What were the views and goals of the federalists, and anti-federalists.

The differences between the Federalists and the Antifederalists are vast and at times complex. Federalists’ beliefs could be better described as nationalist. The Federalists were instrumental in 1787 in shaping the new US Constitution, which strengthened the national government at the expense, according to the Antifederalists, of the states and the people. The Antifederalists opposed the ratification of the US Constitution, but they never organized efficiently across all thirteen states, and so had to fight the ratification at every state convention. Their great success was in forcing the first Congress under the new Constitution to establish a bill of rights to ensure the liberties that the Antifederalists felt the Constitution violated.

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This was extremely helpful with my constitutional principles.

The differences between the Federalists and the Antifederalists are

vast and at times complex. Federalists’ beliefs could be better

described as nationalist. The Federalists were instrumental in 1787 in

shaping the new US Constitution, which strengthened the national

government at the expense, according to the Antifederalists, of the

states and the people. The Antifederalists opposed the ratification of

the US Constitution, but they never organized efficiently across all

thirteen states, and so had to fight the ratification at every state

convention. Their great success was in forcing the first Congress under

the new Constitution to establish a bill of rights to ensure the

liberties that the Antifederalists felt the Constitution violated.

View this infographic as a downloadable PDF.

Sources consulted:

Berkin, Carol. “Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists.” The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History video.

Wood, Gordon S. Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789–1815. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2009. Questions for Discussion

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Citation Guidelines for Online Resources

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This was extremely helpful with my constitutional principles.