Part 1 Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists Thoughts Reading: By Jonathan Smith, Massachusetts Farmer There was a black cloud [Shays' Rebellion] that rose in the east last winter, and spread over the west...it brought on a state of anarchy [chaos] and that led to tyranny [cruelty]. I say, it brought anarchy. People that used to live peaceably, and were before good neighbors, got distracted, and took up arms against government... Our distress was so great that we should have been glad to snatch at anything that looked like a government. Had any person that was able to protect us come and set up his standard, we should all have flocked to it, even if it had been a monarch, and that monarch might have proved a tyrant. 1a) Why does Johnathan Smith think a stronger government is necessary? 1b) Is he Federalist or Antifederalist? Read each of the following quotes. Number your own paper appropriately and identify whether the quote is a Federalist argument or an Anti-Federalist argument. 1c) This country should never be split into a number of unsocial, jealous, and alien sovereignties [territories]. 1d) The states should respectively have laws, courts, force, and revenues of their own sufficient for their own security; they ought to be fit to keep house alone if necessary. 1e) One government... never can extend equal benefits to all parts of the United States. Different laws, customs, and opinions exist in the different states, which by a uniform system of laws would be unreasonably invaded. 1f) I am against inserting a declaration of rights in the Constitution... If such an addition is not dangerous, it is at least unnecessary. 1g) A bill of rights... serves to secure the minority against the usurpation [takeover] and tyranny [cruelty] of the majority.
North 1765-75 1783-90 South 1765-75 1783-90 Part 2 Politics and Society in Early America Fig. 1: Occupations of State Representatives in 1780s Fig. 2: Changes in Wealth of Elected Officials 50 45 40 35 30 25 20 Massachusetts New York Pennsylvania South Carolina Virginia 100% 80% 60% 40% Under 2,000 2,000-5,000 15 10 5 20% 0% Over 5,000 0 (Fig.1: States going top-bottom on the key are left-right on the graph.) (Fig.2: colors are in the same top-bottom order on the key and on the graph.) Part 2 Questions 2a) Which occupations were most common in the new state legislatures? 2b) Which state had the most landowners? Which state had the fewest landowners? What explains this? 2c) Were elected officials generally wealthier in the north or the south? 2d) Did elected officials become wealthier or poorer between 1765 and 1790? 2e) What do you think explains this change in wealth? (Hint: the US broke free from England in 1776)
Part 3 Differences between Federalists and Anti-federalists: Fig.3 Wealth of State Senators Federalists Anti-Federalists Wealthy 82% 18% Upper Middle-Class 65% 35% Lower Middle-Class 42% 58% Fig. 4 Occupation of Delegates who Voted (in CT, PA, and NH) Federalist Anti-Federalist Merchants, manufacturers, doctors, lawyers, ministers, large landholders 84% 16% Artisans, innkeepers, surveyors 64% 36% Farmers 46% 54% Part 3 Questions 3a) What percentage of state senators were wealthy and did not support the Constitution? 3b) Why isn t there a category for lower-class in Fig.3? 3c) Who was wealthier federalists or anti-federalists? 3d) Based on their occupations, do you think federalists lived in urban (cities) or in rural (country) areas? 3e) Why would wealthier people be more likely to trust a strong national government? 3f) Why would poorer people be more worried about individual rights? http://www.digitalhistory.uh.edu/historyonline/us8.cfm
Ratification Timeline Part 4 States Decide to Ratify Part 4 - Questions: 4a) What do the states that ratified early have in common? (Hint: look at votes for the top 4) 4b) What do the states that ratified late have in common? Use Political Cartoons to answer the following questions: 4c) What does the order of states on the federal pillars represent? 4d) Why do you think the artist chose pillars (columns) to represent each state? 4e) Do you think the editors of the Massachusetts Centennial Federalist are or Anti-Federalist? Why?
Each of the following political cartoons appeared in The Massachusetts Centinel. They were printed throughout the ratification process ( 1788-1790]