A Comparison between the Views of the Federalists and

Anti-federalists during the Constitutional Convention

By

Your Name

Web sites to use on your power point

• www.teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/delegates

• www.buzzle.com/articles/federalists-vs-anti-federalisrts.html

Anti-Federalists• They were in favor of states rights.

• They were poor, backcountry farmers.

• They could read and were not very well educated.

• They were in debt and were in favor of paper money.

• They were the poorer people of the country.

• Opposed the Constitution

Federalists

Articles of Confederation were a good plan

• Anti-Federalists thought the Articles of Confederation was a good plan because it supported the concept of state governments being more powerful than a Federal Government.

Articles of Confederation were weak and ineffective.

• It soon became evident to nearly all that the chronically underfunded Confederation government, as originally organized, was inadequate for managing the various conflicts that arose among the states.[3][4] As the Articles of Confederation could only be amended by unanimous vote of the states, any state had effective veto power over any proposed change.[5] In addition, the Articles gave the weak federal government no taxing power: it was wholly dependent on the states for its money, and

had no power to force delinquent states to pay.[6]

Opposed strong Central Government

• Anti-Federalists worried, among other things, that the position of president, then a novelty, might evolve into a monarchy

National government needed to be strong in order to function.

• It soon became evident to nearly all that the chronically underfunded Confederation government, as originally organized, was inadequate for managing the various conflicts that arose among the states

Strong national government threatened state power

Strong national government needed to control uncooperative

states

Strong national government threatened rights of the common

people

Men of experience and talent should govern the nation

Constitution favored wealthy men and preserved their power

National government would protect the rights of people

Constitution lacked a bill of rights

Constitution and state governments protected individual freedoms

without bill of rights

Argued against 2/3 ratification plan

In favor of establishing the Constitution with almost any means

possible

More Sympathetic to separation of church and state

Delegates to the Convention

• The following delegates to the convention were arguably the most influential.

Roger Sherman

• Convention contributions

Alexander Hamilton

Ben Franklin

• Convention contributuins

James Madison

• Conventions contributions

William Patterson

• Convention contributions

Rufus King

• Convention contributions

Edmond Randolph

• Convention contributions

Gourvernor Morris

• Convention contributions