Question

Describe the different views between the federalists and the anti federalists regarding the constitution and its ratification.

Answer 1

During the American Revolution, a process in which the Thirteen American Colonies became by winning the independence from Great Britain, the term federal was applied to any person who supported the colonial union and the government formed under the Articles of Confederation that served as its first constitution. In contrast, the term Anti-Federalism referred to the movement that opposed the creation of a federal government as well as the ratification of the Articles of Confederation as the United States of America’s Constitution.

By analyzing the different views of these groups, the federalists and the anti-federalists, regarding the constitution and its ratification, it could be said that federalists supported removing powers from the states to give it to the national government, while anti-federalists defended the political powers to remain in the states.

Similarly, whereas federalists favored dividing powers among different branches of government; anti-federalist wanted the legislative branch to have more power than the executive.

Finally, with respect to this executive branch of the government, Federalists proposed a single person to lead the executive branch while anti-federalists that this leading person of the executive branch might become a king or tyrant.

Answer 2

The Federalists were a political party of the United States. The first one, actually. They were all about supporting the Constitution and attempting to convince all the States to ratify the document. They were led by Alexander Hamilton. Hamilton and James Madison (both founding fathers of the United States) did not believe that a Bill of Rights was needed. They argued that the Bill of Rights would end up limiting the rights of the people instead of protecting them.

The Anti-Federalists had many with them and they all opposed to the Constitution in the ratification debate, but they weren't an organized or very coordinated group. They protested against the new system and how, in their view, it threatened liberties. The Anti-Federalists also believed that the new system was not enough to protect individual rights.

In the end, the Anti-Federalist were not successful in their goal, which was the prevention of the adoption of the Constitution, but what they did was at least enough to cause some changes, being them responsible for the creation and the implementation of what we now know as the Bill of Rights, which was presented to Congress by, surprisingly, James Madison himself.