Dbq Essay

The debate between the Anti-Federalists and the Federalists significantly impacted the ratification of the Constitution. In the 1780’s, there were two opposing groups: the Anti-Federalists and the Federalists. The Anti-Federalists were concerned about the potential for a strong central government and the lack of individual rights. On the other hand, Federalists believed in a strong federal government to maintain order and protect the nation. Both these arguments and discussions led to the addition of the Bill of Rights, which addressed the Anti-Federalists' concerns. It is interesting to see the effect these groups had on the Constitution.

The Anti-Federalists had multiple issues with the Constitution getting ratified. One objective they were concerned with was the strength and role of the federal government this would create. They thought that the government would eventually take their rights away and abuse the power. Along with that, they assumed that the government would no longer be worried about the smaller states' interests and opinions. The Anti-Federalist states and those concerned included, North Caroline, Rhode Island, Delaware,

Which makes sense considering they wrote it. The “Father of the Constitution”, James Madison was one of the main leaders of the Federalist party. This group believed basically the opposite of the Anti-Federalists. They believed that strengthening the role of the government was the best way to “glue” the U.S. together. When the concern for the smaller states was brought up by the Anti feds, they said the Senate represented the states and it would all be well balanced. In addition to this argument, they thought that the states wouldn’t really need to be heavily represented, because the stronger government would “unite” the individual states. Again, notable historical figures were in the group including Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, James Madison, and George