Federalist/Anti-Federalist
by Adam Collins
1. Anti-Federalist Argument
1.1. Wanted states to have sovereign independent governments, less like a union of states.
1.1.1. Believed that the Constitution would end states' self rule
1.2. They did not like the idea of using an untested form of government, and saw no problems with the current government.
1.2.1. Some did see some problems, but believed that they could be solved in different ways.
1.3. They saw the Constitution as a step away from the democratic goals thought of during the Revolutionary Era.
1.3.1. Thomas Jefferson reluctantly supported the Constitution.
1.4. Many believed the society should be agrarian, so that the virtues of democratic freedom would last, and not deteriorate into tyranny.
2. Famous Anti-Federalists
2.1. Patrick Henry
2.2. George Mason
2.3. Thomas Jefferson
2.4. Samuel Adams
3. Federalist Argument
3.1. Federalists wanted a strong federal government, that united the states as a union.
3.2. Focused their arguments on the Confederation's short-comings, and the benefits of the Constitution passing.
3.3. Argued that the Constitution would help father commerce, and that society was full of many groups, rather than just farmers.
3.3.1. Scholars consider this as a grasp of social and economic change.
3.4. Thought that the loose confederation of states would be more vulnerable to internal and external problems
3.4.1. James Madison argued that factions would occur and become very dangerous, and that the Constitution would correct this.
3.4.1.1. Madison also argued that a group of representatives would be best to consider national interest, rather than the factional interest of certain people