The Regan Ruth Essay, Research Paper
The American Revolution, arguably the most significant era in United States
history, is what is mainly responsible in shaping our country into what the strong nation it
is today. During this period of time, there were many conflicting views on the
philosophies and the visions of Americas future. Individuals such as George Washington,
James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton were the men that led the supporters of a
stronger national government, otherwise known as federalists. The federalists were strong
supporters of the constitution. On the contrary end, their opponents were labeled
Anti-Federalists. These individuals argued that a the ratification of the constitution would
endanger the rights of states.
The federalists vision of America began with their values for America. There
values included many elements such as a belief that there it was necessary to have a
division of power between the national government, and the state government, Justice for
all, as well as the welfare for all citizens were also prime examples of the believes of these
men. The federalists felt very passionate in what they believed in. In one instance, John
Jay, an strong supporter of the constitution wrote 85 letters that were printing in local
newspapers supporting the constitution. These papers became known as The Federalist
Papers. The federalists believed that the country was in bad shape without one of their
main values, unity, and they wanted to obtain that unity through a national set of laws.
Federalists believed that the national government under the Articles was too weak. The
federalists had a vison of an expanding commercial republic, and having America as one of
the strongest most powerful countries in the world. They believed that the ratification of
the constitution would be in the best interest for the future of America.
The inverse side of things was a much different story. Although with most
anti-federalists there was no doubting that the Articles had to be revised, they strongly
opposed the constitution, claiming that it would destroy the individual freedoms and the
rights of states. Another reason the anti-federalists felt negatively of the constitution is
because of it’s lack of a Bill of Rights. Strong supporters of the anti-federalist movement
included Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, and George Mason.
The turning point in Americas history free will may have came from the articles
printed in The Federalist Papers. Although both perspectives on the issue were strongly
supported, it was clear that the federalist were more organized in their arguments. The
literature in The Federalist Papers and the promise of a bill of rights led to the ratification
of the Constitution in 1788, much to the federalists’ delight. rxcv