What were Alexander Hamilton's arguments against the Bill of Rights?
Asked by: Jada Breitenberg | Last update: July 30, 2025Score: 4.1/5 (24 votes)
Alexander Hamilton, in Federalist Paper Number 84, argued that a Bill of Rights might even be dangerous. He said that if something wasn't listed in the Bill of Rights, the government might claim the power to do it. He also said that since each state had its own bill of rights, a national set was not needed.
What were the arguments for and against the Bill of Rights?
Antifederalists argued that a bill of rights was necessary because, the supremacy clause in combination with the necessary and proper and general welfare clauses would allow implied powers that could endanger rights. Federalists rejected the proposition that a bill of rights was needed.
What were the main arguments against Hamilton's plan?
Hamilton's critics claimed that his scheme would provide enormous profits to speculators who had bought bonds from Revolutionary War veterans for as little as 10 or 15 cents on the dollar. For six months, a bitter debate raged in Congress, until James Madison and Thomas Jefferson engineered a compromise.
What did Alexander Hamilton argue in Federalist?
Hamilton's core argument revolves around unity in the executive, meaning the Constitution's vesting of executive power in a single president by Article II of the United States Constitution. His argument also centers upon unity's promotion of executive energy.
What was Hamilton's opinion on states rights?
Alexander Hamilton was a committed nationalist who was fearful of the promise of states' rights. As one of the authors of The Federalist Papers, Hamilton talked frequently about the cause of the union.
Federalist 84 Explained | What are Some Arguments Against the Bill of Rights?
What was Hamilton's thoughts on slavery?
Alexander Hamilton abhorred slavery and at a few points in his life worked to help limit it. But any moral objections he held were tempered by his social and political ambitions.
Why did anti-federalists favor a bill of rights?
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.
What were Alexander Hamilton's beliefs?
Hamilton envisioned a union of states under a constitution, which he outlined in the Federalist Papers. He worked for a national currency. He saw a future without slavery. He founded the opposition Federalist Party.
What were the main arguments of the Federalists?
Federalists argued separation of powers protected rights
In light of charges that the Constitution created a strong national government, they were able to argue that the separation of powers among the three branches of government protected the rights of the people.
What did Hamilton and Jefferson disagree on?
What did Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton disagree on? Thomas Jefferson and Alexander Hamilton disagreed on the strength of the federal government. Hamilton believed it should be strong, while Jefferson believed it should be weaker.
Who was economically hurt most by the whisky tax?
While large-scale farmers easily incurred the financial strain of an additional tax, indigent farmers were less able to do so without falling into dire financial straits. President Washington sought to resolve this dispute peacefully.
Who opposed the Constitution?
The Anti-Federalists opposed the new Constitution. The Anti-Federalist camp included its own list of Founding-era heavyweights—including Virginia's George Mason, Patrick Henry, and Richard Henry Lee; Massachusetts's Samuel Adams, Elbridge Gerry, and Mercy Otis Warren; and New York's powerful Governor George Clinton.
What type of powers was Hamilton's constitutional argument based on?
Hamilton's constitutional argument was based on the concept of implied powers. hence, the correct option is c. In the context of the U.S. Constitution, the concept of implied powers refers to powers that are not explicitly stated but are reasonably inferred from the powers explicitly granted to the federal government.
Who disagreed with the Bill of Rights?
Supporters of the Constitution, the Federalists, thought a bill of rights was unnecessary and even dangerous. The authors of The Federalist Papers, including James Madison, argued for ratification of the Constitution without a bill of rights.
What are two ways the Bill of Rights opposes?
Answer and Explanation: The English Bill of Rights opposed the divine right of kings, by making monarchs subject to a kind of check and balances by Parliament which limited their power, and by removing the monarch as head of the church and making religion non-political.
What would happen if the Bill of Rights were removed?
America would turn into a dystopian society without the Bill of Rights. For example, if the first amendment was taken away the government would take control of everything and people wouldn't be able to express themselves. We wouldn't even be able to have our own opinions on things.
What were the arguments against federalist?
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 does bill of rights mean?
The Bill of Rights is the first 10 Amendments to the Constitution. It spells out Americans' rights in relation to their government.
What were the viewpoints of the Federalists and Anti-Federalists?
The earliest Federalists believed that a strong central government would facilitate the economic and political strength needed to maintain independence, especially from England. The Anti-Federalists, however, argued that federalism would replace one tyranny with another.
What are Hamilton's arguments?
In this Federalist Paper, Alexander Hamilton argues for a strong executive leader, as provided for by the Constitution, as opposed to the weak executive under the Articles of Confederation. He asserts, “energy in the executive is the leading character in the definition of good government.
Was Alexander Hamilton against slavery?
Publicly, Hamilton took a stance against slavery. He was a founding member of the New York Manumission Society. But, as has been shown, in late 18th century New York this fact by itself was perfectly compatible with being in close proximity to and relying on the labor of enslaved people.
Why is Alexander Hamilton on the $10 bill?
Impressed with Hamilton's expertise in economics, George Washington named him the first Secretary of the Treasury. While secretary, Hamilton tackled debt that had accumulated during the Revolutionary War, encouraged commerce and manufacturing, and helped establish the first national bank.
What did Alexander Hamilton think about the Bill of Rights?
Some Founding Fathers, most famously Alexander Hamilton, argued that it was not necessary to include a bill of rights in the Constitution. "the constitution is itself in every rational sense, and to every useful purpose, A BILL OF RIGHTS.
What are the arguments against the Bill of Rights?
Many delegates believed a bill of rights would be unnecessary because all the states had their own. There was a strong belief that individual rights were implied in the document they had already created.
Who wanted the Bill of Rights?
In the final days of the Constitutional Convention, as delegates rushed to complete work on the final draft of the Constitution, George Mason of Virginia and Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts proposed that the Constitution be “prefaced with a bill of rights.” On September 12, 1787, after little debate, the proposal was ...