In 1787 Federalists and Anti-Federalists adamantly debated constitutional ratification. The two Word Clouds appearing here illustrate points critical to each party in the ratification debates. Image 1 depicts terms important to understanding Federalists’ reasons for supporting the ratification of the … Continue reading
Just as the ratification process began in Pennsylvania in October 1787, James Wilson gave a speech before a “raucous” crowd that helped offer his responses to various criticisms already made against the Constitution (Richard Beeman, Plain, Honest Men (2010), 379). … Continue reading
Five states had already ratified the Constitution before Massachusetts debated the matter in January 1788. In what became precedent in the ratifying conventions of the major states like Virginia and New York, ratification would only come with the Federalist concession … Continue reading
One of the most important issues during the debate over the ratification of the Constitution was the question of where and how power would be allocated. In Federalist No. 39 James Madison articulated the Federalist view that the new nation … Continue reading
One of the most important topics of debate at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 concerned the executive branch, specifically the the requirements surrounding the act of electing the president and the measures that had to be taken in order to … Continue reading
Federalist No. 8, which Alexander Hamilton titled “The Consequences of Hostilities Between the States” and AntiFederalist No. 6, penned by an author under the pseudonym of Centinel in January 1788 called “The Hobgoblins of Anarchy and the Dissentions Among the … Continue reading
The national debates between the Federalist and Antifederalists occurred between September 17, 1787, and May 29, 1790 when Rhode Island became the thirteenth and final state to ratify the Constitution. Federalist, James Wilson’s Speech to the Pennsylvania Convention on November 24, … Continue reading
Some of the greatest critiques concerning the ratification of the Constitution came from two opposing views: The absence of a bill of rights for the protection of the peoples natural rights, the vagueness of the “necessary and proper” clause, and … Continue reading
Federalist No. 24, “The Powers Necessary to the Common Defense Further Considered For the Independent Journal,” and Anti-Federalist No. 10, argued the necessity and constitutional right for fostering a standing army in the United States during peacetime. The Federalists and Anti-Federalists … Continue reading