What was the biggest challenge in getting the Constitution ratified?
Asked by: Deron Price | Last update: July 19, 2025Score: 4.5/5 (8 votes)
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.
What were the challenges with ratifying 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.
What was the biggest obstacle to ratifying the Constitution?
what would be the biggest obstacle to ratifying the new constitution, if they were bound by the amendment rules of the articles of confederation? Unanimous consent of the state legislatures was needed.
What was the biggest obstacle in getting the Constitution ratified?
The greatest challenge is persuading the Anti-Federalists to support the Constitution's ratification. A bill of rights was the primary demand of the anti-federalists, but it wasn't granted until much later.
What was a major obstacle to the ratification of the Constitution?
The most significant obstacle that the Founding Fathers faced when trying to ratify the Constitution was the lack of a Bill of Rights. Many opponents, especially in key states like New York and Virginia, were concerned that the new federal government would infringe upon individual liberties.
Challenges to Ratification of the Constitution, by Professor John Kaminski
What was the major issue with getting the Constitution ratified?
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.
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.
What was the greatest obstacle to approving the Constitution?
Final answer: The primary barrier to ratifying the Constitution was the lack of a formal Bill of Rights. Several large states and Anti-Federalists felt it threatened individual rights and liberties. Ratification ultimately occurred after promises were made to add a Bill of Rights.
What were the biggest obstacles delegates faced when getting the Constitution approved?
A central issue at the Convention was whether the federal government or the states would have more power. Many delegates believed that the federal government should be able to overrule state laws, but others feared that a strong federal government would oppress their citizens.
What was the biggest complaint or barrier to ratifying the Constitution?
Which complaint was the greatest barrier to ratifying the Constitution? The complaint that was a greater barrier to ratify the constitution was that it didn't have a Bill of Rights.
What was the biggest challenge of the Constitutional Convention?
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 was the main argument against ratification of the Constitution?
The Anti-Federalists's opposition to ratifying the Constitution was a powerful force in the origin of the Bill of Rights to protect Americans' civil liberties. The Anti-Federalists were chiefly concerned with too much power invested in the national government at the expense of states.
Which compromises solved the biggest challenges to ratifying the Constitution?
The Great Compromise determined that there would be two houses in the legislative branch, that there would be proportional representation in one house, and that there would be equal representation in the other house. The Great Compromise convinced both large and small states to ratify the Constitution.
Why was ratifying the Articles of Confederation so difficult?
When Congress reconvened in June of 1778, the delegates learned that Maryland, Delaware and New Jersey refused to ratify the Articles. The Articles required unanimous approval from the states. These smaller states wanted other states to relinquish their western land claims before they would ratify the Articles.
What would happen if the Constitution was not ratified?
If a ninth colony did not ratify the Constitution, it would die before it had the chance to go into effect. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire ensured the success of the Constitution, becoming the ninth state to ratify it.
What was most noteworthy and unusual about the process of ratifying the Constitution?
The process of ratifying the United States Constitution was unusual in several ways. Noteworthy was the decision to bypass the state legislatures, which likely would not agree to cede their powers freely. Instead, special conventions were elected for the purpose of considering ratification.
Which of the following was a major obstacle to the ratification of the Constitution?
One main obstacle to the ratification of the Constitution was the number of representatives each state would have in Congress. For the Constitution to be the law, it had to be ratified by the President.
Why was it very difficult to get laws passed?
The framers deliberately made it hard for Congress to make law because they were giving Congress all sorts of new powers that it didn't have under the Articles of Confederation, and they wanted to protect the states and protect federalism by making it hard for Congress to make law.
How was the Constitution ratified?
Nine of 13 states were required to ratify the Constitution before it would be accepted as the nation's founding document. Delaware was first to approve it on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, and South Carolina.
What was the struggle to ratify the Constitution?
The Constitution encountered stiff opposition. The vote was 187 to 168 in Massachusetts, 57 to 47 in New Hampshire, 30 to 27 in New York, and 89 to 79 in Virginia. Two states, North Carolina and Rhode Island, refused to ratify the new plan of government.
What were the 3 major issues at the Constitution?
Debates erupted over representation in Congress, over slavery, and over the new executive branch.
What was one significant objection to the Constitution raised during ratification?
People opposed to the ratification of the Constitution were called the Anti-Federalists. They were concerned that the Constitution gave too much power to the national government at the expense of the state governments.
Why were people hesitant to ratify the Constitution?
Those who opposed the adoption of the Constitution were known as the Antifederalists. Many feared centralized power. Many doubted the ability of Americans to sustain a continental republic. Some Antifederalists were upset that the Constitution lacked a religious test for officeholding.
Why did it take so long for the Constitution to be ratified?
The process took several years. Smaller states like Delaware approved the new Constitution quickly. Large states like New York and Virginia took longer. New York ratified the Constitution only after Virginia had done so, and primarily because it did not want to be the last large state to adopt the new Constitution.
How difficult was the fight for ratification?
Five months of debate, compromise, and creative strategies produced a new constitution creating a federal republic with a strong central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments. Ten months of public and private debate were required to secure ratification by the minimum nine states.