CHAPTER 5-3 RATIFYING
THE CONSTITUTION
AMERICAN HISTORY
FEDERALISTS & ANTI-FEDERALISTS
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Federalists—Supporters of the Constitution
Anti-Federalists—Opponents of the Constitution
THE FEDERALIST VIEWPOINT
Strong leaders—James Madison, John Dickinson,
Alexander Hamilton
The Constitution is not perfect but it is the best we can
do
A Strong national government was necessary for the
survival of the republic
THE FEDERALIST VIEWPOINT
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Government needed to end chaos and mob rule like
Shay’s Rebellion
Separation of Powers put limits on governmental power
Federalist cause was generally popular in the cities
Federalists were out-numbered in the general
population
In the urban west part of states, Federalists were seen
as educated, wealthy elite.
They were distrusted.
THE ANTI-FEDERALIST VIEWPOINT
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Anti-federalists out-numbered federalists but they
were at a disadvantage
The word “anti-federalist” suggested that they were
simply against something without a plan of their
own
Less organized and less unified than their opponents
More diverse-different economic backgrounds and
social classes
They distrusted any central authority
THE ANTI-FEDERALIST VIEWPOINT
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Strong national government would lead to tyranny
A national government would abuse states’ rights
and individual liberties
Criticized such things as the role of the president,
the number of congressional representatives, and
the length of senatorial terms
Strong leaders—Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry,
Richard Henry Lee
THE RATIFICATION PROCESS
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Anti-federalists demanded a Bill of Rights
Basic rights needed to be spelled out
9 out of 13 states needed to ratify the Constitution
to bring it into effect
Framers called for state ratifying conventions
instead of state legislatures because the legislatures
stood to lose power if the Constitution took effect.
Process began in the Fall of 1787
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September 1788—11 states have ratified the
Constitution
Congress of the Confederation takes its final actions
Dates in early 1789 are set for elections for
Congress and presidential electors
The last two states, NC & RI, did not join the union
until after the new government was already at work
CONSTITUTIONAL AMENDMENTS
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A Bill of Rights needed to be added to the
Constitution through the process of amendment
Article V gave either Congress or state conventions
the right to propose amendments
September 1789—Congress approved 12
amendments based on the ideas of Madison
By the end of 1791—10 amendments had been
ratified and those amendments became the BILL OF
RIGHTS
THE BILL OF RIGHTS
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Protects both individuals and states against what
people feared might be too much government
Amendments I-VIII dealt with individual liberties
Amendment IX stated that listing certain rights given
to the people didn’t mean that other rights did not
exist as well
Problems addressed included: quartering of
soldiers, trial by jury, freedom of speech and
religion
Amendment X defined two types of power
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Delegated Powers—Certain powers given to each
branch of government
Reserved Powers—Powers that the Constitution does
not specifically give to the federal government or
deny to the states
The Xth Amendment says that the reserved powers
belong to the states or to the people
THE END