The Origins of the Bill of Right ... The Federalists v. the Anti-Federalists

  • Published
  • By John M. Lacomia and Tech. Sgt. Donald D. Osborn
  • 60th Air Mobility Wing History Office
TRAVIS AIR FORCE BASE, Calif. --  We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. 

The above is the preamble to our Constitution that governs our country and ensures that a stable government is in place protecting the rights of the people. 

Or does it? 

The United States Constitution was created by a group of men known as the "Federalists" that met from Sept.11 to 14, 1786 in Annapolis, Maryland for a Constitutional Convention. This convention was in direct response to Shays' Rebellion in Massachusetts and after witnessing the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation government that had been in place since the American Revolution. This "Federal Government" was an experiment that created a three-tiered government that included an "Executive, Legislative and Judicial" branch, as opposed to a loose confederation of states running the new country. 

Though this ideology outlined the formation of a new republican government, it did not account for the rights of the people. Federalists John Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison soon went to work in convincing the American people that the "Constitution" was the best direction that the country should go in, but opponents argued against abolishing the existing government for a new one. The opposition to the Constitution was called the "Anti-federalists," which included prominent statesmen Patrick Henry, George Mason and Elbridge Gerry. 

The Anti-federalists main arguments centered on preserving the rights of their respective states, while protecting the individual rights of the people. The Federalists main argument for a new government centered on the inability of the Articles of Confederation to enforce laws, raise money and stop rebellions from occurring within the individual states. The public outcry to the Constitution Convention provoked a series of papers written and published by both sides from 1786 thru 1787, both supporting and opposing this new form of government. 

The papers were circulated through out the country and there was strong support for both factions. In the end, James Madison, a Federalist, authored the first Ten Amendments to the Constitution which is known as the Bill of Rights. But, this government and the Bill of Rights would not have been possible if the Anti-Federalists had not insisted and fought for clearly defined rights for the people of the United States of America. This is a fact that is overlooked in American History, but their contributions impact us all everyday of our lives.