Who were most likely to oppose the proposed Constitution?
Asked by: Mrs. Kelsie Hamill | Last update: December 5, 2025Score: 5/5 (71 votes)
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Who opposed 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.
Who was most likely to oppose the Constitution?
Overall, it was predominantly the agrarian population in remote areas who found themselves at the forefront of the opposition against the ratification of the Constitution, seeking to ensure that their local and state governments remained robust and influential.
What were the groups opposed to the Constitution?
In the ratification debate, the Anti-Federalists opposed to the Constitution. They complained that the new system threatened liberties, and failed to protect individual rights. The Anti-Federalists weren't exactly a united group, but instead involved many elements.
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.
Anti-Federalists: Understanding the Opposition to the US Constitution in the Late 18th Century
Who disapproved of the Constitution?
Those known as Antifederalists opposed the Constitution for a variety of reasons. Some continued to argue that the delegates in Philadelphia had exceeded their congressional authority by replacing the Articles of Confederation with an illegal new document.
Who 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.
Which group was against the Constitution?
The Anti-Federalists were against the ratification of the Constitution for many reasons. The Anti-Federalists believed that the Constitution, as drafted, would lead to a loss of individual liberties, an erosion of state sovereignty, and the potential for the rise of tyranny.
Who were the 5 opponents of 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 political group opposed the new constitution?
Opponents (Anti-Federalists) and supporters (Federalists) of the new constitution began to coalesce into political factions.
What were the people who opposed the Constitution called?
The opposition to the Constitution was called the "Anti-federalists," which included prominent statesmen Patrick Henry, George Mason and Elbridge Gerry.
Why did some oppose 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.
Who would most likely be opposed to the proposed Constitution?
large landowners. Small farmers would be inclined to oppose the Constitution because they were concerned about the strong central government that it established. They feared that this new government would not adequately protect their rights and interests, and that they would be burdened with heavy taxes to support it.
Were Federalists against the Constitution?
In the clash in 1788 over ratification of the Constitution by nine or more state conventions, Federalist supporters battled for a strong union and the adoption of the Constitution, and Anti-Federalists fought against the creation of a stronger national government and sought less drastic changes to the Articles of ...
Which founding fathers disagreed with the Constitution?
A debate thus ensued, between the Federalist side, led by Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, and the AntiFederalists, led by Thomas Jefferson and Patrick Henry, over exactly how much power and authority to give Congress and the other central branches of the new government.
Who was opposed to the U.S. 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.
Who were the two leading opponents of ratification of the Constitution?
The main opponents of the ratification of the Constitution were the Anti-Federalists, who feared a powerful national government that could lead to tyranny and advocated for stronger state rights. Prominent Anti-Federalists included Patrick Henry and James Monroe.
Who are the 5 principles of the Constitution?
The constitutional principles of checks and balances, federalism, limited government, popular sovereignty, republicanism, and separation of powers. .
Why did Patrick Henry oppose the Constitution?
Henry feared Constitution would give federal government too much power.
Which group supports the new constitution which does not?
The Federalists like the new Constitution. The Antifederalists don't. They think Americans' freedoms are better protected by state governments. Both sides give speeches and publish essays to persuade the states.
Which group was for the Constitution?
Instead, Article VII called for ratification by just nine of the 13 states—a two-thirds majority. Two factions soon emerged, one supporting the Constitution, the Federalists, and the other opposing it, the so-called Anti-Federalists.
Who were the opponents of the Constitution?
During the year-long debates over ratification, supporters of the Constitution called themselves Federalists; as a result, their opponents were known as Anti-Federalists.
Who did not like the US Constitution?
But Anti-Federalists, who feared that the document gave too much power to the federal government, worked to convince the states to reject it. In order for the Constitution to take effect, nine of the 13 states would have to ratify.
Which three influential virginians were opposed to the Constitution?
Washington also sent copies to Benjamin Harrison, Patrick Henry, and Edmund Randolph, the three most recent governors of Virginia who each had serious reservations about the Constitution.