Anti-Federalist vs.

Federalist
Introduction

In U.S. history, anti-federalists were those who opposed the development of a

strong federal government and the ratification of the Constitution in 1788, preferring
instead for power to remain in the hands of state and local governments.
Federalists wanted a stronger national government and the ratification of the
Constitution to help properly manage the debt and tensions following the American
Revolution. Formed by Alexander Hamilton, the Federalist Party, which existed
from 1792 to 1824, was the culmination of American federalism and the first
political party in the United States. John Adams, the second president of the United
States, was the first and only Federalist president.

Comparison chart
Anti-Federalist versus Federalist comparison chart

Anti-Federalist Federalist

Introduction In U.S. history, anti-federalists were In U.S. history, federalists wanted a

those who opposed the development of a
strong federal government and the
ratification of the Constitution in 1788,
preferring instead for power to remain in
the hands of state and local governments.
stronger national government and the
ratification of the Constitution to
help properly manage the debt and
tensions following the American
Revolution.

Support The people who supported this side These people lived largely in urban
largely lived in rural areas. areas.

Position on Opposed until inclusion of the Bill of Proposed and supported.

Constitution Rights.

Prominent Thomas Jefferson, James Monroe, Alexander Hamilton, George

Figures Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams. Washington, John Jay, John Adams.

Economy Dominated by farmers and smaller rural Dominated by big business interests,
communities. Local power wanted government to help regulate
the economy.

Position on Felt that states were free agents that Felt that many individual and
Fiscal and should manage their own revenue and different fiscal and monetary
Monetary spend their money as they saw fit. policies led to economic struggles
Policy and national weakness. Favored
 Anti-Federalist versus Federalist comparison chart

Anti-Federalist Federalist
central banking and central financial
policies.

Contents: Anti-Federalist vs Federalist

 1 Anti-Federalist vs. Federalist Debate
 2 Articles of Confederation
 3 Constitution
 4 Prominent Anti-Federalists and Federalists
 5 Quotes From Anti-Federalists and Federalists
 6 References

Anti-Federalist vs. Federalist Debate

The American Revolution was a costly war and left the colonies in an economic depression.
The debt and remaining tensions—perhaps best summarized by a conflict in Massachusetts
known as Shays' Rebellion—led some founding political members in the U.S. to desire for
more concentrated federal power. The thought was that this concentrated power would allow
for standardized fiscal and monetary policy and for more consistent conflict management.
However, a more nationalistic identity was the antithesis of some founding political members'
ideals for the developing states. A more centralized American power seemed reminiscent of
the monarchical power of the English crown that had so recently and controversially been
defeated. The potential consequences of centralized fiscal and monetary policy were
especially frightening for some, reminding them of burdensome and unfair taxation. Anti-
federalists were closely tied to rural landowners and farmers who were conservative and
staunchly independent.
The most important parts of this debate were decided in the 1700s and 1800s in U.S. history,
and the Federalist Party dissolved centuries ago, but the battles between federalist and anti-
federalist ideologies continue into the present day in left and right wing American politics. To
better understand the history behind this ongoing ideological debate, watch the following
video from author John Green's U.S. history Crash Courseseries.

Articles of Confederation
Prior to the Constitution, there was the Articles of Confederation, a 13-articled agreement
between the 13 founding states that covered issues of state sovereignty, (theoretical) equal
treatment of citizenry, congressional development and delegation, international diplomacy,
armed forces, fund raising, supermajority lawmaking, the U.S.-Canadian relationship, and
war debt.
The Articles of Confederation was a very weak agreement on which to base a nation—so
weak, in fact, that the document never once refers to the United States of America as being
part of a national government, but rather "a firm league of friendship" between states. This is
where the concept of the "United States"—i.e., a group of roughly and ideologically united,
individually ruling bodies—comes from in the naming of the country. The Articles of
Confederation took years for the 13 states to ratify, with Virginia being the first to do so in
1777 and Maryland being the last in 1781.
With the Articles of Confederation, Congress became the only form of federal government,
but it was crippled by the fact that it could not fund any of the resolutions it passed. While it
could print money, there was no solid regulation of this money, which led to swift and
deep depreciation. When Congress agreed to a certain rule, it was primarily up to the states
to individually agree to fund it, something they were not required to do. Though Congress
asked for millions of dollars in the 1780s, they received less than 1.5 million over the course
of three years, from 1781 to 1784.
This inefficient and ineffective governance led to economic woes and eventual, if small scale,
rebellion. As George Washington's chief of staff, Alexander Hamilton saw firsthand the
problems caused by a weak federal government, particularly those which stemmed from a
lack of centralized fiscal and monetary policies. With Washington's approval, Hamilton
assembled a group of nationalists at the 1786 Annapolis Convention (also known as the
"Meeting of Commissioners to Remedy Defects of the Federal Government"). Here,
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.

Constitution
In 1788, the Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation, greatly expanding the
powers of the federal government. With its current 27 amendments, the U.S. Constitution
remains the supreme law of the United States of America, allowing it to define, protect, and
tax its citizenry. Its development and relatively quick ratification was perhaps just as much the
result of widespread dissatisfaction with a weak federal government as it was support for the
constitutional document.
Federalists, those who identified with federalism as part of a movement, were the main
supporters of the Constitution. They were aided by a federalist sentiment that had gained
traction across many factions, uniting political figures. This does not mean there was no
heated debate over the Constitution's drafting, however. The most zealous anti-federalists,
loosely headed by Thomas Jefferson, fought against the Constitution's ratification, particularly
those amendments which gave the federal government fiscal and monetary powers.
A sort of ideological war raged between the two factions, resulting in the Federalist
Papers and the Anti-Federalist Papers, a series of essays written by various figures—some
anonymously, some not—for and against the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
Ultimately, anti-federalists greatly influenced the document, pushing for strict checks and
balances and certain limited political terms that would keep any one branch of the federal
government from holding too much power for too long. The Bill of Rights, the term used for
the first 10 amendments of the Constitution, are especially about personal, individual rights
and freedoms; these were included partly to satisfy anti-federalists.

Prominent Anti-Federalists and Federalists

Among anti-federalists, some of the most prominent figures were Thomas Jefferson
and James Monroe. Jefferson was often considered a leader among the anti-federalists.
 Other prominent anti-federalists included Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, and Richard Henry
Lee.
Alexander Hamilton, a former chief of staff to George Washington, was a proponent of a
strong federal government and founded the Federalist Party. He helped oversee the
development of a national bank and a taxation system. Other prominent federalists of the
time included John Jay and John Adams.
Other figures, such as James Madison, greatly supported Hamilton's federalist intentions for
a constitution and national identity, but disagreed with his fiscal policies and were more likely
to side with anti-federalists on matters of money. Without Madison's influence, which included
acceptance of anti-federalists' desire for a bill of rights, it is unlikely that the U.S. Constitution
would have been ratified.

Quotes From Anti-Federalists and Federalists

 "One can hardly expect the state legislatures to take enlightened views on national affairs."
—James Madison, Federalist

 "You say that I have been dished up to you as an Anti-Federalist, and ask me if it be just. My
opinion was never worthy enough of notice to merit citing; but, since you ask it, I will tell it to
you. I am not a Federalist, because I never submitted the whole system of my opinions to the
creed of any party of men whatever, in religion, in philosophy, in politics, or in anything else,
where I was capable of thinking for myself. Such an addiction is the last degradation of a free
and moral agent. If I could not go to heaven but with a party, I would not go there at all.
Therefore, I am not of the party of Federalists." —Thomas Jefferson, Anti-Federalist

 "...that if we are in earnest about giving the Union energy and duration, we must abandon the
vain project of legislating upon the States in their collective capacities; we must extend the
laws of the federal government to the individual citizens of America; we must discard the
fallacious scheme of quotas and requisitions, as equally impracticable and unjust." —
Alexander Hamilton in Federalist Paper No. 23

 "Congress, or our future lords and masters, are to have power to lay and collect taxes, duties,
imposts, and excises. Excise is a new thing in America, and few country farmers and planters
know the meaning of it." —A Farmer and Planter (pseudonym) in Anti-Federalist Paper No.
26

 "Nothing is more certain than the indispensable necessity of government, and it is equally
undeniable, that whenever and however it is instituted, the people must cede to it some of
their natural rights in order to vest it with requisite powers." —John Jay in Federalist Paper
No. 2

 "This being the beginning of American freedom, it is very clear the ending will be slavery, for
it cannot be denied that this constitution is, in its first principles, highly and dangerously
oligarchical; and it is every where agreed, that a government administered by a few, is, of all
governments, the worst." —Leonidas (pseudonym) in Anti-Federalist Paper No. 48

 "It is, that in a democracy, the people meet and exercise the government in person: in a
republic, they assemble and administer it by their representatives and agents. A democracy,
consequently, must be confined to a small spot. A republic may be extended over a large
region." —James Madison in Federalist Paper No. 14