Why did the Antifederalists oppose ratification of the Constitution? What historical events and political ideas shaped their views of the Constitution? Evaluate the strengths and weaknesses of the Antifederalists' arguments
Answer:
An ideal answer will:
1. Discuss how Antifederalists, such as Patrick Henry of Virginia, supported a loose confederation of states that ensured real authority rested with state sovereignty.
2. Discuss why Antifederalists perceived states and state legislatures as the best protectors of individual rights because they were closer to the people than a central government and a president created by the Constitution.
3. Assert how the Antifederalists feared that a strong national government created by the Constitution, without a Bill of Rights, would trample on the sovereign states and the liberties of individual citizens.
4. Illustrate that some Antifederalists concurred in the Constitution providing central currency and taxation powers, but they would not support ratification because of the absence of a Bill of Rights to protect individual rights.
5. Illustrate how some Antifederalists, such as Sam Adams of Massachusetts, criticized the Constitution for solving political, economic, and social problems that were not serious.
6. Discuss and analyze the causal relationship between the experience of British colonial rule and the political views of the Antifederalists.
7. Write a concise and effective conclusion evaluating the strengths and weaknesses of the arguments of the Antifederalists against the Constitution.
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