Federalist vs. Anti-FederalistStrongholds at the End of the

War

Federalists

• Support mainly from coastal & urban areas and from upper classes - merchants, financiers, shippers, planters though not all upperclass citizens were Federalists

• Washington, Hamilton, Madison, and Franklin

• They favored strong central gov’t to maintain peace and stability and to strengthen the Union

Anti-federalists

• Support from mainly backcountry & agricultural areas, debtors, and people philosophically opposed to a strong central gov’t

• Patrick Henry, John Hancock, Thomas Jefferson, George Mason

• Oppose a central gov’t that did not guarantee protection of individual rights

Within weeks after the Constitutional Convention adjourned in September 1787, the articles now called the "Federalist Papers" and the "Anti-Federalist Papers" appeared in New York newspapers. Here was a day-by-day debate over the "most important question that was ever proposed . . . to the decision of any people under heaven."

• Will the proposed Constitution guarantee or destroy liberty?

• Where will power reside?• Who will have it? • Who can give it? • Who can get it back when lost?

Dual in the Press• New York was key state• Federalist PapersBy Hamilton, John Jay, and James MadisonBeyond the AOC- Underlying premise of their

argument: because man is corruptible, he cannot always be trusted to govern himself. Need elaborate constitutional system to prevent rulers from acting arbitrarily and abusive as well as control the passion of the masses

Prevent tyranny of majority and tyranny of minority

No abuse b/c delegated powers in Constitution

Anti-federalist and Bill of Rights

• Federalists say unnecessary since Congressional members elected

• No way say anti-federalists. Basic civil rights need to be listed

• Compromise was BILL OF RIGHTS ADDED TO CONSTITUTION

Examining The Federalist Papers

• Chronology of the Federalist Papers and Anti-Federalist Papers and corresponding events, from the Constitution Society

• Brief overview of the Federalist Papers, from the Library of Congress

• Other online "Federalist Papers"– Library of Congress– University of Virginia

• Other online "Anti-Federalist Papers"– Liberty Page (full text)– Univ. of Groningen (6 articles)

• The U.S. Constitution and amendments, with interrelated links, from Cornell Law School

• The U.S. Constitution (text and facsimiles), from the National Archives

Examining The Federalist PapersFocus on the following as you read

1. The relationship of the individual citizen to the federal gov’t

2. The relationship of the states to the federal gov’t3. Do “factions” or “multiplicity of interests” help or hurt

public good?4. How does human history support the two views?5. Must the republic “guard one part of society against

the injustice of another part?”6. To what degree is it true that

when people part with power, they can never have it back but by force

7. Are we to have a “tyrannic aristocracy” or a “compound republic?”

Examining The Federalist PapersIn Review…

1. What would the Federalist say about the Bill of Rights?

2. What would the Anti-federalist say about the Bill of Rights?

3. What would the Federalist say about the American gov’t today?

4. What would the Anti-federalist say about the American gov’t today?