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The Anti-Federalists

According to an essay by Jonathan Chin & Alan Stern published on the ThinkQuest website, anti-Federalists opposed ratification of the U.S. Constitution. They desired to establish a weak central government along with a corresponding desire for strong State governments. The Federalists had the support of many large landowners, judges, lawyers, and leading merchant. They favored a strong central government. The anti-federalist movement enjoyed the support of small landowners as well as the support of debtors who felt that their State legislatures were more sympathetic to them than a strong central government.

Anti-federalists were particularly concerned about the potential for abuse stemming from the fact that the federal government would raise and maintain an army even during peacetime. One of the fears was that this federal army would be used to enforce decisions made by the federal government including the Executive Branch and the Federal Courts. A concern expressed by anti-federalists was that no matter how noble the intentions of the people in power within the federal government, eventually the army would be used against average Americans.

Chin and Stern add that the anti-federalists were actually a loose and unoffical coalition in late 18th Century American politics. The anti-federalists were not a political party but anti-federalists nevertheless left a legacy in the United States by advocating for and championing the passage of the Bill of Rights. The Bill of Rights was intended to blunt the rules favored by federalists by protect individual freedom and rights against an overly intrusive federal government. Initially, the anti-Federalists were an anonymous group of influential politicians who published their opinions about the formaton of the United States Constitution in New York newspapers analymously. Eventually, well-known revolutionary heroes including Thomas Jefferson announced their anti-federalist views pub...

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The Anti-Federalists. (1969, December 31). In LotsofEssays.com. Retrieved 01:30, March 29, 2024, from https://www.lotsofessays.com/viewpaper/1706691.html