how the state of Rhode Island would vote on Constitutional ratification. Two models of democracy were contested: the Anti-Federalists argued in favor of mass participation in the form of a state referendum, and the Federalists argued in favor of elite representation in the form of a state convention. On the whole, while the state referendum model used in the debates in Rhode Island allows for greater participation and an opportunityRead MoreFederalists vs. Anti-Federalists1723 Words   |  7 Pagesthe subject of numerous debates. The contending groups consisted of Federalists, those who suppo rted ratification, and Anti-Federalists, those opposed to the constitution. Each group published a series of letters known as the Federalist and Anti-Federalist Papers. The Anti-Federalist papers objected to provisions of the proposed constitution while the Federalist Papers defended the rationale behind the document. Anti-Federalist objections included that; the United States was too extensive to beRead More Federalists and Anti-Federalists Essay1665 Words   |  7 PagesThe 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 displayedRead Mo reThe Federalists Vs. Anti Federalists1010 Words   |  5 Pagesduring the American Revolution. The rivalry between the Federalists and the anti-Federalists emerged during the process of ratifying the Constitution between 1787 and 1788. Initially, the Federalists supported the Constitution while the anti-Federalists did not (199). The principle differences dividing the Federalists and anti-Federalists were the controversy of creating a federal government and how to interpret the Constitution. Anti-Federalists insisted on protecting the rights of the states and theRead MoreAnti Federalists Vs. Federalists1634 Words   |  7 Pages Anti Federalists vs. Federalists (Paper #1) The Federalists and the Anti - Federalists played an indispensable part in the establishment of the American Constitution. Federalists were supporters of the constitution, while Anti federalist were against the ratification of the Constitution. Federalists believed in the idea of a larger heterogeneous republic whereas anti federalists wanted a small homogenous republic. Famous federalists like James Madison, John Jay and Alexander Hamilton are responsibleRead MoreThe Federalists Vs. The Anti Federalists1801 Words   |  8 Pagesare worse than others. In the case of the Federalists vs. The Anti-Federalists, was the drafting of the Constitution actually worth it in the end? When the colonists first came over seas from Great Britain there was one thing that was vastly agreed on—a change in how government works and runs was necessary for the future of America. Two major groups eventually formed behind this way of thinking, the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The Federa lists were under the impression that the formation