Chapter 5, Section 4

Ratifying the Constitution

Federalists and Antifederalists

Federalists Antifederalists

•Favored a strong central government

•Favored strong state governments

•Encouraged manufacturing and trade

•Encouraged agriculture

•Supported loose interpretation of the Constitution

•Supported strict interpretation of the Constitution

•Believed that the wealthy, educated elite should lead the new nation

•Believed political power should be in the hands of the people

Federalists and Antifederalists

• Antifederalist– Opposed the Constitution

• Believed it gave the central government too much power

• Wanted the Constitution to include a section to guarantee individual rights

– Many were small farmers and debtors– George Mason, Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry

Federalists and Antifederalists

• Federalists– Supporters of the Constitution

• Believed it offered a favorable balance of power between various political views

– Many were wealthy planters, farmers, and lawyers. Others were laborers and craftspeople

• Benjamin Franklin, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton

Federalists and Antifederalists

• Federalists and Antifederalists debated whether the new Constitution should be approved– Gave speeches, printed pamphlets

advocating their cause

Federalist Papers

• A series of essays supporting the Constitution, written anonymously under the name Publius– Actually written by Alexander Hamilton, James

Madison, and John Jay

• Attempted to reassure Americans that the new federal government would not overpower the states– Federalist Paper No. 10: James Madison argued that

the cultural diversity of America would prevent any one group from gaining too much power

Federalist Papers

• Only 9 states needed to ratify the Constitution for it to pass– In order to assure national unity, it was

necessary for every state to ratify it

• Paul Revere– Served on a special committee supporting

ratification • Going against many of his Patriot friends, Revere

believed that the Constitution sought to preserve individual liberties

Federalist Papers

• Antifederalist Papers– Rebuttal to Federalist Papers

• December 1787– Delaware became the first state to ratify the

Constitution

• Constitution went in effect in June of 1788 after New Hampshire became the 9th state to ratify it

Federalist Papers

• Political leaders of the day knew the importance of support from large states such as Virginia and New York– James Madison was finally able to convince Virginia

to ratify the Constitution in mid 1788– Riots against the Constitution occurred in New York

• Alexander Hamilton argued convincingly for ratification against Antifederalists

– Shortly after Virginia ratified, New York followed

• Rhode Island was the last state to ratify the Constitution in May of 1790

Bill of Rights

• Many states ratified the Constitution on the condition that a bill protecting individual liberties would be added to it– While Antifederalists felt that the Constitution

did not protect individual liberties, Federalists felt that no bill need be added

• Argued that individual liberties were already protected within the body of the Constitution

Bill of Rights

• James Madison made a bill of rights priority, encouraging Congress to put one together– The rights would then be added to the

Constitution as amendments (official changes)

• Article V of the Constitution describes the amendment process, which is intended to reflect the will of the people

– Required 2/3 majority in both houses of Congress and ratification of ¾ of the states

Bill of Rights

• Legislators used many sources when creating the Bill of Rights– English Bill of Rights, Declaration of

Independence, Virginia Declaration of Rights

• 12 amendments were proposed in September of 1789

• The Bill of Rights was ratified by the states in December 1791– 10 of the 12 proposed amendments