Who was against the Constitution?
Asked by: Dolores Boyle DVM | Last update: February 6, 2026Score: 4.6/5 (10 votes)
Those against the Constitution were the Anti-Federalists, a diverse group including prominent figures like Patrick Henry, George Mason, and Samuel Adams, who feared a powerful central government would threaten individual liberties and state power, lacking a Bill of Rights. They argued for stronger state sovereignty, fearing tyranny and an imbalance of power compared to the weaker Articles of Confederation.
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.
Who was against the US Constitution?
The Anti-Federalists were a late-18th-century group in the United States advancing a political movement that opposed the creation of a stronger federal government and which later opposed the ratification of the 1787 Constitution.
Which political party was against the Constitution?
The Federalists of this time were rivaled by the Anti-Federalists, who opposed the ratification of the Constitution and objected to creating a stronger central government. The critiques of the Constitution raised by the Anti-Federalists influenced the creation of the Bill of Rights.
Who was opposed to the new 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.
The Constitution Doesn't Say That!
Which founding father argued against the Constitution?
Anti-federalists like Patrick Henry, Melancton Smith, and George Clinton argued that the national government proposed under the Constitution would be too powerful and would infringe on individual liberties.
Who opposed the bill of rights?
The birth of the Bill of Rights was controversial: Anti-Federalists demanded a concise constitution, which clearly delineated the people's rights and the limitations of the power of government. Federalists opposed the inclusion of a bill of rights as unnecessary.
Who did not support the signing of the Constitution and why?
One of the most famous reasons for why certain delegates didn't sign was that the document lacked a legitimate Bill of Rights which would protect the rights of States and the freedom of individuals. Three main advocates of this movement were George Mason, Elbridge Gerry, and Edmund Randolph.
What political party opposed civil rights?
Democrats vehemently opposed each of those civil rights laws, and Democratic President Andrew Johnson even vetoed several of the bills, but Republicans had overridden each of his vetoes.
Who voted against the Declaration of Independence?
Nine colonies voted in favor of independence. Pennsylvania and South Carolina voted against declaring independence. The New York delegation had not received guidance from their state as to how to vote and therefore abstained from voting.
What president suspended the Constitution?
President Lincoln Suspends the Writ
Supreme Court Chief Justice Roger Taney, serving as circuit judge, issued a writ of habeas corpus on May 26, 1861, and ordered General George Cadwalader, Fort McHenry's commander, to appear in court along with Merryman.
Who was most likely to oppose the proposed Constitution?
The Anti-Federalists opposed the new Constitution. The Anti-Federalist camp included a group 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.
Why was Thomas Jefferson against the Constitution?
Thomas Jefferson's December 20, 1787, letter to James Madison contains objections to key parts of the new Federal Constitution. Primarily, Jefferson noted the absence of a bill of rights and the failure to provide for rotation in office or term limits, particularly for the chief executive.
Which founder was so opposed to the Constitution?
One of the U.S. Founding Fathers, Patrick Henry, was initially opposed to the very idea of the Constitution! He wanted to keep the Articles of Confederation, the predecessor to the Constitution. However, when an agreement was made to add a "bill of rights" to the Constitution, Henry fought hard for its ratification.
Was Hamilton against the Constitution?
All but three of the delegates signed the document. Now it would be up to the states to ratify -- or reject -- the Constitution. Federalists such as Hamilton supported ratification.
Why were people against 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.
Did the Republican Party support civil rights?
A higher percentage of the Republicans and Democrats outside the South supported the Civil Rights Act of 1964, as they had on all previous Civil Rights legislation.
Why did President Johnson veto the Civil Rights Act?
Representative Henry Raymond of New York noted that the legislation was “one of the most important bills ever presented to this House for its action.” President Johnson disagreed with the level of federal intervention implied by the legislation, calling it “another step, or rather a stride, toward centralization and ...
Who voted against the Civil Rights Act of 1957?
The Republican Party voted 167 in favor, 19 against. The Democratic Party voted 119 in favor, 107 against. 9 members voted present, and 13 members did not vote. It was brought to a floor vote in the US Senate on August 7, 1957.
What states rejected 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. Many doubted the ability of Americans to sustain a continental republic.
Who walked out of the Constitutional Convention?
After two of New York's three delegates, John Lansing Jr. and Robert Yates, abandoned the convention on July 10 with no intention of returning, New York was unable to vote on any further proposals, but Alexander Hamilton continued to occasionally speak during the convention's debates.
Why was Thomas Jefferson not at the Constitutional Convention?
Founding Father and author of the Declaration of Independence, Thomas Jefferson, could not attend as he was busy in France serving as the U.S. Minister. Despite not being physically at the Convention, Jefferson still let his voice be heard.
Did the founding fathers put God in the Constitution?
After the Constitutional Convention in 1787, when Alexander Hamilton was asked why God had not been mentioned in the Constitution, he reportedly quipped, "We forgot." True! The story of Hamilton's famous quip may be apocryphal, but the Founders really didn't mention God in our country's charter.
Did southern Democrats oppose the Civil Rights Act?
Johnson signed the Civil Rights Act of 1964 and the Voting Rights Act of 1965. These actions led to heavy opposition from Southern Democrats. 1964 Republican nominee Barry Goldwater voted against the Civil Rights Act, which caused Goldwater to sweep the Deep South even though he lost badly outside the South.
Which founding fathers were against the bill of rights?
James Madison initially opposed the idea of creating a bill of rights, primarily for two reasons: The Constitution did not grant the federal government the power to take away people's rights. The federal government's powers are "few and defined" (listed in Article I, Section 8 of the Constitution).