Jonah Patel
The Federalists, supporters of the US Constitution and a stronger national government, faced opposition from Anti-Federalists, who sought to uphold localized government and less intervention from a central authority. To secure support for the new constitution, Federalists like Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote a series of essays, later compiled as The Federalist Papers, arguing for a strong federal government. They promised citizens, particularly Anti-Federalists, that a Bill of Rights would be added to protect individual liberties, and explained how the federal government would be restrained from autocratic rule through checks and balances. The Federalists also emphasized the importance of a federal judiciary to strengthen interstate trade and proportional voting rights to protect smaller states from the influence of larger ones. These arguments, along with explicit guarantees of amendments, helped persuade delegates from various states to ratify the Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Federalist supporters | Big property owners in the North, conservative small farmers and businessmen, wealthy merchants, clergymen, judges, lawyers, and professionals |
| Anti-Federalist opponents | Wanted to prevent the formation of a political community with shared values and interests |
| Pamphlets, essays, and cartoons | Argued for or against ratification |
| The Federalist Papers | Series of 85 essays by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay |
| Ratification | Required by nine of the thirteen states |
| Compromise | Federalists agreed to add a Bill of Rights |
| Checks and balances | Established by the Constitution |
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What You'll Learn
Federalist Papers
The Federalist Papers were a series of eighty-five essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, advocating for the ratification of the US Constitution. Published under the pseudonym Publius, a supporter of the Roman Republic, the essays first appeared in New York newspapers between 1787 and 1788, and were later compiled into a book titled "The Federalist".
The Federalist Papers were a crucial tool in garnering support for the new Constitution, which faced opposition from Anti-Federalists, who favoured a limited, localised government. The essays argued for a strong federal government, addressing concerns about individual liberties and religious tolerance. The Federalists explained the system of checks and balances that would prevent autocratic rule and highlighted the importance of a federal judiciary in strengthening interstate trade.
The Federalist Papers also played a significant role in addressing the issue of individual liberties. While the Anti-Federalists, including prominent figures such as Patrick Henry, George Mason, and James Monroe, argued for more explicit guarantees of rights, the Federalists countered that the Constitution already contained protections in Article I, Sections 9 and 10, which limited the powers of Congress and the states. They further asserted that the entire Constitution, with its checks and balances, was effectively a Bill of Rights and that the absence of a comprehensive list of rights did not imply a lack of protection for individual liberties.
Additionally, the Federalist Papers targeted specific concerns in key states, such as New York, where there was significant opposition to the Constitution. The Federalists promised citizens, particularly Anti-Federalists, that a Bill of Rights would be added, which proved to be a crucial compromise in securing support for the new Constitution. This compromise was reflected in the "necessary and proper" clause (Article I, Sec. 8) and the Supremacy Clause (Article VI, cl. 2), which established the power of Congress and the supremacy of the Constitution over state laws.
The Federalist Papers, along with other pamphlets and essays authored by educated men across the states, played a pivotal role in shaping the debate around the ratification of the Constitution. The arguments presented in these writings helped persuade delegates to ratifying conventions and ultimately led to the adoption of the Constitution and the formation of a stronger national government.
Pamphlets, essays and cartoons
Pamphlets, essays, and cartoons were essential tools used by Federalists to secure support for the new Constitution. Educated men from all states authored pamphlets and published essays and cartoons arguing for or against the ratification of the Constitution. While writers supported both positions, the Federalist essays are the ones that gained more prominence.
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay were among the prominent Federalists who wrote a series of eighty-five influential essays advocating a strong federal government and support for the Constitution. These essays, published in newspapers in New York and other states under the name "Publius", were later compiled as "The Federalist" and are now known as "The Federalist Papers".
The Federalist essays made several arguments to counter the Anti-Federalists' concerns about individual liberties. They asserted that the Constitution already contained protections for individual liberties in Article I, Sections 9 and 10, which limited the powers of Congress and the states. Additionally, they proposed that the entire Constitution, with its checks and balances, served as a de facto Bill of Rights. Federalists also promised that amendments would be added to protect individual liberties, assuaging the concerns of many delegates to the ratification conventions in various states.
Furthermore, Federalists emphasised the importance of a strong national government, highlighting how it would prevent autocratic rule by the federal government through the establishment of checks and balances on the powers of the president. They also explained how a federal judiciary would strengthen interstate trade and protect religious liberty. Cartoons, such as the Massachusetts Sentinel, played a role in encouraging voters in states like Georgia and Connecticut to ratify the Constitution.
Support from businessmen, large farmers and plantation owners
The Federalists secured support for the new constitution from businessmen, large farmers and plantation owners by appealing to their self-interest. These groups tended to live along the Eastern Seaboard. They were attracted to the Federalist position because it favoured a strong central government, weaker state governments, and the indirect election of government officials. Federalists also supported longer term limits for officeholders and representative democracy.
The Federalists also argued that the new constitution would strengthen inter-state trade and prevent autocratic rule by the federal government. They pointed to the institutional restraints and checks and balances built into the constitution, such as the separation of powers between the three branches of government. These features of the constitution were designed to prevent any one branch from having too much power.
In addition, Federalists promised citizens, particularly Anti-Federalists, that they would add a Bill of Rights to the constitution. They explained that the federal government would be kept in check by the states and that the constitution did not give the federal government the authority to suppress individual liberties. They also emphasised the importance of proportional voting rights in the Senate for small states, which would shield them from the supremacy of larger states.
The Federalist position was supported by influential figures such as Alexander Hamilton, who wrote many essays advocating for the ratification of the constitution. These essays, along with explicit guarantees that amendments would be added to protect individual liberties, helped to sway delegates to ratification conventions in many states.
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Checks and balances
The Federalists, supporters of the US Constitution, faced opposition from Anti-Federalists, who rejected the adoption of the Constitution in favour of a limited localised government. To secure support for the new Constitution, Federalists promised citizens, particularly Anti-Federalists, that they would add a Bill of Rights. This was a key compromise that led to the adoption of the Constitution.
Federalists also published a series of 85 articles in New York City newspapers advocating for ratification. These articles, later compiled as The Federalist Papers, were originally written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay under the name Publius. The essays argued for a strong federal government and the protection of individual liberties.
Federalists also explained how the new Constitution established checks and balances on the powers of the president and the federal government. They emphasised that the Constitution created three branches of government—a bicameral legislature, an executive official, and a judiciary—each with separate powers to serve as "checks" on the other branches. This ensured that no one branch had too much power and prevented autocratic rule.
Additionally, Federalists highlighted the importance of a federal judiciary in strengthening interstate trade and protecting religious liberty. They argued that the Constitution, with its institutional restraints, was effectively a Bill of Rights and that it did not vest the government with the authority to suppress individual liberties.
Bill of Rights
The Federalists and Anti-Federalists had differing views on the necessity of a Bill of Rights. The Federalists supported the Constitution and wanted a stronger federal government. They believed that the Constitution already ensured individual rights for citizens and that a Bill of Rights was unnecessary. Alexander Hamilton, a leading Federalist, argued that a Bill of Rights could be dangerous. He also noted that bills of rights in history had been nothing but "paper protections", useless when they were most needed.
The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, wanted a stronger state government and opposed the Constitution, believing it gave too much power to the federal government. They argued that a Bill of Rights was necessary to codify and protect individual rights, especially under the new Constitution, which was an original compact with the people. They pointed out that the Constitution included some rights, like trial by jury, but omitted others. Without a comprehensive list of rights, they feared that the federal government would have too much power.
The absence of a Bill of Rights became an obstacle to the Constitution's ratification by the states. The Federalists eventually agreed to support a Bill of Rights after the ratification of the Constitution to secure its passage. On July 21, 1789, Congress examined, discussed, and edited Madison's original list of amendments, reducing them to twelve, which were then sent to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments were eventually ratified by enough states and became the Bill of Rights, guaranteeing individual freedoms such as freedom of speech and the press.
