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Anti-Federalist papers
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The Anti-Federalist papers is a term that refers to the published writings of founding fathers arguing against the ratification of the U.S. Constitution at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The more than 50 authors of the Anti-Federalist Papers worked independently, and lacked the coordination of the authors of the Federalist Papers. The first efforts to compile the Anti-Federalist Papers into an authoritative collection were not attempted until the 20th century.[1]
The articles generally argued against the strengthening of the federal government under the Constitution. Most Anti-Federalist authors preferred the amendment of the Articles of Confederation to their full replacement under the Constitution.[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 anti-federalists like Robert Yates, Melancton Smith, and George Clinton wrote the anti-federalist papers under pseudonyms like Brutus, the Federal Farmer, and Cato to argue against the replacement of the Articles of Confederation with the U.S. Constitution. The authors of the anti-federalist papers expressed concerns regarding the power of the president and federal courts under the Constitution. They also thought Congress could seize too many powers through a broad reading of the necessary and proper clause and argued that a Bill of Rights would be necessary to prevent the national government from encroaching on the rights of individuals and the powers of states.[2][3]
Unlike the federalist papers, written in coordination by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, the anti-federalist papers are a collection of newspaper articles, letters, and speeches from the period when the Constitution was being debated. The anti-federalist papers include works from about 50 authors who dissented from the federalist agenda. 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.[2][3]
See also
External links
Footnotes
- ↑ The Federalist Papers, "THE ANTIFEDERALIST PAPERS," accesses July 27, 2021
- ↑ 2.0 2.1 2.2 Middle Tennessee State University, "Anti-Federalists," accessed July 27, 2021
- ↑ 3.0 3.1 Cite error: Invalid
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