Eleanor Finch
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 39 of the 41 delegates present. The Federal Convention convened in the State House in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, to revise the Articles of Confederation. However, it soon became clear that a new governing document was needed, and the Constitution was drafted in secret over the summer. The Constitution established the government of the United States and included a preamble, seven articles, a closing endorsement, and 27 amendments. At the time of the signing, political parties did not exist, and the framers of the Constitution did not want or expect them to emerge. However, factions soon formed around personalities such as Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, leading to the creation of the Federalist Party and the Anti-Administration party, also known as the Jeffersonian Democratic-Republican Party.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date the Constitution was signed | September 17, 1787 |
| Number of signatures | 39 |
| Number of delegates in attendance | 55 |
| Number of states required for ratification | 9 out of 13 |
| Political parties | Federalists, Anti-Federalists |
| Leaders of political parties | Alexander Hamilton (Federalists), Thomas Jefferson (Anti-Federalists) |
| First US president | George Washington |
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What You'll Learn
- The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, wanted a strong central government
- The Anti-Federalists, led by Thomas Jefferson, advocated for states' rights
- The Federalists coalesced around the commercial sector, while the Anti-Federalists drew strength from agrarian supporters
- The Federalists and Anti-Federalists debated the inclusion of a Bill of Rights in the Constitution
- The Federalists became the opposition party after the ratification of the Constitution
The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, wanted a strong central government
Political parties in the United States emerged through the rancorous debate over the shaping of the US Constitution and the subsequent issues that followed based on its interpretation. The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, wanted a strong central government, with financial credibility and a strong executive leader. They believed in classical conservatism and nationalism, and their supporters included businessmen and merchants in the major cities.
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay drafted 85 essays under the pseudonym, Publius, known as The Federalist Papers. These writings helped convince states to ratify the Constitution. In these essays, Hamilton argues for a strong executive leader, as provided for by the Constitution, and asserts that "energy in the executive is the leading character in the definition of good government". He also believed that a single executive would be safer and more narrowly watched by the people than a group of people.
Hamilton's Federalist Party dominated the national government from 1789 to 1801. The party appealed to businesses that favored banks, national over state government, and manufacturing an army and navy. They also supported monetary policies that gave more power to the federal government and rejected ties with France in favor of closer links to Britain.
The Federalists were opposed by the Anti-Federalists, led by Thomas Jefferson, who advocated states' rights instead of centralized power. The Anti-Federalists wanted a new government in which state governments superseded the national government. They believed in individual freedoms and the rights of states and favored France, which had supported the Colonies during the Revolution, over Great Britain.
Who Refused to Sign the Constitution and Why?
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The Anti-Federalists, led by Thomas Jefferson, advocated for states' rights
The Anti-Federalists argued that the Constitution, as drafted, 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 believed that the federal government's powers to tax provided by the Constitution could be used to exploit citizens and weaken the power of the states. They also thought that a large central government would not serve the interests of small towns and rural areas, as opposed to the urban interests of many Federalists.
The Anti-Federalists' opposition to the Constitution was strong in many states, including Massachusetts, Virginia, and New York. Their efforts led to the inclusion of the Bill of Rights, which guaranteed specific liberties and limited the power of the federal government. The Tenth Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, for example, reinforced the reservation of powers to the states or the people. The Anti-Federalists' influence helped lead to the passage of the Bill of Rights, which protected Americans' civil liberties.
Thomas Jefferson's opposition to the Federalists continued into the 19th century. In 1810, he wrote a letter to his old acquaintance, David Howell, expressing his criticism of the Federalist Party and its policies. Jefferson and his colleagues formed the Republican Party in the early 1790s, and his election as president in 1801 marked a turning point in U.S. history, ushering in the first era of party politics. The Jeffersonian Republicans held power until 1825, and their beliefs in individual freedoms and states' rights continue to influence American politics today.
Massachusetts' Role in Signing the Constitution
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The Federalists coalesced around the commercial sector, while the Anti-Federalists drew strength from agrarian supporters
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and it was ratified in 1788. The Federalists and Anti-Federalists were the two main political factions that emerged during the struggle over the ratification of the Constitution. The Federalists coalesced around the commercial sector, while the Anti-Federalists drew strength from agrarian supporters.
The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, the Secretary of the Treasury, wanted a strong central government. They were dominated by businessmen and merchants in the major cities who supported a strong national government. They were closely linked to the modernizing, urbanizing, and financial policies of Alexander Hamilton. The Federalist Party came into being between 1789 and 1790 as a national coalition of bankers and businessmen who supported Hamilton's fiscal policies. The Federalists wanted a strong national government that promoted economic growth and friendly relationships with Great Britain in opposition to Revolutionary France. They supported Hamilton's vision of a strong centralized government and his proposals for a national bank and heavy government subsidies.
On the other hand, the Anti-Federalists, led by Thomas Jefferson, the Secretary of State, advocated for states' rights instead of centralized power. They wanted a new government in which state governments superseded the national government. The Anti-Federalists included small farmers and 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 opposed the ratification of the 1787 Constitution because they feared that the new national government would be too powerful and threaten individual liberties due to the absence of a bill of rights.
The partisan battles between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists led George Washington to warn against "the baneful effects of the spirit of party" in his Farewell Address as President of the United States. He urged Americans to put the national interest and common good ahead of partisan interests.
James Wilson's Constitutional Signature: Age and Influence
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The Federalists and Anti-Federalists debated the inclusion of a Bill of Rights in the Constitution
The Federalists and Anti-Federalists had differing views on the role of the federal government, and this extended to their debate on the inclusion of a Bill of Rights in the Constitution. The Federalists, led by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, wanted a strong central government, while the Anti-Federalists, led by Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, advocated for states' rights instead of centralized power.
The Federalists believed that a Bill of Rights was unnecessary and potentially dangerous. They argued that the people or the states retained all rights and powers not granted to the federal government, and that the new federal government had no authority to regulate the freedoms of the press or religion. They also believed that historically, bills of rights had been useless when they were most needed, and that any listing of rights could be interpreted as exhaustive, with rights omitted being considered as not retained.
The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, argued that a Bill of Rights was necessary to protect the people against government oppression and to ensure individual liberties. They believed that the new Constitution consolidated too much power in the hands of Congress and the unitary president, and that the liberties of the people were best protected when power resided in state governments rather than a federal one. They also argued that without a Bill of Rights, the federal government would become tyrannous.
James Madison, a strong supporter of the Constitution, proposed nine changes to the Constitution and introductory remarks to preface the Constitution. He wanted to insert amending phrases into the body of the Constitution rather than affixing them at the end. Roger Sherman, a congressman from Connecticut, argued that any amendments should be appended to the Constitution, and the House of Representatives eventually adopted his argument, voting to add the amendments by way of a supplement.
The debate over the inclusion of a Bill of Rights in the Constitution was a significant factor in the formation of political parties in the United States. The Federalists and Anti-Federalists, who had coalesced around their respective positions on the role of the federal government, continued to organize and dispute over the interpretation of the Constitution and domestic and foreign policies.
Sign Regulation: Free Speech or Government Control?
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The Federalists became the opposition party after the ratification of the Constitution
The Federalists, led by Secretary of the Treasury Alexander Hamilton, were supporters of the Constitution. They wanted to see a strong central government, with state governments subordinate to the national government. They coalesced around the commercial sector of the country. However, the Federalists became the opposition party after the ratification of the Constitution.
During the struggle over the ratification of the Constitution, political factions or parties began to form. The Federalists' opponents, the Anti-Federalists, led by Secretary of State Thomas Jefferson, advocated states' rights instead of centralized power. The Anti-Federalists drew their strength from those favoring an agrarian society.
After the ratification of the Constitution, the Federalists became the opposition party to the Jeffersonian Party (also known as the Democratic-Republicans or Anti-Federalists). The Federalists, led by Hamilton, advocated for commercial and diplomatic harmony with Britain, domestic order and stability, and a strong national government under powerful executive and judicial branches. They supported the ratification of the Jay Treaty with Great Britain, which was opposed by the Anti-Federalists.
The Federalists left a lasting legacy in the form of a strong federal government. They focused on commemorating the ratification of the Constitution and organized parades to demonstrate widespread popular support for the new Federalist Party. However, their power declined over time, and they eventually merged with the Whigs in the early 19th century.
George Read's Signature: A Founding Father's Constitution Endorsement
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Frequently asked questions
The U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787.
Political parties did not exist at the time of the signing of the Constitution. However, two factions had emerged during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia: the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.
The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, wanted a strong central government in which state governments were subordinate to the national government. The party coalesced around the commercial sector of the country, including merchants and bankers.
The Anti-Federalists, led by Thomas Jefferson, advocated for states' rights instead of centralized power. They wanted a new government in which state governments superseded the national government. The Anti-Federalists drew their strength from those favoring an agrarian society.
Political parties began to form during the struggle over ratification of the federal Constitution of 1787. The election of the first president, George Washington, occurred in 1789, and political parties further organized over differing views of how the Constitution should be interpreted.
