1. Objectives
Compare the positions of the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.
Discuss the debate over ratification.
Describe the Bill of Rights and how it protects the people.

2. Terms and People ratify – approve
Alexander Hamilton – supporter of the Constitution and an author of the Federalist Papers
John Jay – supporter of the Constitution and an author of the Federalist Papers
George Mason – Anti-Federalist leader who argued in favor of a bill of rights

3. How did those in favor of the Constitution achieve its ratification?
The nation’s leaders had written a new plan of government, but it could not yet be put in place.
Constitution
of the
United States
First, it had to be approved by the states. And approval was far from certain.

4. The process for the states to ratify the new Constitution had been set up by the delegates in Philadelphia.
Ratification
Each state holds a convention.
The Constitution takes effect
when approved by nine states.

5. FEDERALISM – a system of government in which power is shared between the states and the national government

6. From the beginning, Americans were divided over whether to support the new Constitution and its strong national, or federal, government.
Federalists
favored
ratification.
Anti-Federalists
were against
ratification.

7. James Madison was a leading Federalist.
Madison and others argued that a strong national government was needed for the Union to survive.
At that time, the national government could not even enforce its own laws.

8. FEDERALISTS
The Constitution is awesome! I think everyone should rush out and vote for it!

9. FEDERALISTS
1) Supported taking some powers from the states and giving them to the national government

10. 2) Wanted to divide powers among the different branches of government
FEDERALISTS
2) Wanted to divide powers among the different branches of government
JUDICIAL
EXECUTIVE
LEGISLATIVE

11. 3) Wanted a single person to lead the executive branch
FEDERALISTS
3) Wanted a single person to lead the executive branch

12. Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay explained their support for the Constitution in a series of newspaper articles that drew wide attention.
Federalist
Papers

13. ANTI-FEDERALISTS
The Constitution is not worth the paper it is printed on! Where is the Bill of Rights?
George Mason and Patrick Henry were among Anti-Federalists leaders who argued that the new national government would have too much power.

14. 1) Wanted the states to keep the most important powers
ANTI-FEDERALISTS
1) Wanted the states to keep the most important powers

15. EXECUTIVE (PRESIDENT) LEGISLATIVE (CONGRESS)
ANTI-FEDERALISTS
2) Wanted the legislative branch to have more power than the executive branch
EXECUTIVE (PRESIDENT)
LEGISLATIVE (CONGRESS)

16. ANTI-FEDERALISTS
3) Feared a single person in the executive branch might become a king or tyrant

17. ANTI-FEDERALISTS
4) Believed a Bill of Rights need to be added to the Constitution to protect people’s rights

18. The debate over the Constitution intensified as the states began to hold their ratifying conventions.
Delaware was the first to ratify, followed quickly by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. 1
Delaware

19. A close vote was expected in Massachusetts, where hard feelings still lingered from Shays’ Rebellion.
Federalists
Anti-Federalists
Massachusetts
A final push by Federalists helped win the state. Approval followed in Maryland and South Carolina.

20. Eight of the nine states needed had now approved the Constitution
Eight of the nine states needed had now approved the Constitution. Attention turned to Virginia.
Virginia
A “no” vote in this large,
powerful state could trigger
“no” votes elsewhere.
Despite the arguments of Patrick Henry, an Anti-Federalist, Virginia approved the Constitution in a narrow vote.

21. While Virginia debated, however, a ninth state ratified the Constitution.9
New Hampshire
In time, the remaining states—New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island—also voted to ratify.

22. The new government could now be put in place.
George Washington was elected President.
John Adams was elected Vice President.
A new Congress was elected, too, and one of its first tasks was to take up the question most debated during the ratification process—whether to add a Bill of Rights to the new Constitution.

23. The first Congress passed a series of amendments to the Constitution, listing individual rights.
In 1791, ten amendments were ratified by the states.
Bill of Rights

24. The Bill of Rights
The first four amendments protect citizens from possible abuses by the federal government.

25. The Bill of Rights
The next four amendments protect people who are accused of crimes.

26. The Bill of Rights
The last two amendments limit the power of the federal government.