The Anti Federalist Argument Against A Weaker Federal...

The focus point of the anti-federalist argument revolved around the support of a weaker federal government. After the Declaration of Independence was signed, there was a necessity to unite the nation. A way was needed to govern the land amassed by the thirteen colonies. On the twelfth of July, 1776, eight days after the signing of the Declaration of Independence, the Second Continental Congress began efforts to create the fundamental principles on which to govern the nation while managing the colonial war effort. Once a version was complete it was sent to be ratified by the states in 1777. Ratification by the states was completed in 1781. This document is known as the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation were deliberately weak, which followed logically after breaking away from the strong British government. There was however a group that opposed the weak federal government created by the Articles of Confederation, and they came to be known as the federalists. The group that supported a weaker government thus came to be known as the anti-federalists. As the government played out on the nations stage, members of the anti-federalist party would change, uphold or augment their ideals. The Articles of Confederation failed because of its deliberate lack of power. It was inherently weak first and foremost because it called for a confederacy—which gave sovereign power to the states. We see this in Article II, which states that: â€Å"Each state retains itsShow MoreRelatedThe Rartifiation of the Us Constitution1046 Words   |  5 PagesQuestion: What were the major arguments used by each side (the supporters and the opponents) in the debates over the ratification of the U.S Constitution? In the year 1787, early America, officials and delegates came together to form a constitution that would restore the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation was the attempt at creating a government for the newly independent America. 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