December 15th 1791
RIP Bill of Rights 1791-2021 ???
While not political parties as we know them today, there were two main political factions in America when the Constitution was signed, the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.
The Federalists included Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. Together they anonymously published 85 essays lobbying for the adoption of the proposed Constitution. The Anti-Federalists included people like Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry and George Mason. They, and many more, also anonymously published essays, but these were critical of the proposed Constitution. One of the areas of disagreement between these two factions was the question of a Bill of Rights.
The Anti-Federalist were generally wary of a powerful central government since America had just fought a war for liberty against a powerful central government. The Anti-Federalists, knowing first hand what such a government could do, were adamant that protections for the rights of the people needed to be part of this more perfect union. They were concerned that a central government could easily infringe on any right without specific prohibitions in the Constitution. On the other hand, the Federalists, after seeing how ineffective the Congress under that Articles of Confederation was, wanted to make sure that any new government would have the power to exercise any authority it was given. The Federalists argued that since the central government was not given any power to infringe on the rights of the people, a Bill of Rights was unnecessary. In fact, they were concerned that by listing rights in the Constitution, someone would get the idea that the central government would have the authority to regulate them. History has shown both sides were right. The dispute between these two positions got quite heated in many states, to the point that civil war almost broke out in Rhode Island.
P5 Guy wrote: ↑Tue Dec 15, 2020 7:45 am
December 15th 1791
RIP Bill of Rights 1791-2021 ???
While not political parties as we know them today, there were two main political factions in America when the Constitution was signed, the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists.
The Federalists included Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison. Together they anonymously published 85 essays lobbying for the adoption of the proposed Constitution. The Anti-Federalists included people like Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry and George Mason. They, and many more, also anonymously published essays, but these were critical of the proposed Constitution. One of the areas of disagreement between these two factions was the question of a Bill of Rights.
The Anti-Federalist were generally wary of a powerful central government since America had just fought a war for liberty against a powerful central government. The Anti-Federalists, knowing first hand what such a government could do, were adamant that protections for the rights of the people needed to be part of this more perfect union. They were concerned that a central government could easily infringe on any right without specific prohibitions in the Constitution. On the other hand, the Federalists, after seeing how ineffective the Congress under that Articles of Confederation was, wanted to make sure that any new government would have the power to exercise any authority it was given. The Federalists argued that since the central government was not given any power to infringe on the rights of the people, a Bill of Rights was unnecessary. In fact, they were concerned that by listing rights in the Constitution, someone would get the idea that the central government would have the authority to regulate them. History has shown both sides were right. The dispute between these two positions got quite heated in many states, to the point that civil war almost broke out in Rhode Island.
Enjoy your rights while they still exist.
Nice bit of perspective there.
Personally, I will not be giving up any of my freedoms, so I plan on leaving this world with the same number of them I have now. The question is: will some people be determined enough to take those freedoms away that they hasten my exit from this world?