Meghna Jayaraman
Mrs. Enright
Social Studies Period 3
September 27, 2010

• Ratified- Approved
• Federalists- Supporters of the Constitution and strong federal, or national government
• Anti-Federalists- Opponents of the
Constitution

The Federalists thought that individual states couldn’t protect themselves whereas a strong government would…
• Provide protection
• Maintain order
• Regulate trade
• Guarantee the rights of the citizens
• Ensure that the nation’s debts were paid
• Make sure that American money had a stable value worldwide

• Feared that a strong government would endanger people’s liberties
• Government couldn’t be called a real government because meetings were held far away from the public
• Representatives should meet close to the people that they represented

• In the Constitution there was a statement that gave Congress power to make laws “necessary and proper” in order to carry out stated powers
• Anti-Federalists felt this statement left room for the abuse of power

• Anti-Federalists wanted a bill of rights so that citizen’s rights were respected
• Federalists thought it was unnecessary since the Constitution already limited the government’s power

• Revolutionary War hero
• Strong Anti-Federalist
• Called Constitution
“horridly defective”
• Led Virginia in the fight against ratification
• “Mr. Chairman, the necessity for a bill of rights appears to me to be greater in this government than ever it was in any government before…. All rights not expressly reserved to the people are relinquished to rulers.”

• 1787-1788 : essays written by James Madison, Alexander
Hamilton, and John Jay (known as The Federalist)
• Published in New York newspapers, 85 total
• Talked about the need of a new government and what form the government should take
• Attempted to convince readers of the need for the
Constitution
• Emphasized how America was weak as a country and could be over powered by France, Spain, or England without a national government

• Federalists agreed to create a bill of rights
• In several cases the Constitution was approved only by a few votes
• June 1788- a new government was created when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify
• Government needed the four remaining states
• Spring 1790- all 13 states had ratified the
Constitution

Ratifying the Constitution
• Delaware - December 7, 1787
• Pennsylvania - December 12, 1787
• New Jersey - December 18, 1787
• Georgia - January 2, 1788
• Connecticut - January 9, 1788
• Massachusetts - February 6, 1788
• Maryland - April 28, 1788
• South Carolina - May 23, 1788
• New Hampshire - June 21, 1788
• Virginia - June 25, 1788
• New York - July 26, 1788
• North Carolina - November 21, 1789
(Originally defeated)
• Rhode Island - May 29, 1790