Simone Lawson
The supporters of the 1787 Constitution of the United States were known as Federalists. Led by John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, Federalists advocated for a centralized republic, arguing that a strong central government was the best solution for the future. They believed that a large republic would provide the best defense against the tumult of direct democracy, with citizens represented by representatives of their choosing. To sway public opinion, the Federalists published a series of essays known as The Federalist Papers, articulating their vision of a strong national government.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Federalists |
| Notable Supporters | John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, George Washington |
| Support Base | Businessmen, large farmers, plantation owners |
| Beliefs | A centralized republic provided the best solution for the future |
| A strong national government was necessary | |
| A large republic provided the best defense against the tumult of direct democracy | |
| Citizens would be represented by representatives of their own choosing | |
| A bill of rights was unnecessary |
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What You'll Learn
- Supporters of the 1787 Constitution were called Federalists
- Federalists included John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison
- The Federalists published a series of essays known as The Federalist Papers
- The Federalists' opposition were called Anti-Federalists
- Anti-Federalists were concerned that the new government would threaten individual liberties
Supporters of the 1787 Constitution were called Federalists
The Federalists' arguments stood in contrast to those of the Anti-Federalists, who opposed the 1787 Constitution. Anti-Federalists argued that the Constitution would consolidate all power in a national government, robbing the states of their decision-making power. They believed that the Constitution mirrored the old, corrupt, and centralized British regime, where a distant government made the laws. Anti-Federalists also argued for the value of limited central government and supported the idea of a strong executive elected by the consent of the governed. They asserted that the rule of law would best serve the people of the United States and that the Constitution should include a bill of rights.
The debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists was fierce, with contrasting visions of the American republic and democracy at stake. The Federalists, however, were successful in their campaign to sway public opinion in favor of a strong central government. This led to the ratification of the Constitution and the formation of a new national government.
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Federalists included John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison
Supporters of the 1787 Constitution, known as Federalists, believed that a centralized republic was the best solution for the future. Federalists included John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, who put forward their case to the public in a famous series of essays known as The Federalist Papers. These were first published in New York and then republished elsewhere in the United States.
The Federalist Papers were written and published to encourage New Yorkers to ratify the proposed United States Constitution, which was drafted in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787. The essays explain particular provisions of the Constitution in detail. For instance, the tenth essay in The Federalist Papers, often called Federalist No. 10, was written by James Madison. It addresses the problems of political parties ("factions"). Madison argued that there were two approaches to solving the problem of political parties: a republican government and a democracy. He contended that a large republic provided the best defence against what he viewed as the tumult of direct democracy.
Alexander Hamilton was an erudite and polished speaker and writer. In one instance, he responded to an Anti-Federalist delegate named Melancton Smith, who took issue with the scheme of representation as being too limited and unreflective of the people. Hamilton replied: "It has been observed by an honorable gentleman [Smith], that a pure democracy, if it were practicable, would be the most perfect government. Experience has proven that no position in politics is more false than this." Hamilton also presented his own ideal plan of government, which included an executive to serve during good behaviour or life with veto power over all laws, a senate with members serving during good behaviour, and the legislature with the power to pass "all laws whatsoever."
The Federalists succeeded in convincing the Washington administration to assume national and state debts, pass tax laws, and create a central bank. These moves undoubtedly saved the fledgling democracy from poverty and even destruction. However, by 1795, the Federalists had become a party in name, and after their candidate, John Adams, was elected president in 1796, the Federalists began to decline.
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The Federalists published a series of essays known as The Federalist Papers
The supporters of the 1787 Constitution, known as Federalists, believed that a centralized republic was the best solution for the future. Led by John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, the Federalists published a series of essays known as The Federalist Papers to make their case to the public.
The Federalist Papers is a collection of 85 articles and essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay under the collective pseudonym "Publius". The essays were written and published in various New York state newspapers between October 1787 and May 1788 to urge New Yorkers to ratify the proposed United States Constitution. The first 77 essays were published serially in the Independent Journal, the New York Packet, and The Daily Advertiser, while the last eight were republished in New York newspapers between June and August 1788.
The Federalist Papers were written with haste and widely read, greatly influencing the shape of American political institutions. The essays explain particular provisions of the Constitution in detail and are often used today to interpret the intentions of those who drafted the Constitution.
The tenth essay in The Federalist Papers, often called Federalist No. 10, is one of the most famous. Written by James Madison, it addresses the problems of political parties ("factions"). Madison argued that a large republic provided the best defense against the tumult of direct democracy, and that compromises would be reached in a large republic with citizens represented by their chosen representatives.
The Federalist Papers are also notable for their opposition to what later became the United States Bill of Rights.
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The Federalists' opposition were called Anti-Federalists
The Federalists were the supporters of the new US Constitution, which was ratified in 1787. They were nationalists who believed that a centralized republic was the best solution for the future of the United States. The Federalists were influential in shaping the new Constitution, which strengthened the national government. They included prominent figures such as John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, who articulated their vision in a series of essays known as The Federalist Papers.
The opposition to the Federalists were called the Anti-Federalists. The Anti-Federalists rejected the ratification of the Constitution, arguing that it would lead to a loss of individual liberties and an erosion of state sovereignty. They believed that the Constitution, as drafted, would result in a powerful central government that threatened the rights of states and individuals. Led by Patrick Henry of Virginia, the Anti-Federalists worried that the position of president might evolve into a monarchy, resembling the cast-off governance of Great Britain.
The Anti-Federalists were composed of diverse groups, including those who opposed the Constitution because they believed it threatened the sovereignty and prestige of the states, localities, or individuals. They advocated for a more decentralized form of government with greater protections for individual rights and stronger representation for the states. The Anti-Federalists also included those who saw the proposed government as a new centralized and "monarchic" power, as well as those who feared the loss of their personal liberties.
The term "Anti-Federalist" was actually imposed upon this group by the Federalists, carrying negative connotations of opposition to Congress and unpatriotic motives. The Anti-Federalists rejected this label, arguing that they were the true Federalists and tried to reclaim the term in their correspondence and local groups. Despite their efforts, the name Anti-Federalist stuck, and they became known as the opposition to the Federalists in the battle over the ratification of the US Constitution.
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Anti-Federalists were concerned that the new government would threaten individual liberties
The supporters of the new constitution were known as Federalists. The Federalists, led by John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, made their case to the public in a series of essays known as The Federalist Papers.
The opponents of the new constitution were known as Anti-Federalists. They were concerned that the new government would threaten individual liberties. The Anti-Federalists were composed of diverse elements, including small farmers, landowners, shopkeepers, and laborers. They believed that the new constitution would lead to a loss of individual liberties and an erosion of state sovereignty. They wanted a more decentralized form of government with greater protections for individual rights and stronger representation for the states. They saw the proposed government as a new centralized and "monarchic" power in disguise that would replicate the governance of Great Britain. They also believed that the national government would be too far removed from the people and thus unresponsive to the needs of localities.
The Anti-Federalists' most successful argument against the adoption of the Constitution was the lack of a bill of rights to protect individual liberties. They believed that a bill of rights was necessary to ensure that the government would not overstep its bounds and threaten individual liberties. George Mason, for instance, despaired that the convention was rushing to saddle the country with an ill-advised, potentially ruinous central authority. He was concerned that a "bill of rights," ensuring individual liberties, had not been made part of the Constitution.
The Anti-Federalists' opposition to the ratification of the Constitution was a powerful force in the origin of the Bill of Rights. In response to the Anti-Federalists' demands, the Federalists agreed to consider amendments to be added to the new Constitution. James Madison, a Federalist and the primary architect of the Constitution, introduced draft proposals of what would become the first ten amendments of the United States Constitution, collectively known as the Bill of Rights. These amendments specifically protected individual liberties and ensured that the Constitution would be successfully ratified.
Although the Anti-Federalists failed to prevent the adoption of the Constitution, their efforts were not entirely in vain. Their arguments influenced the formation of the Bill of Rights and helped lead to the enactment of the First Amendment and the other nine amendments.
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Frequently asked questions
Supporters of the new constitution were known as Federalists.
Notable Federalists included John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison.
Federalists believed in a centralized republic and a strong national government. They argued that a large republic would provide the best defense against the tumult of direct democracy.
The Federalists were successful in getting the new constitution ratified, and they also played a role in the adoption of the Bill of Rights, despite initially opposing it.
