Pros And Cons Of Anti Federalists

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Anti-federalists believed that each state should have an independent government with more power than the national government, so it can’t get overpowering like the government in England. Most of the Anti-federalists were people of low or medium class, because they felt the Federalists idea of government would be populated with wealthy men, giving them little to no say in what happens in the government. Many of the Anti-federalists wanted there to be a Bill of Rights, to state all of their rights, because there wasn’t one in the constitution, “Why not have a bill of rights? Why not a short document saying our rights we preserved? Are you worried that it will take up too much paper?”(Hovde NP) The Anti-federalists believe that the Federalists made up or overstated a lot of the problems they say are in the government. They don’t think it’s safe to start a new and never tested government that they aren’t positive it will work. Many Anti-federalists prefered Agrarian Republicanism, a government made around land owning farmers who participate in local politics. They Wanted the government to be equal to everyone in each state, not slaves obviously, because they wanted poor people and others to be able to have an equal say in what happens in their government and not have to powerful of a …show more content…
The American Journey: Building a Nation. Glencoe/McGraw-Hill,
2000.

"Constitution of the United States." Gale Encyclopedia of American Law, edited by Donna Batten,
3rd ed., vol. 3, Gale, 2010, pp. 122-129. Opposing Viewpoints in Context, link.galegroup.com/apps/doc/CX1337701079/OVIC?u=pmslibrary&xid=07daf6f3. Accessed
Oct. 2017.
`
Hovde, Ellen and Muffie Meyer, directors. Liberty: The American Revolution. PBS, 1997.

Thomas, Lauren. “The Constitution, 1776–1800.” American History, ABC-CLIO, 2000, americanhistory.abc-clio.com/Search/Results?q=2006745. The U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights. Schlessinger Media, 2002.

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