Anti-Federalists
About this Collection
The Anti-federalists were a group who had reservations about ratifying the U.S. Constitution when it was first proposed. Some thought the Articles of Confederation were sufficient to unite the sovereign American states; others were concerned that the rights of the states and of individuals needed additional protection and so supported a Bill of Rights; others were concerned that the Federalists wanted to recreate a head of state with powers too much like those of the British monarch against whom they had just fought a war of independence.
Key People
Titles & Essays
Quotes
Parties & Elections
Lance Banning argues that within a decade of the creation of the US Constitution the nation was engaged in a bitter battle over the soul of the American Republic (2004)
Notes About This Collection
For additional information about the American Founding see the following:
- Timeline: American Founding
- Key Documents On Liberty
- Exploring Ideas: The Founders' Constitution
- Collections: The American Revolution and Constitution
- Collections: Loyalists and Patriots before the American Revolution