What is Anti-Federalism?
'''Anti-Federalism''' refers to a [[wikt:diverse|diverse]] group of [[United States|Americans]] who opposed the [[ratification]] of the 1787 [[United States Constitution]].<ref name=UShist>{{cite web |url=http://www.ushistory.org/us/16b.asp |title=16b. Antifederalists |publisher=US History.org |access-date=12 February 2016}}</ref> Anti-Federalists believed a strong central government could become [[Corruption|corrupt]] and [[tyrannical]], as they believed [[England]] had become. They wanted a weak central government just as they had with the [[Articles of Confederation]].<ref>{{cite web |url=http://www.u-s-history.com/pages/h374.html |title=Anti-Federalists |publisher=u-s-history.com |access-date=12 February 2016}}</ref> One of the many points that the Anti-Federalists disagreed with the [[Federalism|Federalists]] was that the Constitution did not have a [[Bill of Rights]].<ref name=BORI>{{cite web |url=http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/bill-of-rights/ |title=Bill Of Rights of The United States of America (1791) |publisher=Bill of Rights Institute |access-date=12 February 2016 |archive-date=3 February 2016 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20160203213231/http://www.billofrightsinstitute.org/founding-documents/bill-of-rights/ |url-status=dead }}</ref> Federalists argued the Constitution did not need a Bill of Rights, but agreed finally to add several [[amendment]]s to the Constitution.<ref name=BORI/> The [[United States House of Representatives|House of Representatives]] approved 17 amendments. The [[United States Senate|Senate]] passed on 12 of these for ratification by the states.<ref name=BORI/> Of the 12, 10 were ratified by the 13 [[States of the United States|states]], becoming known as the [[United States Bill of Rights]].<ref name=BORI/> [[Virginia]] was the last to ratify the [[amendment]]s on December 15, 1791.<ref name=BORI/> Under the new government, many Anti-Federalists created the [[Democratic-Republican Party]]. == References == {{reflist}} [[Category:United States