RATIFYING THE CONSTITUTION
Chapter 5 Section 3
FEDERALISTS VS. ANTI-FEDERALISTS Federalists
Supporters of the Constitution; favored the new balance of power between the states and national gov.
AntifederalistsOpposed the Constitution; opposed having
such a strong central gov.
CONTROVERSIES OVER THE CONSTITUTION framers set up a procedure so that each
state held special conventions Where voters elected delegates who than
represented their state and accepted or rejected the Constitution
If the delegates approved the Constitution—ratification would occur Official approval of the Constitution by the states
(at least nine states in order to be passed) Gave the farmers an opportunity to campaign for
delegates in their states who would support ratification
FEDERALISTS Insisted that the
division of powers and system of checks and balances would protect Americans from the tyranny of centralized authority
ANTIFEDERALISTS Countered with a long list of possible
abuses of power by a strong central gov. Fear that gov. would serve the interests of
the privileged minority instead of the majority
Raised doubts that a single government could manage the affairs of a large country
Antifederalists focused on the Constitution’s lack of protection for individual rights
OPPOSING FORCES (SLIDE 1) Leading federalists:
George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton Used their experience and powers to win the
support of drafting the constitution Received heavy support from urban centers
People who relied on regulating trade saw that this would benefit them
Small states or ones with weak economies favored a strong central government as well
OPPOSING FORCES (SLIDE 2) Leading Antifederalists:
Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, and Richard Henry Lee
Received support from rural areas People feared a strong government would add to
their tax burden Large states with strong economies did not
support the Constitution at first Ex: New York; had greater freedom under the
Articles of Confederation
THE FEDERALISTS A series of 85 essays that
defended the Constitution Written by the
Federalists leaders Provided analysis and an
explanation of Constitutional provisions (laws)Ex: Seperation of powers
and the limits on the power of majorities
THE BILL OF RIGHTS LEADS TO RATIFICATION Constitution did not guarantee that the
gov. would protect the rights of the people or of the states
The constitution had a lack of a formal summary of citizens’ rights and freedoms
DEMANDING A BILL OF RIGHTS Antifederalists argued that the people
needed a national bill of rights They wanted freedom of speech, press,
religion, assurance of the right to trial by jury, and the right to bear arms
Federalists Wanted the Constitution to grant only
limited powers to the national government Said that the people did have rights because the
delegates whom they trusted made the decisions
RATIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION Delaware led the country in ratifying the
Constitution in December 1787 June 1788, New Hampshire was the last
state (ninth) to approve the Constitution The large states of Virginia and New
York did not vote but the gov. needed the influence
ADOPTION OF A BILL OF RIGHTS In September 1789, Congress submitted
12 amendments to the state legislatures for ratification
By December 1791, the required three-fourths of the states had ratified ten of the amendments, which are now the Bill of Rights
BILL OF RIGHTS First eight amendments spell
out the personal liberties the states had requested
Ninth and Tenth amendment: Impose general limits on the
powers of the federal government The protection of rights and
freedoms did not apply to all Americans Native Americans, slaves, and
women were not mentioned Some northern states permitted
free blacks to vote; but they had no protection over white’s discrimination and hostility