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Federalists and Anti-Federalists

Page history last edited by mberry 13 years, 10 months ago

 

 previous section 'Parts 1-3 the historical introduction and formation of the constitution'        

                    next section 'The Bill of Rights'

 

The Rest of the Story...

 

     The Constitution that we have come to know today as the framework for the American government was the result of a long political struggle and eventual compromise between two opposing parties known as the Federalists, and the Anti-Federalists. Both sides had legitimate concerns and ideas to either amend the Constitution or to dismantle the Constitution for a more "people friendly" version.

      The Anti-Federalists were concerned with two main things after the failure of the Articles of Confederation;  the lack of individual freedom and the potential for the creation of another tyrannical monarchy if the central government gained too much power.  With regards to the Constitution, the Anti-Federalists argued that it gave too much power to the central government via the Executive, Legislative and Judicial branches.  They feared that the Executive Branch would take on the role that King George the 3rd had used and "oppress" them with no protection of their individual rights.  This argument was further supported by the fact that the Americans had just fought a costly and bloody Revolutionary War (1775-1783).  To put themselves in the same position as before with the potential for an unregulated government would be hypocritical and futile to the nation's future. The Necessary and Proper clause, put in to the Constitution by the Federalists, also known as the Elastic clause states that, "The Congress shall have Power - To make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing Powers and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof." This was a cause for concern because it entitled Congress to make, and enforce any laws that were deemed 'necessary and proper.' But what exactly was considered necessary and proper and what wasn't? As you can see, this is very 'up in the air'  and has potential for much interpretation. The Anti-Federalists believed that Congress could potentially justify any law regardless of how much of a sabotage on personal freedom it was and neither the states, nor the people would have much say in the matter.  Finally, in the opinion of the Anti-Federalists, the Constitution as written, gave far too much power to the central government at the expense of the state governments.   Without significant representation in the Constitution regarding the states, they felt that the federal government could easily undermine their viewpoints and rights especially on issues of slavery and economic conduct.  (1)

     The other main point of the Anti-Federalists' argument was the dangers of the Constitution as written without a Bill of Rights. Without even a single right guaranteed to the people or the state governments, the central government would have the ability to deny "natural" rights such as the freedom of speech and religion.  Additionally, the central government could potentially maintain an army in peacetime and deny the people the right to bear arms.  The Antis also worried that Americans would no longer have the rights to  fair trials and that they would be subjected to unreasonable searches and cruel and unusual punishment.  Those who feared the Constitution also knew that an unchecked central government could (and had as they had just witnessed in the Revolutionary War) seize property and persons and force citizens to quarter troops.  The people were guaranteed no rights under King George III  that were upheld and he was 3000 miles away, so what would stop the federal government from doing the same thing only 100 miles away? Nothing.  Without unalienable rights guaranteed to citizens Americans could, without a doubt, experience a government with the exact same monarchist ideals that the soldiers had lost life and limb trying to destroy. The Anti-Federalists did not back down in their quest for undeniable freedom and rights in the new government.  Their hard work sparked the creation of the first 10 amendments known as the Bill of Rights. (1)

Prominent Anti- Federalists                                                 

 (2)   

 

Patrick Henry (May 29, 1736- June 6, 1799) was James Madison's biggest rival in the battle over the ratification of the Constitution.

 He was a leader of the Anti-Federalists, and advocated heavily for the Bill of Rights. 

 

 (8)

Thomas Jefferson (April 13, 1743 – July 4, 1826) was probably one of the most controversial but best remembered American patriots of all time. A staunch Anti-Federalist, he passionately believed in the American cause and contributed his extensive literary skills quite often in the drafting of important documents. He was one of the primary creators of the Declaration of Independence and argued in favor of a small central government and the creation of an agrarian society with the American farmer at its core. He often found himself at odds with Alexander Hamilton due to his different political views. He is best remembered for his willingness to compromise for the greater good of America and his two presidential terms which espoused the Anti-Federalist ideals. While he was good friends with John Adams, they were at the opposite ends of the political spectrum and they remained divided over the subject of American politics.

 

 

 (3)

 

Samuel Adams (Sept. 27, 1722 -Oct. 2, 1803) was considered a moderate anti-federalist, however he eventually agreed with the ratification of the Constitution if it contained a Bill of Rights. His most important contribution to the American cause was his role in the Sons of Liberty, an American revolutionary group, and its efforts of sparking rebellion against the British in the final years of American colonialism.

 

 

 

     The Federalists argued that the Constitution, as it was written, was a good framework for the American government. They thought that the Constitution didn't need to properly distribute power to the government down to the last crumb and that separation of powers and checks and balances eliminated any chances of an overly powerful central government. The Federalists were more concerned with the creation of a strong central government which could facilitate in the rebuilding of the nation. They thought that because power was evenly distributed among three different branches of government, the Executive, Legislative and Judicial,  no one branch could assume power over the other which was further reinforced by checks and balances and separation of powers. In the minds of the Federalists, a history such as the monarchy of King George III, could not repeat itself. (1)

     The Federalists found little reason to write a Bill of Rights and thus, denounced it. The Anti-Federalists, as much as they wanted enumerated rights, also feared inclusion a Bill of Rights because a list of rights would be far too tedious and insignificant to contain in the Constitution. Also, if the rights were listed, then the government would have room to violate any of the countless rights that weren't included in the Constitution. Since all the rights necessary to protect the American people to the fullest could not possibly be listed in the Constitution, they felt that it was best not to list any. (1)

 

Prominent Federalists  

 (4)

 

 Alexander Hamilton (July 11, 1755 or 1757 -July 12, 1804) was the creator and leader of the Federalist party- the world's first voter based party. A strong and outspoken believer in the powers of central government, he was often at odds with Thomas Jefferson who advocated for a weaker government with emphasis on an agrarian society. Hamilton on the other hand believed in the creation of industry and its potential to help the American cause

 

 (5)

John Adams (October 30, 1735- July 4, 1826) was the only president to ever be elected as a member of the Federalist party. He advocated an alliance with the British and was in office during the Quasi-War and the XYZ affair. He is best remembered for the Alien and Sedition acts and his last minute addition of several federal judges and Supreme Court justices in the final days of his presidency (known as the midnight appointments).

 

 (6)

George Washington (February 22, 1732- December 14, 1799) was sympathetic to the Federalist Party and philosophically, a Federalist himself.  Much of the Federalist party's advancement occurred during his presidency, however, Washington remained "independent' his entire term. He was very careful to keep America out of European affairs as he was worried that a move to intervene in the continuing British and French struggle would create a rift that would split the parties further.

 

The Final Result

     In June 1788, the Constitution was nearly ratified with 9 out of 13 in favor. Only one state was left and to appease the anti-federalists and to swing New Hampshire to the side of ratification.  By 1791, the Congress had drafted the Bill of Rights. Afterward, New York and Virginia also approved, and the Constitution became in effect as the official framework of the American government. (1)

 

Do you now know the ideas of the supporters and critics of the Constitution? Play this quiz to find out! (7)

Do you know the difference between enumerated powers and implied powers? Check your answers here!

 

 previous section 'Parts 1-3 the historical introduction and formation of the constitution'       

                    next section 'The Bill of Rights'

 

Work Cited

(1) Jonathan Chin & Alan Stern "Federalists and Anti-Federalists Copyright © 1997 <http://library.thinkquest.org/11572/creation/framing/feds.html>

(2) http://gamyhan.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/henry.jpg

(3) http://centerformoralliberalism.files.wordpress.com/2009/11/samadams.jpg

(4) http://igs.berkeley.edu/library/hot_topics/2008/Dec.2008/Images/Alexander_Hamilton_portrait_by_John_Trumbull_1806.jpg

(5) http://www.wtv-zone.com/Mary/GifsadJpgs/BLACKREG8.JPG

(6) http://cthomeblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/02/george-washington-picture.jpg

(7) Law Focused Edu. Games developed by Webvertising Inc. "Who Were The Supporters and Critics of the Constitution Federalists and Anti-Federalists?"<http://www.texaslre.org/federalists.html>

(8) http://jrenseyblog.files.wordpress.com/2009/05/thomas-jefferson-big.jpg

 

 

 

Comments (1)

mberry said

at 1:51 pm on Dec 14, 2009

A solid page. Not sure why separation of powers and checks and balances weren't bolded. They are important terms for the AP curriculum!

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