Omar Bennett
The ratification of the Constitution was a highly contested issue. Some Americans were concerned that the Constitution did not adequately protect individual liberties, and that it created a distant, centralised government that resembled the British government. Others argued that the proposed design was the only way to save the country from foreign invasion or anarchy. The Constitution's opponents called for a bill of rights and refused to ratify the document without one.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Did not guarantee protection of individual liberties | Did not contain reassurances that the federal government would guarantee jury trials, allow residents to possess weapons, or practice religious tolerance |
| Did not include a Bill of Rights | |
| Created a distant, centralised government | Resembled the British government |
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What You'll Learn
- The Constitution did not guarantee protection of individual liberties
- The Constitution did not adequately protect religious tolerance
- The Constitution created a distant, centralised government that resembled the British government
- The Constitution did not require approval from state legislatures
- The Constitution did not guarantee soldiers' pensions
The Constitution did not guarantee protection of individual liberties
The Constitution did not guarantee the protection of individual liberties. This was perhaps the greatest source of dissatisfaction with the Constitution. State governments had given jury trials to residents charged with violating the law and allowed their residents to possess weapons for their protection. Some had practiced religious tolerance as well. The Constitution, however, did not contain reassurances that the federal government would do so. Although it provided for habeas corpus and prohibited both a religious test for holding office and granting noble titles, some citizens feared the loss of their traditional rights and the violation of their liberties. This led many of the Constitution’s opponents to call for a bill of rights and the refusal to ratify the document without one. Patrick Henry, George Mason and Samuel Adams argued against ratification of the Constitution in its current form.
The Constitution was also criticised for creating a distant, centralised government that dangerously resembled the British government. Since the authority inherent in the Articles of Confederation and the Confederation Congress had rested on the consent of the states, changes to the nation’s government should also have been ratified by the state legislatures. Instead, by calling upon state legislatures to hold ratification conventions to approve the Constitution, the framers avoided asking the legislators to approve a document that would require them to give up a degree of their own power.
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The Constitution did not adequately protect religious tolerance
One of the greatest sources of dissatisfaction with the Constitution was that it did not guarantee the protection of individual liberties. Some states had practiced religious tolerance, but the Constitution did not contain reassurances that the federal government would do so. Although it prohibited a religious test for holding office, some citizens feared the loss of their traditional rights and the violation of their liberties. This led many of the Constitution’s opponents to call for a bill of rights and the refusal to ratify the document without one. Patrick Henry, George Mason and Samuel Adams argued against ratification of the Constitution in its current form.
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The Constitution created a distant, centralised government that resembled the British government
One of the main reasons why some Americans were against ratifying the Constitution was that it created a distant, centralised government that resembled the British government. This was a dangerous prospect for many Americans, as they had only recently fought a war against the British to gain their independence.
The Constitution was seen as a threat to individual liberties, as it did not guarantee the protection of certain rights that had been granted by state governments, such as the right to a jury trial and the right to bear arms. Some states had also practised religious tolerance, which was not guaranteed by the Constitution. Although it provided for habeas corpus and prohibited both a religious test for holding office and granting noble titles, some citizens feared that their traditional rights would be violated. This led to calls for a bill of rights to be included in the Constitution, with some refusing to ratify the document without one.
The Federalists, who supported ratification, argued that the proposed design was necessary to save the country from foreign invasion or anarchy. They pointed to the Confederation Congress's inability to pay its debts, its lack of respect abroad, and its powerlessness to protect the country's boundaries. However, the Constitution's opponents saw it as a power grab by the federal government, taking power away from the states and concentrating it in a central authority.
By calling for state legislatures to hold ratification conventions, the framers of the Constitution avoided asking legislators to approve a document that would require them to give up some of their power. Instead, the delegates attending the conventions were elected by their neighbours to represent their interests. These delegates were being asked to place limits on the power of their state legislators, which some may not have elected in the first place.
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The Constitution did not require approval from state legislatures
The Constitution was not ratified by the state legislatures because it did not guarantee protection of individual liberties. State governments had given jury trials to residents charged with violating the law and allowed their residents to possess weapons for their protection. Some had practiced religious tolerance as well. The Constitution, however, did not contain reassurances that the federal government would do so. Although it provided for habeas corpus and prohibited both a religious test for holding office and granting noble titles, some citizens feared the loss of their traditional rights and the violation of their liberties. This led many of the Constitution’s opponents to call for a bill of rights and the refusal to ratify the document without one.
Patrick Henry, George Mason and Samuel Adams argued against ratification of the Constitution in its current form. They criticised the absence of a Bill of Rights, arguing that the Constitution did not adequately protect individual liberties.
Some Americans were also sceptical of ratifying the Constitution because it created a distant, centralised government that dangerously resembled the British government. They were also concerned about the state of the nation at the time. The Confederation Congress could not pay its debts, including soldiers’ pensions; Congress commanded no respect abroad and lacked the power to protect the country’s boundaries; the economy was in freefall; and the states lay on the verge of devolving into regional confederacies.
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The Constitution did not guarantee soldiers' pensions
One of the reasons why some people were against ratifying the Constitution was that it did not guarantee soldiers' pensions. The Confederation Congress could not pay its debts, including soldiers' pensions, and lacked the power to protect the country's boundaries. This was a source of dissatisfaction for many Americans, who were already living in a dangerous world.
The Constitution did not guarantee the protection of individual liberties, which was a cause for concern for many citizens. State governments had given jury trials to residents charged with violating the law and allowed them to possess weapons for their protection. Some states had also practiced religious tolerance. However, the Constitution did not contain reassurances that the federal government would do the same. This led to fears among some citizens that they would lose their traditional rights and that their liberties would be violated.
As a result, many opponents of the Constitution called for a bill of rights and refused to ratify the document without one. They argued that the Constitution did not adequately protect individual liberties and that a bill of rights was necessary to ensure the protection of their freedoms.
The issue of soldiers' pensions was a significant concern for those who opposed ratifying the Constitution. They believed that the Constitution did not provide adequate support for those who had served their country, and this was seen as a failure of the government to uphold its obligations to its citizens.
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Frequently asked questions
The Constitution does not guarantee the protection of individual liberties. It does not contain reassurances that the federal government will allow jury trials for residents charged with violating the law, allow residents to possess weapons for their protection, or practice religious tolerance.
The Constitution does not contain a Bill of Rights.
Patrick Henry, George Mason and Samuel Adams argued against the ratification of the Constitution in its current form.
The counterargument is that the Constitution creates a distant, centralised government that dangerously resembles the British government.
The framers of the Constitution avoided asking the state legislators to approve a document that would require them to give up a degree of their own power.
