Essay Example on Ratification of US Constitution Leads to Formation of Antifederalists and Federalists

Introduction

The ratification of the United States of America constitution leads to the formation of two political parties which are regarded as opposite in nature, namely the Antifederalists and Federalists (Derthick, 2004). Moreover, the essay focusses on the pre-existing thirteen colonies which wanted to ratify the constitution of the United States. One of these political parties formed as a result of the ratification produced political papers and letters targeting the public to understand the current situation. Also, the paper discusses how either of the political parties contributes to the development of America.

Is your time best spent reading someone else’s essay? Get a 100% original essay FROM A CERTIFIED WRITER!

Save 25%

Plan to Organize the Federal Government

Both the political parties had enormous plans to organize the Federal government to suit their objectives and interests. The key players of the Federalist parties were well-educated, wealthy, and powerful whose plans were focused on establishing a people's centralized government. To achieve that, the Federalist Party sought to combine the Constitution with the union, thus enabling the majority of the power to be vested into the government. However, as much as the government was the sole custodian of the power, there are to be regulations to oversee the government function to prevent potential misuse of the power (Constitution Society, 2015). For instance, no single part of the government is to have excessive power. That presents the Federalists as people with the plan of developing a resourceful centralized government which protects the nation's economic interests.

Whereas, the Antifederalists were known as farmers, low class, debtors, and among other low influence individuals loyal to their nation. Some of the leaders on the forefront advocating for Antifederalist ideology included Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams, who had a higher socio-economic status when compared to the people under their leadership. However, these leaders still thought the government of the United States under the current Constitution has excess power bestowed upon them. Consequently, the party believed the Constitution as it was threatening to withdraw much of the power from the people and the United States. For instance, according to the party, the constitution ought to protect the slaves and that they are the property of the owner, but the new constitution would work to bring an end to this status quo, leading to loses. Therefore, the Antifederalists think the United States would prosper as guided by the Articles of Confederation.

My Alignment

Based on my knowledge on federalism and its impact on our existence and integrity of the United States, I choose to align with Federalists party which I believe is the best choice. The Federalists are capable of reaching and appealing to the nation with regards to their messages having strong points, unlike the Antifederalist party. Moreover, the Federalists have the plan of protecting the interest of the nation, through keeping the government in check, hence favoring the development of the United States (Constitution Society, 2015). Also, the party is focused on a centralized government, thus upholding national integrity across the nation.

Conclusion

The period of ratifying the United States Constitution was a very trying moment for the nation, as was characterized by passion, promises, and death from both parties. The Antifederalists and Federalists were focused on the development of the nation, but they were always as logger's heads and could not arrive at a middle ground comfortably. The cohesion of a nation is important to ensure prosperity and the general growth and development, as shown by Federalists.

References

Constitution Society, (2015). The Federalist No. 78. Retrieved from http://www.constitution.org/fed/federa78.htm.

Derthick, M. (2004). Ratifying the Republic: Antifederalists and Federalists in Constitutional TimeRatifying the Republic: Antifederalists and Federalists in Constitutional Time. By David J. Siemers. (Stanford, CA: Stanford University Press, 2002. Pp. 292.). The Journal Of Politics, 66(4), 1334-1336. doi: 10.1017/s0022381600004394