Federalists and Anti Federalists essays

Federalists and Anti Federalists essays Soon after the end of the Revolutionary War if not before it became clear that the Articles of Confederation were not a workable arrangement. Wartime contingency measures might have papered over the most immediate problems, but with the coming of peace something more regular was needed. The defects of the Articles produced a host of disputes among states, which could not be resolved under its terms, and which times were serious enough to lead to militia skirmishing. More broadly, a fundamental issue had been left unresolved: Was the "United States" a nation in its own right, or a mere confederation of semi- autonomous states' This was not just an abstract question a great many group and individual interests were wrapped up in it. By and large, commercial interests were interested in a strong national government, creating an internal free-trade zone and consistent legal rules concerning trade. Other wealthy interests, however, had mainly local influence large landowners, for example, who in this era might still expect a quasi- feudal deference from tenants and neighbors. Their local standing would be diminished in a more unified national political structure. However, even these interests conceded that the original Articles were unworkable, while on the other hand many proponents of a stronger central government still had anxieties that it might become authoritarian, in 18th century language The Constitutional Convention was initially convened merely to patch up the Articles of Confederation, but it was dominated by proponents of stronger central government. Instead of modifying the Articles it threw them out entirely. Both Federalists and Anti-Federalists thereupon engaged in a propaganda battle. The Federalists won this in a mismatch: the Federalist has gone down as a political classic, while the Anti-Federalist writings have all but vanished f...