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Anti-Federalism was a late-18th-century political movement that opposed the creation of a stronger U.S. federal government and which later opposed the ratification of the 1787 Constitution. The previous constitution, called the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, gave state governments more authority.
Anti-Federalists, in early U.S. history, a loose political coalition of popular politicians, such as Patrick Henry, who unsuccessfully opposed the strong central government envisioned in the U.S. Constitution of 1787 and whose agitations led to the addition of a Bill of Rights.
The Anti-Federalists were a group of Americans who objected to the creation of a stronger U.S. federal government and opposed final ratification of the U.S. Constitution as approved by the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
The Anti-Federalists mobilized against the Constitution in state legislatures across the country. Anti-Federalists in Massachusetts, Virginia and New York, three crucial states, made ratification of the Constitution contingent on a Bill of Rights.
The Anti-Federalists opposed the ratification of the 1787 U.S. Constitution because they feared that the new national government would be too powerful and thus threaten individual liberties, given the absence of a bill of rights.
Anti-Federalist Party Organized in 1792 to oppose the proposed Constitution of the United States, mainly on the grounds that it gave the central government power. Anti-Federalist leaders included Richard Henry Lee and Patrick Henry of Virginia, and George Clinton of New York .
Why the name Antifederalist? Who were the Antifederalists and what did they stand for? The name, Antifederalists, captures both an attachment to certain political principles as well as standing in favor and against trends that were appearing in late 18th century America.
The Federalists and Anti-Federalists were two factions that emerged in American politics during the Philadelphia Convention of 1787. The original purpose of the Convention was to discuss problems with the government under the Articles of Confederation and find reasonable solutions.
“Anti-Federalist” describes the philosophical and political position of individuals who, during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 and the subsequent state ratification debates (1787–89), generally opposed the constitution proposed to replace the Articles of Confederation.
As states began ratifying the Constitution, Antifederalist efforts either dropped out of the newspapers entirely, effectively ending the “out of doors debates” in a given state, or in many cases transformed, focusing on what amendments the new government should take up first, and who should be elected to the House and Senate seats.