Lesson 4: Federalists, Antifederalists, the Bill of Rights

Question 1

Amend Definition

Answer 1

to change

Question 2

Antifederalists Definition

Answer 2

opponents of a strong central government

Question 3

Federalist Papers Definition

Answer 3

a series of essays by Federalists James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay in support of ratifying the Constitution

Question 4

Federalists Definition

Answer 4

supporters of a strong central government

Question 5

Ratify Definition

Answer 5

to give official approval

Question 6

What was the process the framers set up to ratify the constitution?

Answer 6

The framers had set up a process for the states to approve, or ratify, the new government. The Constitution would go into effect when at least 9 of the 13 states had ratified it. In 1787 and 1788, voters in each state elected delegates to special state conventions. These delegates would decide whether or not to ratify the Constitution.

Question 7

What did supporters of the constitution call themselves? What they call those that opposed the constitution?

Answer 7

In every state, heated debates took place. Supporters of the Constitution called themselves Federalists because they favored a strong federal, or national, government. They called people who opposed the Constitution Antifederalists.

Question 8

What were the arguments of the Federalists? What did the Federalist papers state? What was their influence?

Answer 8

Federalists argued that the Articles of Confederation left too much power with the individual states. This imbalance produced a dangerously weak central government. Disputes among the states, Federalists said, made it too difficult for the government to function. Federalists believed that the Constitution gave the national government the authority it needed to function effectively. At the same time, they said, the Constitution still protected the rights and powers of the individual states. Federalists James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay wrote a series of essays, known today as the Federalist Papers . Their purpose was to explain and defend the Constitution. They used pen names, but most people knew who they were. Today, the Federalist Papers remain among the best discussions of the political theory behind the American system of government.

Question 9

What is the influence of the Federalist Papers today?

Answer 9

Courts still refer to the Federalist Papers in making decisions about the principles and role of government. In this way, they have had a lasting influence on the U.S. system of government.

Question 10

What were the arguments of antifederalists? How did Patrick Henry support these arguemnets?

Answer 10

Antifederalists felt that the Constitution made the national government too strong and left the states too weak. They also thought that the Constitution gave the President too much power. Patrick Henry of Virginia protested:
This Constitution is said to have beautiful features, but … they appear to me horribly frightful. … Your President may become king … If your American chief be a man of ambition and abilities, how easy is it for him to render himself absolute!

—Patrick Henry, Speech to the Virginia Convention, June 1788

Question 11

Despite the fact that most believed George Washington was going to become president, what did the antifederalists warn against?

Answer 11

Most people expected George Washington to be elected President. Antifederalists admired Washington, but they warned that future Presidents might lack Washington’s honor and skill. For this reason, they said, the office should not be too powerful.

Question 12

What was the chief objection by the antifederalists? How did the Federalists argue against it?

Answer 12

The chief objection of Antifederalists was that the Constitution had no bill, or list, of rights. Federalists held that it was impossible to list all the natural rights of people. Besides, they said, the Constitution protected citizens well enough as it was.

Question 13

What were the Antifederalists’ arguments for a Bill of Rights, in response to Federalists?

Answer 13

Antifederalists responded that a bill of rights was needed to protect such basic liberties as freedom of speech and religion. Unless these rights were spelled out, they could be too easily ignored or denied by the government. Americans, after all, had just fought a revolution to protect their freedoms against a too-powerful government. Violations of those freedoms were the main grievances cited in the Declaration of Independence. Antifederalists argued that a bill of rights was needed to address those grievances. Under the new Constitution, the President would have veto power over Congress—the people’s representatives. Surely placing so much power in one man’s hands, the Antifederalists argued, likewise demanded the protection of a bill of rights.

Question 14

What was George Manson’s influence on the Constitution?

Answer 14

One of the strongest supporters of a bill of rights was George Mason of Virginia. In 1776, Mason had written the bill of rights for Virginia’s constitution. After the Constitutional Convention refused to include a bill of rights, Mason joined the Antifederalists. Mason wrote a pamphlet opposing the ratification of the Constitution. The pamphlet was titled, simply, “Objections to This Constitution of Government.” Its opening words were equally direct: “There is no Declaration of Rights.”

Question 15

Who ratified the constitution first? Which states followed? What was the main reason for ratification in states that ratified the Constitution later?

Answer 15

One by one, the states voted. Delaware led the way, ratifying on December 7, 1787. Pennsylvania and New Jersey soon followed. In these states, as in the states that ratified later, the main cause behind ratification was that Federalists were able to convince a majority of delegates that the Constitution would bring an improved system of government.

Question 16

When did Massachusetts and New Hampshire ratify the Constitution? What was there such a big concern for Virginia and New York not ratifying the Constitution?

Answer 16

Massachusetts was the first key battleground. There, the old patriots Sam Adams and John Hancock held back their support. The delay seemed “very ominous,” wrote Madison. Finally, Adams and Hancock convinced the state convention to recommend adding a bill of rights to the Constitution. Still the debate continued. “Some gentlemen say, don’t be in a hurry … don’t take a leap in the dark,” a Federalist farmer told his fellow delegates. “I say … gather fruit when it is ripe.” In February 1788, Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify. In June, New Hampshire joined ranks as the ninth state. The new government could now go into effect. Still, the nation’s unity remained in doubt. New York and Virginia, two of the largest states, had not yet ratified the plan. In both states, Federalists and Antifederalists were closely matched.

Question 17

Who were the leaders of the opposition against the Constitution in Virginia?

Answer 17

In Virginia, Patrick Henry, George Mason, and Governor Edmund Randolph led the opposition. Still a spellbinding speaker, Henry at one point spoke for seven hours. Soft-spoken, James Madison could not match Henry’s dramatic style. Yet his arguments in favor of the Constitution were always clear, patient, and to the point.

Question 18

When and why did Virginia ratify the Constitution?

Answer 18

The tide finally turned when Governor Randolph changed his mind. He gave his support only when the Federalists promised to support a bill of rights. Virginia voted to ratify in late June.

Question 19

After Virginia, which other states followed in the ratification of the Constitution?

Question 20

How did Americans celebrate the ratification of the Constitution?

Answer 20

Throughout the land, Americans celebrated the news that the Constitution was ratified. The city of Philadelphia set its festival for July 4, 1788. A festive parade filed along Market Street, led by soldiers who had fought in the Revolution. Thousands cheered as six colorfully outfitted horses pulled a blue carriage shaped like an eagle. Thirteen stars and stripes were painted on the front, and the Constitution was raised proudly above it. Benjamin Rush, a Philadelphia doctor and strong supporter of the Constitution, wrote to a friend, “‘Tis done. We have become a nation.”

Question 21

In the first election under the Constitution in 1789, who was elected President? Who was elected Vice President? Where did the First Congress meet up? What did they plan to do? What was the capital of the United States?

Answer 21

Americans voted in the first election under the Constitution in January 1789. As expected, George Washington was elected President, while John Adams was chosen as Vice President. The first Congress met in New York City, which was chosen as the nation’s first capital. Congress quickly turned its attention to adding a bill of rights to the Constitution. Several states had agreed to ratify the Constitution only on the condition that a bill of rights be added.

Question 22

How did the process of amending the Constitution work?

Answer 22

The framers had established a way to amend, or change, the Constitution to modify the rules for the national government. They did not want people to make changes lightly, however. Thus, they made the process of amending the Constitution fairly difficult. In 1789, the first Congress proposed a set of 12 amendments, written by James Madison. As required by the Constitution, the amendments then went for ratification by the states, three fourths of which had to ratify an amendment for it to take effect. By December 1791, three fourths of the states had ratified 10 of the 12 amendments. These 10 amendments became known as the Bill of Rights.

Question 23

What did James Madison insist about the Bill of Rights?

Answer 23

James Madison insisted that the Bill of Rights does not give Americans any rights. The rights listed, he said, are natural rights that belong to all human beings. The Bill of Rights simply prevents the government from taking these rights away.

Question 24

What did the Bill of Rights prevent? What did it state?

Answer 24

Some of the first 10 amendments were intended to prevent the kind of abuse Americans had suffered under English rule. For example, the Declaration of Independence had condemned the king for forcing colonists to quarter troops in their homes and for suspending trial by jury. The Third Amendment forbids the government to quarter troops in citizens’ homes without their consent. The Sixth and Seventh Amendments guarantee the right to trial by jury. Other amendments protected individual rights as many states had already done. In 1786, the Virginia Statute of Religious Freedom stated that “No man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious worship … or otherwise suffer, on account of his religious opinions or belief.” Religious freedom became the very first right listed in the First Amendment. The First Amendment also emphasized a key element of the republic: freedom of speech, or the ability to express different points of view.

Question 25

When did the Bill of Rights apply to all states?

Answer 25

At first, individual state governments were not considered subject to the Bill of Rights. It was only after the ratification of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868 and subsequent Supreme Court decisions that the Bill of Rights was applied to the states. Still, with the Bill of Rights in place, the new framework of government was complete. Over time, the Constitution would grow and change along with the nation.