Protestantism

» Brian Tubbs - Federalist v. Anti-Federalist

In response to Federalist v. Anti-Federalist posted by pink101:

Initially, the Federalists comprised a coalition of supporters for the new Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation. They got their name from The Federalist Papers, which probably serves as as good a manifesto of what the original Federalists stood for as anything.

The Anti-Federalists were those opposed to the new Constitution. Their leaders included Patrick Henry and George Mason. Besides the general fear of a strong, central government, the anti-Federalists were more or less united behind the need for a national bill of rights that would restrain the new central government - if, in fact, there was to be a stronger central government.

The debate over the Bill of Rights began, in many ways, with George Mason's refusal to sign the new Constitution at the close of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. Mason went home to Virginia and joined forces with Patrick Henry, who was already opposed to the Constitution.

Similar opposition to the Constitution brewed up in New York and North Carolina. Rhode Island was opposed from the get-go, refusing to even send delegates to the convention.

The Federalists argued that a Bill of Rights for the US Constitution would be unnecessary since the states already had bills or declarations of rights in their constitutions. And, the Federalists argued, the national government was LIMITED by the precise terms of the US Constitution - so it wouldn't have the power to trample on the rights of the people in the states.

They also argued that once you DID put a bill of rights in the US Constitution, you better name ALL the rights - because the presence of a bill of rights would imply that any unnamed rights were fair game.

The Anti-Federalists countered that centralized power cannot be trusted and that a restraint was necessary.

So....in order to get the Constitution through Virginia, North Carolina, and New York - CRITICAL states - the Federalists (led by Madison) agreed to add a Bill of Rights once the Constitution took effect. They kept that promise.