Anti-Federalists

Examples of Anti-Federalists in the following topics:

• The First Political Parties: Federalists and Anti-Federalists

  • The winning supporters of ratification of the Constitution were called Federalists, the opponents were called Anti-Federalists.
  • The First Party System of the United States featured the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party (also known as the Anti-Federalist Party).
  • The winning supporters of ratification of the Constitution were called Federalists and the opponents were called Anti-Federalists.
  • During the ratification process the Anti-Federalists presented a significant opposition in all but three states.
  • Anti-Federalists debate.

• Federalists and Antifederalists

  • Those who favored ratification were known as Federalists,while those who opposed it were considered Anti- Federalists.The Federalists attacked the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
  • On the other hand, the Anti-Federalists also supported a House of Representative with substantive power.
  • One of the Anti-Federalist's strongest arguments was the Constitution's lack of a Bill of Rights.
  • Many Anti-Federalists were eventually persuaded by the Federalists' arguments.
  • Explain the arguments made by the Federalists and Anti-Federalists over the new U.S.

• The Federalist Papers

  • Since Hamilton, Madison, and Jay were considered Federalists, this series of essays became known as The Federalist Papers.
  • Anti-Federalists did not support ratification.
  • Many individuals, such as Patrick Henry, George Mason, and Richard Henry Lee, were Anti-Federalists.
  • The Anti-Federalists had several complaints with the Constitution.
  • A third complaint of the Anti-Federalists was that senators and the president were not directly elected by the people, and the House of Representatives was elected every two years instead of annually.

• Inherent Powers

  • Then, due to Adams poor leadership skills, the Federalists and Anti-Federalists divisions were heightened and the development of political parties was quickened.

• Political Parties from 1800–1824

  • Rising out of the Federalist v.
  • Anti-Federalist debates, it featured two national parties competing for control of the presidency, Congress, and the states: the Federalist Party, created largely by Alexander Hamilton, and the rival Democratic-Republican Party formed by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison.
  • The Federalists were dominant until 1800, and the Republicans were dominant after 1800.
  • The Federalists appealed to the business community, the Republicans to the planters and farmers.
  • Federalist poster about 1800.

• Federalism

  • The most forceful defense of the new Constitution was The Federalist Papers , a compilation of 85 anonymous essays published in New York City to convince the people of the state to vote for ratification.
  • Those opposed to the new Constitution became known as the Anti-Federalists.
  • The Anti-Federalists believed that the legislative branch had too much unchecked power, that the executive branch had too much power, and that there was no check on the chief executive.
  • The Federalists argued that it was impossible to list all the rights and that those not listed could be easily overlooked because they were not in the official bill of rights.
  • The federal government acquired no substantial new powers until the acceptance by the Supreme Court of the Sherman Anti-Trust Act.

• The Second Amendment

  • Anti-federalists were concerned that the new US government would be able to maintain a standing army, which might be temptation to abuse power.

• Shay's Rebellion and the Revision of the Articles of Confederation

  • A vigorous debate was going on throughout the states on the need for a stronger central government with Federalists arguing for the idea, and anti-Federalists opposing them.
  • Historical opinion is divided on what sort of role the rebellion played in the formation and later ratification of the United States Constitution, although most scholars agree it played some role, at least temporarily drawing some anti-Federalists to the strong government side.

• The Two-Party System

  • The First Party System of the United States featured the Federalist Party and the Democratic-Republican Party (Anti-Federalist).
  • The Third Party System stretched from 1854 to the mid-1890s, and was characterized by the emergence of the anti-slavery Republican Party, which adopted many of the economic policies of the Whigs, such as national banks, railroads, high tariffs, homesteads and aid to land grant colleges.

• The Democratic Party

  • The Democratic Party evolved from Anti-Federalist factions that opposed the fiscal policies of Alexander Hamilton in the early 1790s.
  • In the 1850s, under the stress of the Fugitive Slave Law and the Kansas–Nebraska Act, anti-slavery Democrats left the party.
  • Initially calling itself the "Republican Party," Jeffersonians were labeled "Democratic" by the Federalists, hoping to stigmatize them as purveyors of mob rule.