The Origins of Anti-Federalism

Chinmay Nirkhe, Alex Tong, Henry Ackerman

Anti-FederalistsWho Were They?

• Anti-Federalists were a diverse group of people.• Feared that a

strengthened central government would lead to tyranny and a loss of personal freedom.• Feared that the states

would loose their influence and authority.

Rights of Man• Colonial Declaration of Rights• Articles of Confederation

The Anti-Federalist Papers

• 85 Anti-Federalist Papers vs. 85 Federalist Papers• Propaganda• Anti-federalist parties

“Brutus” Robert Yates

• Diminished Liberties• Why Brutus?• Why anti-federalist?

Patrick Henry • Leader of Anti-

Federalists• Was a major

advocate of adding the Bill of Rights to the constitution. • Greatly disagreed

with the views of James Madison.

George Mason• Virginia Declaration

of Rights• Slavery Practice• The Amendments/

Bill of Rights

Rhode Island• The people of Rhode

Island felt very strongly about individualism.• They refused to ratify

till a Bill of Rights was put into the constitution. • They came to the verge

of a civil war over the subject of ratification.

William West

New York

• Rural vs. Urban• New York City• Alexander Hamilton• “It's not tyranny we desire;

it's a just, limited, federal government.”

http://www.ohwy.com/history%20pictures/ratification2.jpg

Why Did they lose?• Appeasement• Charisma• Federalist papers

http://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/thumb/2/23/Federalist.jpg/220px-Federalist.jpg

Sources• 2011 Most Walkable Cities. Walkscore. Walkscore, 20 July 2011. Web. 19 Oct.

2011. • "Anti-Federalist Papers: "Brutus"" Constitution.org. Ed. John Roland. Web. 25 Oct.

2011. <http://www.constitution.org/afp/brutus00.htm>. • "Anti-Federalists." United States History. Web. 25 Oct. 2011. <http://www.u-s-

history.com/pages/h374.html>. • "Antifederalists." Ushistory Precolumbian to the New Millenia. Independence Hall

Association. Web. 25 Oct. 2011. <http://www.ushistory.org/us/16b.asp>. • Bielinski, Stefan. "Robert Yates." New York State Museum, Albany, New York. 30

Mar. 2005. Web. 25 Oct. 2011. <http://www.nysm.nysed.gov/albany/bios/y/ryates.html>.

• Mount, Steve. "New York's Ratification - The U.S. Constitution Online." The U.S. Constitution Online. U.S. Constitution Online, 8 Jan. 2010. Web. 25 Oct. 2011. <http://www.usconstitution.net/rat_ny.html>.

• Unsheltered Homeless Needs Assessment Findingsssesment. Seattle Homeless Needs Assesment. Oct. 2009. Web. 19 Oct. 2011.

• "HamiltonBio." UMKC School of Law. Web. 25 Oct. 2011. <http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/burr/HamiltonBio.htm>.