Omar Bennett
In 1787, the draft federal constitution was submitted to the states for ratification. New York was divided between Anti-Federalists and Federalists. The Anti-Federalists, led by Governor George Clinton, argued that the new and more powerful national government operating under a constitution that did not include a Bill of Rights would seriously endanger the rights of individual citizens and the rights of the states. The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, believed that individual rights were fully protected by state and common law.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Anti-Federalists outnumbered Federalists | 46 to 19 |
| Convention vote | 30 to 27 in favour of the Constitution |
| Convention location | Poughkeepsie |
| Convention date | April 1788 |
| Anti-Federalist leader | Governor George Clinton |
| Federalist leader | Alexander Hamilton |
| Anti-Federalist argument | A new, more powerful national government without a Bill of Rights would endanger individual citizens' rights and the rights of the states |
| Federalist argument | Individual rights were fully protected by state and common law |
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What You'll Learn
- The Anti-Federalists' desire for a Bill of Rights
- The Anti-Federalists' wish to preserve the autonomy of the state
- The struggle between the Anti-Federalists, led by Governor George Clinton, and the Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton
- The lack of public enthusiasm for the proposed frame of government
- The violence that occurred during ratification
The Anti-Federalists' desire for a Bill of Rights
In 1787, the draft federal constitution was submitted to the states for ratification by popularly elected state conventions. In New York, the Anti-Federalists argued that the new and more powerful national government operating under a constitution that did not include a Bill of Rights would seriously endanger both the rights of individual citizens and the rights of the states. The Anti-Federalists outnumbered Federalists 46 to 19 at the state's ratification convention in Poughkeepsie in April 1788. The Anti-Federalists, led by Governor George Clinton, fought to preserve the autonomy of the state against federal encroachments. They believed that individual rights were not fully protected by state and common law, and that a Bill of Rights was necessary to protect these rights.
The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, believed that individual rights were already protected by state and common law. However, to ensure ratification, they agreed that a series of amendments protecting individual rights would be introduced at the first Congress convened under the new Constitution. Of these 12 amendments, 10 were ratified by the states and became the Bill of Rights.
The ratification of the US Constitution in New York was a highly contentious issue, with debates raging in the New York newspapers and pamphlets from September 1787 to July 1788. The scale of the debate is hard to understate, and it even turned violent at times. The violence shaped how New Yorkers understood ratification and how they would remember the founding of the United States.
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The Anti-Federalists' wish to preserve the autonomy of the state
The Anti-Federalists wished to preserve the autonomy of the state against federal encroachments. They were concerned that a new, more powerful national government operating under a constitution that did not include a Bill of Rights would seriously endanger the rights of individual citizens and the rights of the states. The Anti-Federalists outnumbered Federalists 46 to 19 when the state's ratification convention opened in Poughkeepsie in April 1788.
The Anti-Federalists' concerns were not unfounded. The delegates who crafted the Constitution met in secret, meaning the public had no information about the debates at the Convention in Philadelphia. This led to a lack of enthusiasm among the public for the proposed frame of government.
The Federalists believed that individual rights were fully protected by state and common law. However, to ensure ratification, they agreed that a series of amendments protecting individual rights would be introduced at the first Congress convened under the new Constitution. Of these 12 amendments, 10 were ratified by the states and became the Bill of Rights.
The US Constitution: Ratification and Its Legacy
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The struggle between the Anti-Federalists, led by Governor George Clinton, and the Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton
The ratification process in New York was a long and heated debate, with the Anti-Federalists and Federalists clashing over the merits of the proposed Constitution. The Federalists were in favour of a strong national government, while the Anti-Federalists wanted to preserve the power of the states. The debate played out in the newspapers and pamphlets of the time, with both sides trying to generate public enthusiasm for their cause.
The city of New York was firmly in favour of ratification, with all 19 Federalist delegates coming from the uniformly Federalist counties of New York (Manhattan), Richmond (Staten Island), Kings (Brooklyn), and Westchester. However, when the state's ratification convention opened in Poughkeepsie in April 1788, the Anti-Federalists outnumbered the Federalists 46 to 19. The convention eventually voted 30 to 27 in favour of the Constitution, but the process was not without violence, which shaped how New Yorkers understood ratification and the founding of the United States.
The Constitution's Journey to Ratification and Support
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The lack of public enthusiasm for the proposed frame of government
The Anti-Federalists, led by Governor George Clinton, outnumbered Federalists 46 to 19 at the state's ratification convention in Poughkeepsie in April 1788. They argued that the new and more powerful national government operating under a constitution that did not include a Bill of Rights would seriously endanger both the rights of individual citizens and the rights of the states. They fought to preserve the autonomy of the state against federal encroachments.
The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, were in favour of the Constitution. All 19 Federalist delegates came from the uniformly-Federalist counties of New York (Manhattan), Richmond (Staten Island), Kings (Brooklyn), and Westchester. Despite the Anti-Federalists outnumbering them, the convention voted 30 to 27 in favour of the Constitution.
Federalists' Push: Ratifying the Constitution
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The violence that occurred during ratification
The ratification of the US Constitution in New York was a violent affair. The Federalists and Anti-Federalists were locked in a struggle, with the Anti-Federalists, led by Governor George Clinton, fighting to preserve the autonomy of the state and demanding a Bill of Rights. The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, believed that individual rights were protected by state and common law.
The Anti-Federalists outnumbered the Federalists 46 to 19 at the state's ratification convention in Poughkeepsie in April 1788. Despite this, the convention voted 30 to 27 in favour of the Constitution. The violence that occurred during ratification shaped how New Yorkers understood the process and how they would remember the founding of the United States.
The few dozen delegates who crafted the Constitution met in secret, which caused a problem when it came to generating enthusiasm among the public. The public had no information about the debates at the Convention in Philadelphia, and so between September 1787 and July 1788, debates raged in the New York newspapers and pamphlets.
The Founders' Main Objective Behind Ratifying the Constitution
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Frequently asked questions
New York was divided over the ratification of the Constitution. The Anti-Federalists argued that the new and more powerful national government operating under a constitution that did not include a Bill of Rights would seriously endanger the rights of individual citizens and the rights of the states.
The Federalists believed that individual rights were fully protected by state and common law.
Alexander Hamilton was the only New York member of the Constitutional Convention to have signed the Constitution. He led the Federalists.
George Clinton was the Governor of New York and led the Anti-Federalist contingent.
The convention voted 30 to 27 in favour of the Constitution.
