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Anti Federalism Dbq Essay

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Throughout the history of any great nation, there can be found the clashing of political titans; the United States is no exception. During the pivotal years following the American Revolution, the Anti-Federalist and Federalist groups emerged to lay the political groundwork for what would one day become one of the greatest democratic republics the world has ever seen. These polar-opposite factions proved to be a source of great division amongst the citizens of the newly established country, especially during the arising constitutional debate. Various influential figures from both sides molded and refined the beginnings of the Constitution in order to quell the expectations and desires of the larger population. Though the process of ratification …show more content…

Initially, the United States adopted a document known as the Articles of Confederation as its governing principles. For some, the Articles failed to place enough power in the hands of the government, therefore rendering it ineffective and weak; Congress lacked any true power in compelling states and was burdened by the post-war repayment of debt (Boundless). In the wake of what some viewed as a failure, the Federalists were born. This political group pursued the creation and ratification of a new document; the Constitution. Typically, the Federalist supporters were labeled as successful farmers, merchants, and artisans (Goldfield). Under this new culmination of fundamental principles, the push for the establishment of a strong and centralized governing force was determined (Boundless). One of the most notable shifts suggested by the Constitution, supported by the Federalist group, was a limit placed on the power of the individual state as well as the placement of a Senate to provide fair representation of each state’s interests and beliefs. They argued that Senate, along with two representatives from each state, justly represented state interests (Goldfield). A large republic was seen as best protection for individual freedoms (Goldfield). When a Bill of Rights was brought to their attention by the opposing group, the Anti Federalist, it was deemed unnecessary as the Federalists felt that their Constitution was a control of the rights of government rather than the people. The Federalists supported the ratification of their country's

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After the Constitution of the United States of America was ratified, George Washington put its words into action. With the formation of his Cabinet, he appointed two men that soon created conflicts with their contrasting beliefs about how the new government should be run. These men, Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson, soon gained support and divided the country into political parties. Those who supported a stronger federal government, like Hamilton, called themselves Federalists; in opposition, Jefferson leading the Democratic republicans, favored a stronger state government. Both parties had America’s best interest at heart, however Hamilton and the Federalists’ ideas concerning the economy, interpretation of the Constitution, and the future of American society made them more fit for governing the United States.

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Lectures Lecture 14 “Questions to Consider #1”: Why did the Anti Federalists object so strongly to the Preamble to the Constitution? The Anti-Federalists objected so strongly to Preamble to the Constitution due to the fact the Preamble establishes powers for the three branches of government, states’ relations, mode of amendment, debts, national supremacy, oath of office, and amendment ratification. This group felts as though when the federalists wanting to create a strong central government would not be strong enough if the Preamble was not put into place. Lecture 14 states, “Anti-federalists suspicious of central power fought the new Constitution tenaciously…..

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In the late 18th century, America’s founding fathers would have never dreamed of being organized into different political factions: for they were not fans of them. In Federalist 10, James Madison, leading Democratic-Republican thinker, stated that he was skeptical of factions. In his Farewell Address, George Washington, the first President of the United States, warned the American public against the egotistic political factions. Both Madison and Washington believed that factions were signs of corruption. Despite the public warnings against factions, two political parties emerged from our founding fathers: the Federalists, and the Democratic-Republicans.

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Federalism was an influential political movement that supported ratification of the US Constitution and was discontent with the Articles of Confederation that limited the central government’s power. The outlook and vision of the Federalist Party called for a stronger national government, a loose construction of the Constitution and a mercantile, rather than agricultural, economy. Leading Federalists Alexander Hamilton and Chief Justice John Marshall helped shape the development of our nation’s government branches with their views that they expressed about ratifying and interpreting our Nation’s newly drafted Constitution. For Federalists during this time period, upholding and honoring the United States Constitution was extremely important in order to safe guard

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However, the call for a Bill of Rights had been the anti-Federalists' most powerful weapon. Attacking the future Constitution, Patrick Henry asked the Virginia convention, "What can avail your specious, imaginary balances, your rope-dancing, chain-rattling, ridiculous ideal checks and contrivances." The anti-Federalists, demanding a briefer, clear Constitution, one that laid out for all to see the right of the people and limitations of the power of government. But, the efforts of the Anti-Federalists were not enough to stop the ratification of the Constitution of the United States, but they managed to push for the creation of the Bill of Rights, which promised protection for the rights of all

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The Federalist papers were essays written by the most intelligent political minds at the end of the 18th Century in order to influence the ratifying of the Constitution. Some of the ideas included in the federalist papers outlined the importance of checks and balances, and how representation should be decided between states. One other crucial idea regarding the organization of American Government is found in The Federalist Paper Number 10 written by James Madison. In this essay, he discusses a topic which is still around in America today, factions.

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The Anti-Federalist who were strongly opposed to the Constitution felt the document

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Let me start with what Antifederalist are: The Antifederalists were a diverse coalition of people who opposed ratification of the Constitution. Although less well organized than the Federalists, they also had an impressive group of leaders who were especially prominent in state politics. In the approval debate, the Anti-Federalists conflicted the Constitution. Anti-federalists complained that the new system threatened liberties, and failed to protect individual rights.

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Many people were unhappy with the Articles of Confederation and wanted to get rid of it completely while others wanted to change it or keep it. These two groups were called Federalists and Antifederalists. Federalist wanted to get rid of the Constitution while Antifederalists did not. Most people were unhappy because the majority of people were small farmers, landowners and people who were in debt.

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If the Anti-Federalists had not taken a stand, several important elements may have been left out of the Constitution such as the checks and balances that kept each of the divisions of government from obtaining too much control of the government. In addition, limiting terms of certain political offices kept a rotation of not only ideas, but a variety of leaders and representatives for the various states. Finally, without the intervention of the Anti-Federalists, the “Bill of Rights” may not have been added to the governing policies and the protection of individual rights may not have been put into place. The combination of Federalists and Anti-Federalists allowed the creation of a strong national government with a “personal” representation of the individuals it was created

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Around this era of the late 1700’s, the citizens of the newly independent nation of “America” were in the process of ratifying their government from the Articles of Confederation to the current Constitution which allowed for a democratic republic. The people in support of this ratification were the “Federalist” whom often used pamphlet writings known as the “Federalist Papers” to persuade and inform the public of their ideas and Constitution ratification. The most influential paper among the 85, is the Federalist paper #10 that disproves the Antifederalists’ argument that a republic of any kind would fall from the pressure of multiple divisive opinions among its citizens. Given the nature of humans by God, creating factions based on similar

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“The Federalist,” written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the surname ‘Publius,’ attempts to convince the American people that a republican government would be beneficial to both the people and the United States as a whole. Since ‘Publius’ is, in actuality, three different people, one would expect to find some discrepancies between authors. However, in analyzing “The Federalist,” Madison and Hamilton present a unified front – in order to control the effects of factions, they agree that a government should be able to protect its constituents from their misguided passions, that virtual representation is necessary, and that checks and balances among the divided powers of the government are vital. Factions are a source

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This group wasn't as organized as the Federalists, but they did, however, have a clear reason as to why they opposed it. This group thought that the Constitution would bring them all back to life under Great Britain, they wanted the power to be within the local and state governments. Stating that the three branches of government threatened their traditional belief in preventing government power. One leader and avid opposer of the Constitution was the Governor of New York at the time, George Clinton, and New York being a powerful state, he didn't want the government to have any of that power because of the document. The group also disliked the electoral system that would alway favor the elite leaders and not the common people.

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On Thursday, November 22, 1787 the Daily Advertiser published what is known as “The Federalist No. 10.” This particular Federalist paper was entitled “The Utility of the Union as a Safeguard Against Domestic Faction and Insurrection (continued)” (Madison, 1787). The man who penned this essay was James Madison, who would later go on to be the 4th President of the United States of America. In this essay James Madison describes how the the creation of a “well constructed Union” provides safeguard from faction in public office (Madison, 1787).

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During and immediately after the Revolutionary War, the founding Fathers of America sought to establish a republic on a scale never seen before and to do so had to experiment with new laws and political ideas. Though it was obvious that the first law of the land, The Articles of Confederation, were too weak for the new nation, the development of the new constitution in the late 1780s sparked fierce political debates over the power of the new central government. Even during the debate over the new constitution, it was merely political factions fighting over ideas of government. It would not be until Washington’s first term in office that actual political parties emerged. It was the differences between Secretary of Treasury, Alexander Hamilton,

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