Mr. Clifford US 1

 Special convention were organized to determine whether or not they supported the Constitution.  -Citizens of each state were elected delegates to attend the s pecial convention  - 9 out of the 13 states had to ratify the Constitution for it to become the new federal government.

 insisted that the division of powers & system of checks and balances would protect Americans from the tyranny  Federalists received heavy support from:  cities where merchants, skilled workers, & laborers who believed that a STRONG federal government would improve trade/economy.  Small states with weak economies favored a strong federal government.

 Opposed having a strong centralized government & were against the Constitution  Feared a strong central government would ignore the rights of the majority.  Felt that a single government could NOT manage the affairs of a large country.  Constitution lacked protection of individual rights.  Received strong support from rural areas and states with strong economies like New York.

The Opposing Forces  Federalist Papers : a series of 85 essays defending the Constitution appeared in New York newspapers in 1787 &  The essays were written by Alex Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.  The Federalist Papers are presently considered the best written political works on the US Constitution ever written.

The Opposing Forces (continued)  Letters from the Federal Farmer:  written by Henry Lee  Antifederalists believed that people’s rights be protected:  freedom of speech,  press, religion;  guarantees against unreasonable searches of people, their homes  right to trial by jury.  Though most delegates favored the Constitution, the Antifederalists made a strong argument in support of a Bill of Rights.

 the proposed US constitution contained no guarantee that the government would protect the rights of the people or the states. Many felt that without a bill of rights, the nation would not adopt the new government

 Antifederalists argued:  The Constitution weakened state governments.  Citizens needed a written guarantee of freedoms:  freedom of speech, press, & religion; trial by jury & right to bear arms.  The Federalists eventually agreed to add a Bill of Rights if the states agreed to ratify the Constitution.

 Congress submitted 12 amendments to the state legislatures for ratification.  December 1791: 3/4ths of the states had ratified 10 amendments: Bill of Rights.

 Native Americans and slaves were excluded. Women were not mentioned in the Constitution. Though many states permitted free blacks to vote, the Bill of Rights offered them no protection against discrimination & hostility.