Malcolm Rivera
The term Federalist was given to those who supported the Constitution of the United States. The Federalists supported a strong national government and were opposed by the Anti-Federalists, who believed that a stronger government threatened the sovereignty and prestige of the states, localities, and individuals. The Federalists included Alexander Hamilton, who helped convince Congress to organize a Grand Convention of state delegates to work on revising the Articles of Confederation. The Anti-Federalists included Patrick Henry, who argued that the position of president might evolve into a monarchy. Despite their differences, the two groups reached a compromise that led to the adoption of the Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Federalists |
| Supporters | Washington, commercial interests, men of property, creditors |
| Opposition | Anti-Federalists |
| Opposition composition | Small farmers and landowners, shopkeepers, laborers |
| Opposition motivations | Strong state governments, weak central government, direct election of government officials, short term limits for officeholders, accountability by officeholders to popular majorities, strengthening of individual liberties |
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What You'll Learn
Supporters of the Constitution were called Federalists
The Federalists believed in a strong central government that would provide order and stability. They sought to minimize the differences between the proposed constitution and its predecessor, arguing that the new constitution would address the problems under the Articles of Confederation. They supported Alexander Hamilton's aggressive policies and expansive constitutional interpretations.
The Federalists' political opponents were the Anti-Federalists, who opposed the creation of a stronger federal government and later resisted the ratification of the 1787 Constitution. The Anti-Federalists were composed of diverse elements, including those who believed that a stronger central government threatened the sovereignty and prestige of the states, localities, and individuals. They saw the proposed government as a new centralized and "monarchic" power that would replicate the governance of Great Britain, threatening their personal liberties.
The Anti-Federalists included influential figures such as Patrick Henry, small farmers, landowners, shopkeepers, and laborers. They favored strong state governments, a weak central government, the direct election of government officials, short term limits for officeholders, and the strengthening of individual liberties. The Anti-Federalists played a crucial role in the ratification process, with the Massachusetts convention being particularly contentious. A compromise was reached, known as the "Massachusetts compromise," where Massachusetts agreed to ratify the Constitution with the recommended provision to amend it with a bill of rights.
Despite their differences, the Federalists and Anti-Federalists reached a compromise that led to the adoption of the Constitution. However, political divisions persisted, and these tensions carried over into the presidency of George Washington, with disputes arising over fiscal policy.
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Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution
The term Federalists was given to those who supported the Constitution.
The Anti-Federalists opposed the ratification of the 1787 U.S. Constitution. They believed that the new national government would be too powerful and threaten individual liberties, given the absence of a bill of rights. They were chiefly concerned with too much power being invested in the national government at the expense of the states. The Anti-Federalists defended a vision of America rooted in powerful states. They favored strong state governments, a weak central government, the direct election of government officials, short term limits for officeholders, accountability by officeholders to popular majorities, and the strengthening of individual liberties.
The Anti-Federalists included small farmers and landowners, shopkeepers, and laborers. They also had their own set of powerful authors who were just as politically potent and theoretically sophisticated as their Federalist opponents. For instance, there was “Brutus”, usually thought to be leading New York Anti-Federalist Robert Yates, and his influential set of essays. Other key Anti-Federalist writers included Federal Farmer (likely New York’s Melancton Smith or Virginia’s Richard Henry Lee) and Centinel (Pennsylvania’s Samuel Bryan). Patrick Henry was an outspoken anti-Federalist.
The Anti-Federalists' opposition to the Constitution was a powerful force in the origin of the Bill of Rights to protect Americans' civil liberties. Their opposition led to the adoption of the First Amendment and the other nine amendments that constitute the Bill of Rights. Although the Federalists and Anti-Federalists reached a compromise that led to the adoption of the Constitution, this harmony did not filter into the presidency of George Washington. Political division within the cabinet of the newly created government emerged in 1792 over fiscal policy.
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The Federalists supported a strong national government
The Federalists were those who supported the Constitution. They were in favour of a strong national government and were opposed by the Anti-Federalists, who were wary of centralized power. The Federalists were comprised of supporters of Washington, commercial interests, men of property, and creditors. They believed that the Articles of Confederation, which gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, were inadequate. The Federalists' support for a strong national government was driven by the belief that a powerful central government would provide order and stability. They wanted to create a government that could regulate commerce, print money, and enforce laws.
The Federalists, including James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, feared that the young country was on the brink of collapse due to the inadequacies of the Articles of Confederation. They believed that a strong national government was necessary to address the states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade, which threatened to tear the country apart.
The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, argued that a stronger government threatened the sovereignty and prestige of the states, localities, and individuals. They saw the proposed government as a new centralized and "monarchic" power that replicated the cast-off governance of Great Britain and threatened their personal liberties. The Anti-Federalists included small farmers, landowners, shopkeepers, and laborers. They favored strong state governments, a weak central government, the direct election of government officials, short term limits for officeholders, and the strengthening of individual liberties.
Despite their differences, the Federalists and Anti-Federalists reached a compromise that led to the adoption of the Constitution. The Massachusetts compromise, in which Massachusetts ratified the Constitution with recommended provisions for a bill of rights, influenced four of the next five states to include similar language in their ratification instruments. This compromise helped to address the concerns of the Anti-Federalists and contributed to the enactment of the Bill of Rights.
The debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists had a lasting impact on American politics. The tension between those who emphasize state power and those who support national power continues to shape political discussions and disagreements over institutional changes. The Federalist-Anti-Federalist divide also contributed to the formation of political parties, with supporters of Hamilton's aggressive policies and expansive constitutional interpretations forming the Federalist Party, and supporters of Jefferson's stricter constitutional interpretation forming the Jeffersonian Party, or the Republican/Democratic-Republican Party.
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The Anti-Federalists were a political movement
The Anti-Federalists were a late-18th-century political movement that opposed the creation of a stronger US federal government and the ratification of the 1787 Constitution. Led by Patrick Henry of Virginia, the Anti-Federalists were composed of small farmers and landowners, shopkeepers, and labourers. They were loyal to their states and wary of centralised power, favouring strong state governments and a weak central government. They also supported the direct election of government officials, short term limits for officeholders, accountability by officeholders to popular majorities, and the strengthening of individual liberties.
The Anti-Federalists rejected the term "Anti-Federalist", arguing that they were the true Federalists. In their correspondence and local groups, they tried to capture the term. For example, an unknown anti-federalist signed his public correspondence as "A Federal Farmer", and the New York committee opposing the Constitution was called the "Federal Republican Committee". However, the Federalists, those who supported the Constitution, carried the day and the name Anti-Federalist stuck.
The Anti-Federalists were concerned that the position of president, then a novelty, might evolve into a monarchy. They saw in the proposed government a new centralised and "monarchic" power in disguise that would replicate the cast-off governance of Great Britain. They also feared that the new government threatened their personal liberties. The Anti-Federalists played upon these fears in the ratification convention in Massachusetts, which was far more disputed and contentious than the conventions in other states. After a long debate, a compromise (known as the "Massachusetts compromise") was reached: Massachusetts would ratify the Constitution with recommended provisions in the ratifying instrument that the Constitution be amended with a bill of rights. Four of the next five states to ratify, including New Hampshire, Virginia, and New York, included similar language in their ratification instruments.
Although the Federalists and Anti-Federalists reached a compromise that led to the adoption of the Constitution, this harmony did not extend to the presidency of George Washington. Political division within the cabinet of the newly created government emerged in 1792 over fiscal policy. Those who supported Alexander Hamilton's aggressive policies and expansive constitutional interpretations formed the Federalist Party, while those who supported Thomas Jefferson's view favouring stricter constitutional construction and opposing the establishment of a national bank, the assumption of state debts, and other Hamiltonian proposals formed the Jeffersonian Party.
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The Federalists and Anti-Federalists reached a compromise
The Federalists and Anti-Federalists were the two opposing groups that emerged during the debates surrounding the ratification of the US Constitution in the late 1780s. The Federalists, who supported the Constitution, favoured a strong central government to provide order and stability, arguing that it would provide a solid base for economic growth and prosperity. They were generally better organised and connected, and included influential figures such as Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, who wrote a series of essays known as The Federalist Papers in support of their cause.
The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, opposed the ratification of the Constitution, fearing that it would give the federal government too much power at the expense of states' rights and individual liberties. They favoured strong state governments, a weak central government, the direct election of government officials, short term limits for officeholders, and the strengthening of individual liberties. The Anti-Federalists included small farmers and landowners, shopkeepers, and labourers, and influential figures such as Patrick Henry and Melancton Smith.
The debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists were often contentious and sometimes even became violent, with both sides holding meetings and marches to gain support. Despite the strong opposition from the Anti-Federalists, the Federalists were ultimately successful in gaining the support of a majority of states, with New York becoming the eleventh state to ratify the Constitution on July 26, 1788.
However, the Anti-Federalists' efforts were not entirely in vain. Their opposition played a significant role in the origin of the Bill of Rights, which was adopted to protect Americans' civil liberties. Additionally, the Anti-Federalists were able to attach a list of proposed additions that had to be considered before New York fully participated in the new government.
In conclusion, while the Federalists ultimately prevailed in the ratification of the Constitution, the compromise reached between the two groups resulted in the inclusion of certain protections for individual liberties and states' rights, demonstrating the important role that compromise and negotiation played in the formation of the US government.
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Frequently asked questions
Federalists.
The Federalists were supporters of the Constitution and a stronger national government. They were against the Anti-Federalists, who opposed the ratification of the Constitution and feared that a stronger government threatened the sovereignty of the states.
Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and James Madison.
Yes, the Federalists and Anti-Federalists reached a compromise that led to the adoption of the Constitution. However, political divisions between the two groups continued during the presidency of George Washington.
