Ratifying the ConstitutionUS History Chapter 8, Section 3

FederalistsFederalism is a system of government in which power is shared between the central (or federal) government and the states.

Linking themselves to the idea of federalism, the people who supported the Constitution took the name the Federalists.

AntifederalistsPeople who opposed the Constitution were called Antifederalists.

• They thought the Constitution took too much power away from the states and did not guarantee rights for the people.

• Some were afraid that a strong president might be declared king.

• Others thought the Senate might turn into a powerful aristocracy.

Antifederalists published their views about the Constitution in newspapers and pamphlets.

The Federalist PapersFederalists essays to answer the Antifederalists

attacks.The best known of the Federalists essays are known as the Federalist Papers.• Essays first appeared as letters in

New York newspapers.• They were later published

together in a book called The Federalist.James Madison, Alexander Hamilton,

and John Jay wrote the Federalist Papers.

Most newspapers supported the Constitution.

Federalists and Antifederalists

• Federalists • Antifederalists

• Supported removing some powers from the states and giving more powers to the national government.

• Wanted important political powers to remain with the states.

• Favored dividing powers among different branches of government.

• Wanted the legislative branch to have more power than the executive.

• Proposed a single person to lead the executive branch

• Feared that a strong executive might become a king or a tyrant.

• Believed a Bill of Rights needed to be added to the Constitution to protect people’s rights.

1. Which group wanted a strong central government?2. If you had been alive in 1787, would you have been a Federalist or

an Antifederalist?

The Battle for RatificationBy June 1788, nine states voted to ratify the Constitution.

New York and Virginia still had not ratified.

George Mason of Virginia would not consider voting for the Constitution until a bill of rights was added.

A bill of rights is a set of rules that defines people’s rights.

Important because Virginia was the largest state, and New York would divide the states geographically.

The Bill of RightsSeveral states asked that the constitution

be amended to include a bill of rights.

They believed it was needed to protect people against the power of the national government.

¾ of the states had to ratify the amendments for them to take effect.

These ten amendments to the Constitution became known as the Bill of Rights.

1791 The Bill of Rights was ratified.

Confederation to Constitution

1777 Continental Congress passes the Articles of Confederation1777-1781 States debate ratification of the Articles of

Confederation1781 Articles of Confederation go into effect

1786-1787 Shays’s Rebellion occurs

1787 Constitutional Convention is held in Philadelphia

1788 U.S. Constitution is ratified

1789 Government created by the new Constitution takes power

1791 Bill of Rights is added to the Constitution

1776

1792