Ratifying the ConstitutionAmericans Across Carried on a vigorous debate before ratifying the constitution

Key Vocabulary and Key People

Key Terms Federalists Antifederalists The Federalist

Papers Amendments Bill of Rights

Key PeopleGeorge Mason

Grudge Match

Federalists Favored removing some powers

from the states and giving more powers to the National Government

Favored dividing powers among the three branches of government

Wanted ONE person to lead executive branch

Supporters included George Washington, Ben franklin and Alexander Hamilton

Included lawyers, Planters, Farmers, and Crafts People

Anti-federalists Wanted important powers to

remain with the states

Wanted Legislative Branch to have MORE power than the Executive Branch

Wanted Bill of Rights in the Constitution to protect people’s rights

Supporters Included George mason, Sam Adams, and Patrick Henry

Included Small Farmers and Debtors

Fed up with the government

Federalists, those who favored shared government between the federal government and the states, debated the antifederalists who thought the constitution took too much power away from the states

The Main Challenge was that the Constitution did NOT support and Protect people’s Rights and was going to make the National Government too powerful

Extra Extra read all about it!!

The Federalist Papers began to answer the attacks on the constitution through the newspapers

James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay appealed to reason and emotions to gain support for ratification

The papers tried to convince America that the new government would NOT overpower the states and that diversity would prevent any group from dominating our country

While MOST newspapers favored the Constitution Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York, and Virginia were still needed to pass the document

Fear Factor

Some feared the president would turn into a king, or the senate would create an aristocracy

Anti-federalists though that powers gained in the revolutionary war would be lost and spread their word in newspapers and pamphlets

Anti-federalists also tried to stir peoples emotions using the fear of losing their liberty

As the ratification Movement Grew, Delaware became the FIRST state to Ratify it and New Hampshire became the Ninth state making the constitution official

Its up to YOU New York…New York

New York and Virginia needed to approve the document

George Mason and Patrick Henry opposed the constitution unless a Bill of Rights was added

When James Madison recommended a bill of Rights be added to the constitution, Virginia Ratified it

When New York saw that the promise of a Bill of Rights was close they ratified the constitution as well

North Carolina and Rhode Island Ratified the Document by 1790 forming a new National Government

Due Bills

Supporters of the constitution wanted a Bill of Rights to list and protect rights of Americans

James Madison wrote the Bill of Rights and placed it at the end of the Constitution as amendments

Two-Thirds of the states had to agree on the amendment to propose it and Three-Fourths of the states would have to ratify the rights to make it law

The Bill of Rights were ratified by the country in 1791 and were made of Ten Amendments

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