Final answer:
The Federalists and Anti-Federalists were the two groups that debated the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. The Federalists sought a strong national government, while the Anti-Federalists feared centralized power. This debate shaped the political discourse and influenced the eventual inclusion of the Bill of Rights.
Step-by-step explanation:
The two interest groups that debated the ratification of the U.S. Constitution were the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. The Federalists, including figures like James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, supported a stronger national government and authored the influential Federalist Papers to argue their case. In contrast, the Anti-Federalists feared that the new government would have too much power and potentially evolve into tyranny, preferring a political union where states retained more sovereignty.
The ratification of the Constitution was a contentious process, with debates occurring in newspaper pages, pamphlets, and political discourse. While the Constitution was eventually ratified, the fierce opposition from the Anti-Federalists influenced the later adoption of the Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties and address concerns about centralized power.
Historian Charles Beard posited that the debate over the Constitution could be seen in economic terms, but it was more complex than a mere struggle between the rich and the poor. While urban Americans supported the Constitution for its potential to encourage commerce, many rural Americans, including those who lived off agriculture, opposed it. Nevertheless, the Federalists managed to attract a range of supporters, from wealthy merchants to artisans dependent on foreign trade.