Federalist and Anti-Federalists One of the biggest debates in American history was the debate between Federalist and Anti-Federalists involving the Constitution. In 1787, men of power, politics, and governing backgrounds arrived in Philadelphia to discuss the government structure and ratifications to the constitution, among various issues. The men were split among groups of Federalists and Anti-Federalists. These were two very diverse groups of people who shared opposing viewpoints while arguing over the ratifications of the constitution. Federalist and Anti-Federalist shared different dynamics and opinions, due to their knowledge and backgrounds of the world around them. The Federalists were a group of men who were well educated and favored …show more content…
While the Anti-Federalists were normally poorly educated and not in favor of the constitution and believed a Bill of Rights should be added. The Anti-Federalist also did not believe in having a strong federal government, and instead believed the power should be with the people. As men from the thirteen states arrived in Philadelphia, they faced many pre-existing obstacles due to the failure of the Articles of the Confederation, “The failure of the Articles of the confederation made it clear that America needed a new form of government.” The colonists had designed a weak document because they were fighting for freedom against an already strong government. However, once they achieved their goal they realized they needed to correct their mistake. One of the main issues they faced was other the size and representation of states. Size and the amount of representation were critical to the formation of the structure of the new …show more content…
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