Anti-Federalist
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Anti-federalists were people who opposed the ratification of the U.S. Constitution at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the subsequent strengthening of the federal government. Anti-federalists generally argued for the amendment of the Articles of Confederation instead of their replacement under the Constitution.[1]
Anti-federalists also supported the Bill of Rights as a protection against the federal government's power.[2]
Background
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union were an agreement among the original thirteen states in the United States to unite under a central government consisting of the Continental Congress. The Continental Congress proposed the Articles in 1777, and they became effective in March 1781.
The Articles primarily authorized the national government to govern diplomatic foreign relations and regulate and fund the Continental Army. Under the Articles, the Continental Congress lacked the power to levy taxes and could only request funds from the states. The inability of the national government to raise money caused the government to default on pension payments to former Revolutionary War soldiers and other financial obligations, resulting in unrest. Shay's Rebellion was a prominent example of unrest related to the weakness of the central government and the Continental Congress' inability to fulfill its obligations.
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was convened to solve the problems related to the weak national government. Prominent federalists like James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay advocated for a completely new government under the United States Constitution. Anti-federalists like Patrick Henry, Melancton Smith, and George Clinton argued that the national government proposed under the Constitution would be too powerful and would infringe on individual liberties. They thought the Articles of Confederation needed amended, not replaced.[1][2]
Although the federalists succeeded in passing the Constitution, anti-federalists won compromises and successfully advocated for the addition of the Bill of Rights, which they thought would protect individual freedoms and rights from national power.[1][2]
At the time, opponents of the Constitution objected to the anti-federalist label, as they believed the government under the Articles of Confederation was truly federalist.[1][2]
See also
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Footnotes
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