Simone Lawson
During the debate over the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, only about half a dozen newspapers across the country were steadfastly opposed to the proposed new form of government. The remaining newspapers were either neutral, printing a significant number of Anti-Federalist essays, or were outright Federalist, publishing items in favour of the Constitution. The Federalist Papers, a series of 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, were published in newspapers nationwide to explain and defend the proposed new government. The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, published a series of articles and delivered speeches against ratification, collectively known as The Anti-Federalist Papers. The political split between Federalists and Anti-Federalists emerged during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, with Federalists supporting and Anti-Federalists opposing the ratification of the Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of newspapers that opposed the ratification of the new constitution | About half a dozen |
| Number of newspapers that remained neutral | About half a dozen |
| Number of newspapers that supported the ratification of the new constitution | 84 (95 in total minus 4 that were neutral and 6 that opposed) |
| Number of magazines that supported the ratification of the new constitution | 4 |
| States with the most newspapers | Pennsylvania, New York, and Massachusetts |
| Number of states that had ratified the constitution by mid-January 1788 | 5 (Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania) |
| Number of states that ratified the constitution by June 21, 1788 | 9 (New Hampshire was the ninth state to ratify) |
| Number of states that had ratified the constitution by May 29, 1790 | 13 (Rhode Island was the last state to ratify) |
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What You'll Learn
The Federalist Papers
During the debate over ratifying the Constitution, only about a half dozen newspapers throughout the country steadfastly opposed the proposed new form of government, while another half dozen remained neutral enough to print a significant number of Antifederalist essays. The remaining newspapers were Federalist, printing mostly items in favour of the Constitution.
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Alexander Hamilton's influence
Alexander Hamilton played a significant role in the creation and ratification of the United States Constitution. In 1787, at just 30 years old, he was selected as a delegate from New York to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Hamilton was a leader in calling for this convention, although his direct influence at the gathering was limited. He proposed a president-for-life, but this idea was not adopted.
Hamilton's influence was more keenly felt in the ratification debates. He was instrumental in the Constitution's ratification and interpretation, leading the collaboration with James Madison and John Jay on the Federalist Papers. These were a collection of 85 articles and essays written under the pseudonym "Publius" to promote the ratification of the Constitution. The first of these essays was published in a New York newspaper, aimed at the delegates to the state's Ratifying Convention. During the debates, supporters of the Constitution were known as Federalists, and their opponents as Anti-Federalists. Hamilton's performance at the New York Ratifying Convention in Albany was particularly notable. By the time of the convention in June 1787, several major states, including New York, had not yet ratified the Constitution. Hamilton faced a large group of Anti-Federalists, but his focused logic won the day.
Hamilton also influenced the composition of President Washington's farewell address, writing drafts for comparison. He was also involved in the creation of the Haitian Constitution, which was promulgated a year after his death.
Newspapers played a critical role in the ratification debates. Between 1787 and 1790, 95 newspapers were printed across the United States, with 69 in the Northern states and 26 in the Southern states. Most newspapers supported the Constitutional Convention and the Federalist cause, printing mostly items in favour of the Constitution. However, a handful of newspapers steadfastly opposed the proposed new form of government, and another handful remained neutral, printing a significant number of Anti-Federalist essays.
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Anti-Federalist Papers
The Anti-Federalist Papers were a series of essays written by the Founding Fathers who opposed the United States Constitution of 1787. The authors of these essays, who were against the implementation of a stronger federal government without protections on certain rights, wrote under pseudonyms such as "Brutus", "Cato", "Centinel", and "Federal Farmer". These essays were published in newspapers, with the most well-known being a series of sixteen essays published in the New York Journal from October 1787 to April 1788.
The Anti-Federalist Papers argued against the ratification of the new Constitution, which took effect in 1789 despite their efforts. They failed to halt the ratification but influenced the first assembly of the United States Congress to draft the Bill of Rights. The essays reflected the sentiments of the Anti-Federalists, including a fear of a powerful central government, a belief in direct citizen participation in democracy, and a distrust of wealthy merchants and industrialists.
During the debate over ratifying the Constitution, only about half a dozen newspapers across the country steadfastly opposed the proposed new form of government, while another half dozen remained neutral enough to print a significant number of Anti-Federalist essays. The remaining newspapers were Federalist, printing mostly items in favour of the Constitution. However, Anti-Federalist items sometimes appeared as "straw men" followed by Federalist critiques.
The Federalist Papers, in contrast to the Anti-Federalist Papers, were written by a group of three men working closely together: Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay. They enlisted the contributions of Madison, known as the "father of the Constitution", and John Jay, the president of the Continental Congress and a New York diplomat. The first of these Federalist essays was published in a New York newspaper under the pseudonym "Publius".
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State-by-state ratification
Newspapers played a crucial role in the ratification of the Constitution. Between 1787 and 1790, 95 newspapers were printed across the United States, with 69 in the Northern states and 26 in the Southern states. The debate over ratification was fierce, with supporters of the Constitution calling themselves Federalists and their opponents known as Anti-Federalists. While most newspapers were Federalist, only about half a dozen were steadfastly Anti-Federalist, and another half dozen remained neutral, printing a significant number of Anti-Federalist essays.
The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787. By mid-January 1788, five more states had followed suit: Connecticut, Georgia, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware. Massachusetts became the sixth state to approve the Constitution on February 6, 1788, by a narrow vote of 187 to 168.
The Federalists faced strong opposition from Anti-Federalists in large and powerful states like Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia. The Anti-Federalists demanded a bill of rights to protect individual liberties, arguing that the new national government would be too powerful. The Federalists eventually promised to consider amendments, which became the Bill of Rights, to secure ratification.
The battle for ratification was particularly intense in Pennsylvania, which was the focus of national attention due to its size, wealth, and influence. The Pennsylvania Packet newspaper published the draft Constitution on September 19, 1787, and the state's assembly voted to call a state ratifying convention. The Federalists and Anti-Federalists both published their positions, and passions ran high. On October 5, 1787, the Anti-Federalist Samuel Bryan published the first of his "Centinel" essays in Philadelphia's Independent Gazetteer.
The New York State Convention voted 30 to 25 to ratify the Constitution, and they also voted to ask other states to support a second convention to consider amendments. This letter was printed in seven New York newspapers and more than 30 newspapers in other states. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay wrote 85 essays known as "The Federalist Papers," which were first published in New York newspapers and then in other states.
The final state needed for ratification was New Hampshire, which approved the Constitution on June 21, 1788. However, Rhode Island did not approve the Constitution until May 29, 1790, and the Bill of Rights was not ratified until the end of the following year.
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The Bill of Rights
During the debate over the ratification of the Constitution, only about half a dozen newspapers across the country firmly opposed the proposed new form of government. The rest were either Federalist, printing mostly pro-Constitution items, or remained neutral, printing a significant number of Antifederalist essays. Many newspapers from this period are not extant, especially those printed in North Carolina and Virginia.
Newspapers played a critical role in the ratification of the Constitution. Between 1787 and 1790, 95 newspapers were printed across the United States, with 69 in the Northern states and 26 in the Southern states. The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. By mid-January 1788, five states had ratified the Constitution: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania. The Federalists were building momentum, but they knew the main opposition would come from Anti-Federalists in large and powerful states, including Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia.
The Anti-Federalists were mounting an effective opposition through essays and debates. They demanded prior amendments to be sent to a second convention before they would accept the new government. During the debate in Massachusetts, the Federalists were forced to promise to consider amendments protecting the liberties of the people after the Constitution was ratified. The call for a bill of rights was the anti-Federalists' most powerful weapon. They opposed the ratification of the 1787 Constitution because they feared that the new national government would be too powerful and thus threaten individual liberties, given the absence of a bill of rights. Their opposition was a significant factor in the adoption of the First Amendment and the other nine amendments that constitute the Bill of Rights.
The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, wrote a series of 85 powerful newspaper essays known as The Federalist Papers. To counter this, the Anti-Federalists published a series of articles and gave speeches against ratification, known collectively as The Anti-Federalist Papers. Despite this opposition, the Constitution became the official framework of the US government on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it. The Bill of Rights, consisting of 10 amendments, was ratified on December 15, 1791.
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Frequently asked questions
During the debate over ratifying the Constitution, only about a half dozen newspapers throughout the country steadfastly opposed the proposed new form of government.
The Pennsylvania Herald, the Pennsylvania Packet, and the Independent Gazetteer.
The New-York Journal, the New York State Convention, and seven other New York newspapers.
