Question

What do these headlines demonstrate about the process of ratifying the Constitution?

A. Massachusetts was the last state to ratify the Constitution.
B. Samuel Adams began to question the Anti-Federalist cause.
C. The idea of a bill of rights originated in the constitutional debates in Massachusetts.
D. The addition of a bill of rights was key to Anti-Federalist support for the Constitution.

Answer 1

D would be the answer.

Answer 2

The correct answer is D) The addition of a Bill of Rights was key to Anti-Federalist support for the Constitution.

The development of a new US Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation was a long and difficult process. This is due to the disagreements between two major groups, the federalists and anti-federalists. The federalists were in favor of a new, stronger federal government. However, anti-federalists still wanted state governments to have significantly more power than the federal government. This helps to explain why it took time for the new US Constitution to be adopted. It was not until a bill of rights was proposed that anti-federalists changed their mind. This change of heart was thanks to the guaranteed rights listed in the bill of rights that could not be taken away from citizens.