For what two reasons did people oppose ratification of the Constitution?
Asked by: Hermann Leannon | Last update: July 7, 2025Score: 4.5/5 (66 votes)
What were the two main reasons for opposition to the Constitution?
The Anti-Federalists
One faction opposed the Constitution because they thought stronger government threatened the sovereignty of the states. Others argued that a new centralized government would have all the characteristics of the despotism of Great Britain they had fought so hard to remove themselves from.
Why did people oppose the ratification of the Constitution?
The Anti-Federalists feared that the new Constitution gave the national government too much power. And that this new government—led by a new group of distant, out-of-touch political elites—would: Seize all political power. Swallow up the states—the governments that were closest to the people themselves.
What were 2 issues involved in the ratification debate?
Anti-Federalists argued for the value of limited central government, whereas Federalists maintained that natural rights to life, liberty, and property would be best protected under a strong central government.
Why did so many people oppose the ratification of the Constitution Quizlet?
The main reason they opposed the ratification was because they feared the National Government would have too much power, and the state legislatures were better for citizen's freedom. They also did not like diversity of religion because they there believed one person of a certain religion was unreliable.
Challenges to Ratification of the Constitution, by Professor John Kaminski
What two main reasons did people oppose ratification of the Constitution?
Anti-Federalists argued that the Constitution gave too much power to the federal government, while taking too much power away from state and local governments. Many felt that the federal government would be too far removed to represent the average citizen.
Did many people disagree on the ratification of the Constitution?
Final answer: The ratification of the US Constitution in 1787 met widespread disagreement as reflected in the division between the Federalists, who supported it, and the Anti-Federalists, who opposed it due to fears of excessive central power and absence of individual liberties protection.
What were the 2 most debated issues about the new Constitution?
The major debates were over representation in Congress, the powers of the president, how to elect the president (Electoral College), slave trade, and a bill of rights.
What were 2 of the issues debated at the Constitutional Convention?
When the 55 delegates gathered in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation, there were several major issues on the agenda to discuss including representation, state versus federal powers, executive power, slavery, and commerce.
What were the three main arguments of the Anti-Federalists against the Constitution?
The Anti-Federalists feared that the Constitution gave the new national government too much power and that this new government—led by a new group of distant, out-of-touch political elites—would seize all political power; swallow up the states—the governments that were closest to the people themselves; and abuse the ...
Why was the Constitution difficult to ratify?
The United States Constitution was written "to endure for ages to come" Chief Justice John Marshall wrote in the early 1800s. To ensure it would last, the framers made amending the document a difficult task.
Why did the Federalists and Anti-Federalists have different viewpoints?
Federalists wanted a strong central (federal) government, while antifederalists wanted states to have greater authority. The debates came to a head during the Constitutional Convention over areas like the Supremacy Clause, the Necessary and Proper Clause, the Commerce Clause, and the Bill of Rights.
What was the nickname for the Connecticut plan?
The Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise of 1787 or Sherman Compromise, was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that in part defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the United States Constitution.
Why did people oppose the Constitution?
The Anti-Federalists opposed the ratification of the 1787 U.S. Constitution because they feared that the new national government would be too powerful and thus threaten individual liberties, given the absence of a bill of rights.
What were the opposition to the ratification of the Constitution?
Two states, North Carolina and Rhode Island, refused to ratify the new plan of government. Those who opposed the adoption of the Constitution were known as the Antifederalists. Many feared centralized power.
What were the arguments against ratification?
The Supremacy Clause generated significant controversy during debates over the Constitution's ratification. Anti-Federalist opponents of the Constitution argued that the Clause would make the national government overly powerful and infringe on state sovereignty.
What were the 2 biggest issues during the Constitutional Convention of 1787?
The most divisive of those issues—those involving the apportionment of representation in the national legislature, the powers and mode of election of the chief executive, and the place of the institution of slavery in the new continental body politic—would change in fundamental ways the shape of the document that would ...
What did Federalists and Anti-Federalists disagree most strongly about?
Final answer: Federalists and Antifederalists disagreed mainly over the balance of power between the national government and state governments. Federalists supported a strong national government for effective governance, while Antifederalists feared it could undermine individual liberties and state rights.
What 2 issues were left unresolved after the Constitutional Convention?
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 purposely left some issues unresolved, such as the question of slavery and the exact balances of power between the states and the federal government.
What are 2 major ideas represented in the Constitution?
Teaching Six Big Ideas in the Constitution - Students engage in a study of the U.S. Constitution and the significance of six big ideas contained in it: limited government; republicanism; checks and balances; federalism; separation of powers; and popular sovereignty.
Does the bill of rights protect everyone?
The Bill of Rights seemed to be written in broad language that excluded no one, but in fact, it was not intended to protect all the people - whole groups were left out.
What were the 3 major issues at the Constitution?
Debates erupted over representation in Congress, over slavery, and over the new executive branch.
What were the 2 main problems with ratifying the Constitution?
Several arguments were voiced repeatedly during the ratification debates: That the Convention had exceeded its authority in producing a new Constitution; That the Constitution established the basis for a monarchical regime; That the Constitution lacked explicit protections for individual and states rights.
Why did so many people oppose ratification?
Opponents of ratification were called Anti-Federalists. Anti-Federalists feared the power of the national government and believed state legislatures, with which they had more contact, could better protect their freedoms.
Who disagreed with the US Constitution?
The Anti-Federalists fought hard against the Constitution because it created a powerful central government that reminded them of the one they had just overthrown, and it lacked a bill of rights. The ratification campaign was a nail-biter.