o The Federalists favored ratification of the Constitution. Believed in a strong national government Wanted separation of powers in government Wanted a standing army o The Anti-Federalists opposed ratification of the Constitution. Feared the national government would have too much power Believed that the Constitution did not protect individual rights Did not believe in having a standing army o Both sides wrote essays to support their perspectives The Federalist Papers argued for ratification Promised respect for state governments Promised that citizen’s rights would be protected The Anti-Federalist Papers argued against ratification Argued that the federal government would be too strong Claimed that citizens’ rights would be in danger The Bill of Rights o Ratifying a Bill of Rights The Federalists were opposed to a Bill of Rights They thought that the Constitution was not taking any rights away They believed that these rights where already in the Constitution The Anti-Federalists supported a Bill of Rights They thought that the government could take away rights They believed that the Constitution did not guarantee these rights The Constitution said that nine of the thirteen states had to approve the Constitution for it to become law. The Federalists needed nine states to vote “yes” on the Constitution The Anti-Federalists needed five states to vote “no” on the Constitution Northern states seemed to support the Constitution Some states worried about giving the national government so much power Southern states were more divided over the issue They were unhappy with the Three-Fifths Compromise Some supported a Bill of Rights Still, nine states had ratified the Constitution by 1788 The Constitution became law It was not supported by all states o Freedom for all / Rights of the accused and imprisoned Why was the Bill of Rights created? To protect certain rights of citizens from government interference o Some states called for it in their ratification of the Constitution Where did these ideas come from? Earlier documents that protected the rights of people and limited the rights of the government o England’s Magna Carta o Virginia’s Declaration of Rights The First Amendment guarantees individual liberty in five areas Religion o No church or religious organization can direct the government o The government cannot make laws that officially establish a religion Speech o People can express their opinions in most circumstances Press o The government cannot control the media publishers Assembly o People can meet or gather peacefully Petition the government o People can ask the government to fix a problem The Second Amendment guarantees the right to bear arms Americans interpret this amendment in different ways, including that: o There should be no limits on owning and using guns o States can make gun laws, but the federal government cannot o Bearing arms is only the purpose of having a state militia The Third Amendment prevents the government from housing soldiers in private homes during peacetime Housing soldiers in private homes is called quartering Britain made colonists house British soldiers before the Revolution The Fourth Amendment protects against unreasonable search and seizure by the government Officials must: o have a search warrant to search private property o Identify the property to be searched and what they are looking for o Have probable cause The Fifth Amendment allows people to refuse to testify against themselves in court This amendment also says that: o A person cannot be punished without due process of law o A person cannot go to trial twice for the same crime The Sixth Amendment protects the rights of people who are on trial in criminal court, including the right to: Receive a speedy public trial by jur Be told what crime they are accused of Question witnesses brought against them and call witnesses for their own defense be given the option of being represented by a lawyer The Seventh Amendment protects the rights of people on trial in civil (noncriminal) court In cases involving over $20, a trial by jury is guaranteed Jury cases will not be retired unless there is a reason under the common law The Eighth Amendment limits punishments for people accused of or guilty of a crime Excessive bail and fines are not allowed o Bail is money paid to get out of jail while awaiting trial Cruel and unusual punishment is banned The Ninth Amendment says that the rights protected by the Bill of Rights are not the only rights Americans have. Limits the power of the federal government The Tenth Amendment guarantees rights and powers for the states. Limits the power of the federal government Newspaper Articles o Federalist No. 46 explained why national and state governments are different. Was written by James Madison Argued that national and state governments should have different powers Said that the governments should work together o Federalist No. 51 argued that the government and its citizens must watch over each other Was written by Alexander Hamilton or James Madison Argued that people need the government to help society Said that people must control the government in return o Anti-Federalists also published essays. o “A Maryland Farmer” is an essay about the dangers of a strong national government. Was written in 1788 by “A Farmer”. Argued that the national government would hurt the states. o In the fall of 1787, George Mason wrote a list of concerns about the new Constitution. He was very concerned about individual rights. He became known as “The Father of the Bill of Rights.” He argued that Americans deserved to have their rights clearly declared.