The differences between the Federalists and the Antifederalists are
vast and at times complex. Federalists’ beliefs could be better
described as nationalist. The Federalists were instrumental in 1787 in
shaping the new US Constitution, which strengthened the national
government at the expense, according to the Antifederalists, of the
states and the people. The Antifederalists opposed the ratification of
the US Constitution, but they never organized efficiently across all
thirteen states, and so had to fight the ratification at every state
convention. Their great success was in forcing the first Congress under
the new Constitution to establish a bill of rights to ensure the
liberties that the Antifederalists felt the Constitution violated.
View this infographic as a downloadable PDF.
Sources consulted:
Berkin, Carol. “Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists.” The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History video.
Wood, Gordon S. Empire of Liberty: A History of the Early Republic, 1789–1815. Oxford, UK: Oxford University Press, 2009. Questions for Discussion
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This was extremely helpful with my constitutional principles.