chapter 5 section 3 quiz

the federalists

Those who favored the Constitution were called Federalists. They wanted the strong national government the Constitution provided. The Federalists included many Nationalists, such as George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. They argued that even if there were problems with the document, it had to be approved.

ratify

approve or sanction

fill ins

fill ins

bill of rights

first ten amendments to the constitution

faction

group organized around interest and concerned only with furthering that interests.

1st admentment

guarantees freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition

multiple choice

multiple choice

anti federalists

opponents of the Constitution during the debate over its ratification, opposed the concept of a strong central government

federalists

supporters of the constitution during the debate over its ratification, favored strong national government

ratification of the federalists

For the Constitution to become law, 9 of the 13 states had to ratify, or approve, it. Ratification votes would be cast not by state legislatures but by special conventions called in each state. The Framers of the Constitution bypassed the state legislatures because they feared the legislatures would never approve a document that reduced their powers.

bill of rights

These first ten amendments to the Constitution are known today as the Bill of Rights. Against the Bill of Rights Most Federalists saw no need for these amendments. Members of the Constitutional Convention had talked about protecting freedom of speech, the press, and religion. But they decided such measures were unnecessary. They were building a government of, for, and by the people. Under the Constitution, the people and the government were the same. Why, then, did the people need to protect their rights from themselves? For the Bill of Rights Many Americans did not accept Hamilton's reasoning. Anti-Federalists warned that if the rights of the people were not spelled out in the Constitution, these rights would be considered unenumerated powers of government. They believed that the Constitution needed a bill of rights to restrain the federal government

anti federalists

Those who opposed the Constitution were called the anti-Federalists. They believed that the Federalists' plan posed a threat to state governments and to the rights of individuals. The anti-Federalists rallied behind the leadership of older Revolutionary figures, such as Patrick Henry of Virginia. This group gained support in more isolated regions where protecting commerce was not a major concern. People in these areas had less need for the leadership and laws of a strong national government. The anti-Federalists also included some former Nationalists who still wanted a national government but were unhappy with the Constitution as written.Most anti-Federalists saw the Constitution as a betrayal of the American Revolution. A President would be nothing but a king, they warned. Had American patriots fought and died to create yet another government to tax them and tell them what to do? While the Federalists feared the people more than government, the anti-Federalists feared government more than the people. Many anti-Federalists objected not only to the presidency but to the new federal court system. They also worried that those governments closest to the people, the local and state authorities, would be crushed by this new federal monster. Finally, they feared for Americans' individual liberties. Two New York anti-Federalists argued:

the federalists papers

To make their case for the Constitution, several supporters wrote a series of 85 essays, or papers, called The Federalist. These articles appeared in New York City newspapers between October 1787 and August 1788. The authors were Hamilton, Madison, and John Jay, a Nationalist from New York. (See the feature on page 159.) Written to win approval of the Constitution in New York, the Federalist essays are today recognized as perhaps the most sophisticated explanation of the new American political system ever written. Hamilton and Madison offered a defense of the Constitution that was also a commentary on human nature and the role of government. For example, in The Federalist, No. 10, Madison answered those who feared that a federal government could come under the control of one powerful faction, a group that is concerned only with its own interests. Because the United States was so large, Madison wrote, no single faction would be able to control the government. Factions based on regional or economic or other interests would struggle with each other within the federal government, but no single faction would be able to dominate the others for long.