Anti Federalists Vs. Federalists

The Anti-Federalist versus Federalist debate emerged following the Revolutionary War when the United States faced a severe economic depression due to the high costs of the war. In 1788, Anti-Federalists opposed the establishment of a strong federal government and the adoption of the Constitution, preferring instead to maintain power at the state and local levels. On the other hand, Federalists supported a stronger national government and the ratification of the Constitution to effectively address the debt and tensions arising from the Revolution.

Anti-Federalist supporters were largely rural residents with local power, while Federalists were predominantly wealthy individuals residing in large rural areas. The middle class generally supported the Anti-Federalist movement, while business owners favored the Federalist side. This dichotomy is similar to the current political landscape, where Democrats tend to favor middle and lower class citizens, and Republicans favor the wealthy.

Anti-Federalists desired to retain individual autonomy and control over their finances, while Federalists advocated for centralized control. The debt and tension that arose during Shay's Rebellion in Massachusetts illustrated the need for a concentration of federal power. Prior to the Constitution, the 13 founding states relied on the Articles of Confederation, a 13-article agreement that addressed issues of state sovereignty.

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The Articles of Confederation primarily focused on issues related to citizen equality, congressional development and delegation, international diplomacy, armed forces, fund raising, lawmaking, the relationship between the US and Canada, and war debt. However, the document's biggest flaw was its weakness as a foundation for a nation, as it never referred to the United States of America.

While congress became a form of federal government, it was powerless as it lacked the ability to fund any of the resolutions it passed. This led to a rapid depreciation of money due to the lack of solid regulation, which eventually led to economic woes and small-scale rebellion.

Alexander Hamilton, who served as George Washington's chief of staff, was a witness to the problems caused by a weak federal government, particularly those that resulted from a lack of centralized fiscal and monetary policies.

With Washington's approval, Hamilton brought together a group of nationalists at the 1786 Annapolis Convention, also known as the Meeting of Commissioners to Remedy Defects of the Federal Government. Delegates from several states wrote a report on the conditions of the federal government and how it needed to be expanded if it was to survive its domestic turmoil and international threats as a sovereign nation.

The Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation in 1788 and significantly expanded the powers of the federal government. With only 27 amendments, the US Constitution remains the supreme law of the United States and enables it to define, protect, and tax its citizens. The Federalists were the main supporters of the Constitution, aided by federalist sentiment that had gained traction across various factions and united political figures.

The ratification of the Constitution was opposed by the Anti-Federalists, led by Thomas Jefferson, who were mainly concerned with the amendments that granted fiscal and monetary powers to the federal government. This resulted in a battle between two groups: the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists. This battle gave rise to the Federalist Papers and the Anti-Federalist Papers, a series of handwritten essays from various figures either for or against the ratification of the Constitution and the protection of the Constitution. Thomas Jefferson and James Monroe were among the Anti-Federalists, with Jefferson as the leader. Other notable Anti-Federalists included Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, and Richard Henry Lee. The Federalist side was led by Alexander Hamilton, a former chief of staff to George Washington and founder of the Federalist Party. He was an advocate for a strong federal government, and helped establish a national bank and a taxation system. Other prominent Federalists included John Adams and John Jay.

There were three types of Anti-Federalists. The first type was represented by politicians such as Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut. The second type were people who were not involved in the debate in Philadelphia, but had concerns about the potential concentration of power in the new government.

The third and final group of Anti-Federalists were those who wanted as little deviation from the Articles of Confederation as possible and saw the partial national and partial federal compromise as completely unsustainable. The Anti-Federalists wanted a weak federal government that would not threaten state rights, and they wanted the Bill of Rights to declare and protect the rights of the people. During the ratification process, the Federalists promised the addition of a Bill of Rights.

The ratification eventually succeeded, and the new government was formed in 1789. James Madison, a Federalist or Democratic Republican, drafted the 10 amendments to the Constitution, which became the U.S Bill of Rights. The Federalists believed that establishing a large national government was not only possible, but necessary to create a more perfect union by improving the relationship among the states.

They also wanted to preserve the sovereignty and structure of the states, but to do so they advocated for a federal government with delegated powers. Anything not delegated to the Federal government would be reserved for the people and the states. Their goal was to preserve the principle of government by consent, by building a government upon the foundation of popular sovereignty, without sacrificing the sovereignty of the states.

Today, it appears that the government established by the Constitution is an improvement over that which was established by the Articles of Confederation.

After reading and reflecting on the debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists, I have come to the conclusion that I would have sided with the Federalists. While the Anti-Federalists may have been concerned about government overreach and their personal freedoms, the reality was that the country was facing significant economic struggles and needed a strong central government to manage the finances and economy.

It was clear that people were in debt and struggling to recover from the war, and the Anti-Federalists seemed naive in their belief that the states could manage their own revenue and spending without professional oversight.

While the Anti-Federalists made valid points about not giving the government too much power, it's important to recognize that too much freedom can also cause problems. The Federalist position on protecting against tyranny by dividing power between the national and state governments, and balancing power among the three branches of government, was a wise move to ensure that no one entity became too powerful. By increasing citizen participation through a decentralized government, the founding fathers gave citizens more power to effect change and have a say in their government.

Another positive aspect of Federalism is conflict management. Allowing different communities and states to create their own policies and solutions for their unique challenges creates a more diverse and accepting society. This diversity and autonomy also allows people with strong disagreements to live in separate areas and create their own solutions without infringing on the rights of others.

In conclusion, while the Anti-Federalists may have had some valid concerns, I believe that the Federalist position was the wiser choice for creating a strong and effective government that could manage the nation's finances, protect against tyranny, increase citizen participation, and manage conflicts between different communities and states.

Reference list:

1. Anti-Federalist vs Federalist. (n.d.). Retrieved December 14, 2017, from https://www.diffen.com/difference/Anti-Federalist_vs_Federalist
2. Federalists Vs. Anti-Federalists. (n.d.). Retrieved December 14, 2017, from https://apgovernmentchs.wikispaces.com/Federalists Vs. Anti-Federalists
3. Bardes, B. A., Shelley, M. C., & Schmidt, S. W. (2018). American government and politics today: the essentials. Boston: Cengage Learning.

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