Robert Yates was a politician and judge best known for his Anti-Federalist views along with being known as the presumed author of political essays, which were published in 1787 and 1788, under the pseudonyms "Brutus" and "Sydney". His political career is one that challenged many while preparing others through his own schools of thought. Yates was part of the organization that formed the Constitution of the United States, was a New York representative from 1785 until 1787 serving in the general congress, and in 1808 he was appointed as Master in Chancery. Yates was also present at the 1787 Philadelphia meeting of the Constitutional Convention, but left early because of his anti-federalist views and refused to sign the Constitution. (“Delegates …show more content…
While in charge of the supreme court, Yates received criticism for his treatment towards Loyalists. His other chief justice duties included serving on commissions that were needed to settle boundary disputes with Massachusetts and Vermont. Later on in 1780, Yates established a popular reputation of being the leader of the Anti-Federalists. Him and his fellow Anti-Federalists opposed anything that might diminish the sovereignty of the states. He travelled to Philadelphia in 1787 for the federal convention and was expected that the delegates would be simply discussing a revision of the current Articles, but it became apparent that the convention intended to change much more than just a slight modification of the current plan. On July 5, the day the committee presented its report Yates and John Lansing left the convention and then later in a joint letter to the Governor of New York, they gave their reasons for their early departure and their views on adopting the constitution. They continued to warn against the dangers of centralizing power and urged opposition to adopting the Constitution. (“Delegates to the Constitutional