Ratification of US Constitution: A Historical Debate - Essay Sample

Introduction

The ratification of the USA constitution in the 1787-1788 period was one of the most significant debates in United States history (Eze, 2017). The arguments were divided between the federalists, those who supported the ratification, and the anti-federalists, those who opposed it. Based on the prevailing circumstances, I would have supported the federalists' ideologies, regarding the constitutional ratification in favor of a unified and stronger national republic.

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

Save 25%

Currently, the US government is set-up as a federal government under the constitution. In this set-up, the national government is a federal government that composes of 50 states and other major governing territories (Eze, 2017). The powers, as well as duties of each territory, are defined by the constitution, and the acts of Congress. However, the current structure includes bill of rights, which were highly regarded by the anti-federalist debates.

Inclusion of the Bill of Rights was a significant consideration, that was necessary to fully protect the citizens under the constitution. Ratification of the constitution gave the national government "too much power, and without a Bill of Rights, the people would be at risk of oppression" (Constitution Facts., 2018). It should be noted that the new constitution threated liberties. As such, it failed to protect individual rights. In this regard, the Bill of Rights was mandatory to ensure that the government does not take advantage and demonstrate dictatorship, thereby violating human rights.

Although the Anti-Federalists opposed the constitution on the basis that a stronger government threatened state sovereignty, I would have supported a strong national government as it would be stronger defensively and economically. The Anti-Federalists argued that "a new centralized government would have all characteristics of the despotism of Great Britain" (Constitution Facts., 2018). However, they failed to recognize that a stronger federal government would protect them from the despots, as opposed to smaller ununified and states.

Conclusion

Conclusively, I would urge everyone to support the Federalists' point of view, with the aim of creating a perfect union that would strengthen and improve state relationships. A stronger national republic would protect individual liberties, where the minorities would be better protected from majorities. Therefore, extending the sphere of the government would not only preserve sovereignty as well as the structure of states but also strengthen them.

References

Constitution Facts. (2018). The great debate. Retrieved from: https://www.constitutionfacts.com/us-articles-of-confederation/the-great-debate/

Eze, U. (2017). The Anti-Federalists and their important role during the Ratification fight. Constitution Daily. Retrieved from: https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/the-anti-federalists-and-their-important-role-during-the-ratification-fight