Maddie Rabing
US History/Govt.
Period 6
9/29/13
Opinions of the Constitution of 1787

During the debate about the Constitution of 1787, there were three main opinions. The Federalists believed the Constitution was perfect and did not need any more changes before ratifying. The Anti-Federalists opinion was that there needed to be more rights for individual citizens added to the Constitution and a greater balance between the central government and states. The third opinion was pro-citizen and wanted a loose central government and stronger state governments in order to protect the people. All three opinions agreed the Articles of Confederation were not working but had different opinions of how to fix it. The first opinion came from the Federalists, who believed the Americans should have united as a single nation around the Constitution. One argument the Federalists made was that a strong national government would result in better relationships with other countries. A strong nation would make it easier to protect its people, enforce treaties, and budget debts. The Federalists also believed that a strong central government would help bring together all the people and stop any future rebellions. John Jay, a New York lawyer, wrote in a newspaper essay, “Independent America was not composed of detached and distant territories, but of one connected, fertile, wide spreading country.” The Federalists believed that a strong national government would ensure that Americans would not try to hurt the freedoms of another. The Federalists believed the Constitution would unite the nation. The second opinion came from the Anti-Federalists who were worried that the federal government had too much power. They wanted a better definition of power granted to the states in order to balance the government. They also felt the Constitution took away the rights of the American citizens. Specifically, a Bill of Rights was missing to protect the American citizens from a strong, central government. They worried the central government would end all individual rights. “Brutus,” of New York, wrote in a newspaper essay, “The common good, therefore, is the end [goal] of civil government…. But it is not necessary for this purpose that individuals should relinquish all their natural rights.” The Anti-Federalists believed the state and national governments could share power and protect citizen’s freedom and independence. While the Federalists believe in a strong, central