Who favored the Constitution and did not think the Bill of Rights was needed?
Asked by: Kyler Corkery DVM | Last update: August 7, 2025Score: 4.1/5 (38 votes)
James Madison and other supporters of the Constitution argued that a bill of rights wasn't necessary because - “the government can only exert the powers specified by the Constitution.” But they agreed to consider adding amendments when ratification was in danger in the key state of Massachusetts.
Who believed the Constitution did not need a Bill of Rights?
In contrast, the Federalists supported the Constitution and wanted a stronger federal government. Federalists believed that the Constitution already ensured individual rights to the citizens and the creation of a “Bill of Rights” was unnecessary.
Who didn t want the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?
James Madison and other supporters of the Constitution initially resisted the need for a bill of rights as either unnecessary (because the federal government was granted no power to abridge individual liberty) or dangerous (since it implied that the federal government had the power to infringe liberty in the first ...
Who rejected the Bill of Rights to the Constitution?
When the Constitution was drafted in 1787, every state delegation in attendance rejected a Bill of Rights, saying it was unnecessary. Led by James Madison, the first Congress reversed course when it became clear that the new Constitution provoked broad public suspicion.
Who opposed the Constitution and wanted a bill of rights?
Anti-Federalists. 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.
Why wasn’t the Bill of Rights originally in the US Constitution? - James Coll
Who supported and opposed 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.
Who criticized the Bill of Rights?
Federalists opposed the inclusion of a bill of rights as unnecessary. The Constitution's first draft established a system of checks and balances that included a strong executive branch, a representative legislature, and a federal judiciary—specifying what the government could do but not what it could not do.
Who rejects the bill?
The veto power does not give the President the power to amend or alter the content of legislation—the President only has the ability to accept or reject an entire act passed by Congress. The President, however, can influence and shape legislation by a threat of a veto.
Who refused the Constitution?
Signing the Constitution
George Mason, Elbridge Gerry, and Edmund Randolph refused to sign because the Constitution lacked a bill of rights. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams did not sign because they were on diplomatic missions in Europe during the convention.
Who debated the Bill of Rights?
The House of Representatives debated the Bill of Rights between June 8 and September 24, 1789, when the House voted on its final version of amendments. House debate was shaped by the extreme reluctance, if not the open hostility, of the members towards Madison's version of amendments.
Why did some oppose adding the Bill of Rights to the Constitution?
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.
Are there 55 founding fathers?
In all, 55 delegates attended the Constitutional Convention sessions, but only 39 actually signed the Constitution.
Does the U.S. Constitution say all men are created equal?
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, that among these are Life, Liberty and the pursuit of Happiness.
Who didn t want to add the Bill of Rights to the Constitution?
James Madison and other supporters of the Constitution argued that a bill of rights wasn't necessary because - “the government can only exert the powers specified by the Constitution.” But they agreed to consider adding amendments when ratification was in danger in the key state of Massachusetts.
Who initially opposed the Bill of Rights?
It would take four more years of intense debate before the new government's form would be resolved. The Federalists opposed including a bill of rights on the ground that it was unnecessary. The Anti-Federalists, who were afraid of a strong centralized government, refused to support the Constitution without one.
Which group believed the Constitution did not need a Bill of Rights?
The Federalists felt a Bill of Rights was unnecessary. They said since the new Constitution limited the power of the government and since the people kept control of everything they did not say the government could do, no bill of individual rights was needed.
Who opposed the Constitution without a bill of rights?
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.
Did George Mason like slavery?
And yet, Mason's writings reveal his intense dislike of the institution of slavery. He was outspoken and consistent in his disapproval.
What group favored the Constitution?
Faced with forceful Anti-Federalist opposition to a strong national government, the Federalists published a series of 85 articles in New York City newspapers in which they advocated ratification of the Constitution.
Who denies bills?
The President may veto bills Congress passes, but Congress may also override a veto by a two-thirds vote in both the Senate and the House of Representatives.
Who can override the governor?
If the Governor vetoes the bill, a two-thirds vote in each house is needed to override the veto.
What branch prints money?
The job of actually printing the money that people withdraw from ATMs and banks belongs to the Treasury Department's Bureau of Engraving and Printing (BEP), which designs and manufactures all paper money in the U.S. The U.S.
Who thought the bill of rights was unnecessary?
In contrast, Federalists opposed any change to the Constitution. They pointed out that the government had not existed long enough to know its flaws (Jackson, address to Congress, 8 June 1789), and contended that enumerated rights were unnecessary for a democratic republic.
Which founding fathers were anti bill of rights?
The Federalists, including Madison, George Washington and Alexander Hamilton, feared that if some rights were listed, others not explicitly enumerated would be left vulnerable.
Which amendment ended slavery?
13th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution: Abolition of Slavery (1865)