Anti-Federalism (movement)
Anti-Federalism was a movement in the United States characterized by opposition to a strong federal government, particularly in the context of the post-Revolutionary War era. Following the American victory and the establishment of the Articles of Confederation, many citizens were concerned that a powerful federal government would replicate the tyranny they had experienced under British rule. Anti-Federalists advocated for a weaker central government, fearing that increased federal authority would undermine state sovereignty and individual liberties. They were particularly skeptical of the proposed U.S. Constitution, which aimed to create a more robust federal structure with distinct branches of government.
Key figures in the Anti-Federalist movement, such as Patrick Henry, voiced concerns regarding the lack of protections for individual rights within the Constitution. In response to these worries, Federalists included checks and balances in the government design and ultimately adopted the Bill of Rights—ten amendments that safeguard various personal freedoms, including free speech and the right to bear arms. While the Anti-Federalist movement waned with the ratification of the Constitution, its principles continue to influence American political discourse, with ongoing debates about the balance of power between state and federal governments.
On this Page
Subject Terms
Anti-Federalism (movement)
Anti-federalism was a movement by Americans who were opposed to the development of a powerful federal government. Following the end of the Revolutionary War (1775-1783), Americans had escaped the rule of the powerful British government. Many anti-federalists worried that if the American government grew too powerful, the states would be exchanging the rule of one tyrannical government for another.
Anti-federalists helped draft the Articles of Confederation, which created America’s first government. However, the Articles of Confederation gave the federal government so little power that it struggled to function at all. In response, American politicians drafted the Constitution of the United States of America. If ratified, this document would greatly expand the role of the federal government. It added a second house to the legislative branch and created both the judicial and executive branches.
The anti-federalists were opposed to adopting the Constitution. However, they convinced its writers to include a series of checks and balances to stop any one branch from growing too powerful. They also convinced their rivals, the Federalists, to include a series of amendments called the Bill of Rights. These amendments forbid the government from restricting a number of important liberties, such as religious freedom and the right to free speech.
Background
Prior to the formation of the United States of America, Great Britain ruled over its thirteen original colonies on the modern-day East Coast. In an effort to increase revenue from its colonies and pay for military expenses from the French and Indian War (1754-1763), Britain passed a series of acts designed to increase the revenue generated by these colonies. The colonies felt that these additional taxes were unfair, and many refused to comply. As a form of protest, a group of Americans dumped a large amount of valuable tea into Boston Harbor, an act that came to be known as the Boston Tea Party. In response, Britain passed a series of laws called the Intolerable Acts.
The Intolerable Acts included five laws meant to punish the American colonists. Britain closed the Boston Port until the value of the destroyed tea was repaid, reduced the legislative power of the colonists in Massachusetts, moved capital trials against government officials to Great Birtain, expanded British Canadian territory into the Ohio Valley, and allowed British soldiers to be quartered in American homes if no barracks were available. The American colonists were outraged by the acts. Many were convinced that they would be more successful governing themselves than remaining colonists.
The colonies declared themselves independent from Great Britain in 1776, after the battles of Lexington and Concord in 1775 led to all-out war between colonists and the British. Fighting continued all over the Thirteen Colonies through 1783. The American militias initially struggled against the well-trained British armies. However, particularly after receiving assistance from the French, they were able defeat the British in multiple key battles and force the British to accept defeat.
In 1783, Great Britain and the United States formally signed the Treaty of Paris. The agreement ended the war between the Americans and the British and formally recognized the creation of the United States of America. Following the end of the Revolutionary War, the American colonies adopted the Articles of Confederation, creating the first American government.
Overview
After living under the colonial rule of Great Britain, many Americans were wary of giving a federal government too much power. For this reason, the federal government outlined in the Articles of Confederation was intentionally created to be weak. It lacked the power to raise taxes and adequately enforce laws. There were no federal courts, and no executive branch. Congress was given jurisdiction over international relations, though it was forbidden from regulating commerce.
Many Americans felt that this government was too weak to fulfill its role. They wanted to replace the Articles of Confederation with a new document that created a stronger government. These citizens were called the federalists. Against them were the anti-federalists, who did not want to strengthen the federal government.
The federalists drafted and proposed the US Constitution. This document created three branches of government: a legislative branch, a judicial branch, and an executive branch. The legislative branch was divided into two houses and granted the ability to regulate commerce, the judicial branch included a federal court system, and the executive branch included a strong presidential office that could veto acts of Congress. Anti-federalists believed that states were free agents that should manage their own finances.
Many anti-federalists worried that the Constitution would make the government too powerful, and the government could use its power against the state governments. Additionally, anti-federalists were opposed to the veto power granted to the president. They believed that a representative of the federal government should not be able to override decisions made by the people’s representatives.
For these reasons, the anti-federalists were opposed to adopting the Constitution. Many prominent historical figures, including Samuel Adams and Thomas Jefferson, did not want to grant additional power to the federal government. To accommodate the anti-federalists, the writers of the Constitution adopted a system of checks and balances. These checks would allow one branch of government to stop the others from becoming too powerful. Additionally, they passed ten amendments to the Constitution, placing strict limits on the power of the federal government. Collectively, these amendments are called the Bill of Rights. They guarantee Americans the right to free speech, the right to free assembly, the right to bear arms, and many other liberties.
The official Federalist Party disbanded in the early nineteenth century. However, anti-federalist and federalist principles are still prominent themes in American politics. Many Americans still believe that the federal government has grown too strong and more authority should be granted to individual states. However, other Americans contend that the country’s best interests are served by a single government administering to the entire country.
Bibliography
“Antifederalists.” U.S. History, 2019, www.ushistory.org/us/16b.asp. Accessed 31 Mar. 2020.
“Anti-Federalist vs. Federalist.” Diffen, www.diffen.com/difference/Anti-Federalist‗vs‗Federalist. Accessed 31 Mar. 2020.
“Constitution of the United States—A History.” National Archives, www.archives.gov/founding-docs/more-perfect-union. Accessed 31 Mar. 2020.
“Differences Between the Federalists and Antifederalists.” The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History, 2020, www.gilderlehrman.org/history-now/teaching-resource/differences-between-federalists-and-antifederalists. Accessed 31 Mar. 2020.
“Ratifying the Constitution.” Judicial Learning Center, judiciallearningcenter.org/the-ratification-debate/. Accessed 31 Mar. 2020.
“Revolutionary War.” History, 2020, www.history.com/topics/american-revolution/american-revolution-history. Accessed 31 Mar. 2020.
“The Federalists vs. the Anti-Federalists.” Interactive Constitution, 2020, constitutioncenter.org/interactive-constitution/podcast/the-federalists-vs-the-anti-federalists. Accessed 31 Mar. 2020.