Federalists v. Anti-federalists

Federalists v. Anti-Federalists Text Version Ladies and gentlemen, tonight will be a match to rival the Battle of Yorktown. Introducing first, from the blue corner, the Federalists. And in the red corner, here come the Anti-Federalists. OK, OK. So, it wasn't exactly a boxing match. But the groups that formed the new U.S. Constitution had VERY different ideas. The Anti-Federalists were happy keeping the Articles of Confederation. While the Federalists were ready to call it quits and start fresh. They believed that the central government formed by the Articles of Confederation did not have enough power. The Federalists, including Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, believed that the proposed Constitution struck the perfect balance between the federal and state governments. And argued that the new Constitution needed a large republic with a stronger central government to hold the states together. Another group, called the Anti-Federalists, including Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, and George Mason, were skeptical about this new Constitution. The Anti-Federalists believed that the proposed Constitution disregarded civil liberties and the interests of smaller states. After much debate, the new U.S. Constitution was ratified by nine of the thirteen states. So, it officially became the law. After more discussion, the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution to guarantee individual rights. And that satisfied the Anti-Federalists. With this addition, all 13 states ratified the Constitution. And that was a win for both sides.