Ratifying the Constitution

1. Ratifying the Constitution Americans Across the Nation debated whether the Constitution would produce the best government

2. Key Terms Federalism Federalists Antifederalists The Federalist Papers Bill of Rights Key People George Mason Key Vocabulary and Key People

3. Fed up with the government • As the Constitution was debated in Connecticut the campaign to ratify it spread across the United States • To help ease worries of a strong national government, the framers of the constitution spread word of federalism • Federalists, those who favored shared government between the federal government and the states, debated the antifederalists who thought the constitution took too much power away from the states

4. Fear Factor • Some feared the president would turn into a king, or the senate would create an aristocracy • Anti-federalists though that powers gained in the revolutionary war would be lost and spread their word in newspapers and pamphlets • Anti-federalists also tried to stir peoples emotions using the fear of losing their liberty

5. Federalists Favored removing some powers from the states Favored giving more powers to the National Government Favored dividing powers among the three branches of government Wanted ONE person to lead executive branch Anti-federalists Wanted important powers to remain with the states Wanted Legislative Branch to have MORE power than the Executive Branch Wanted Bill of Rights in the Constitution to protect people’s rights Grudge Match

6. Extra Extra read all about it!! • The Federalist Papers began to answer the attacks on the constitution through the newspapers • James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay appealed to reason and emotions to gain support for ratification • While MOST newspapers favored the Constitution Massachusetts, North Carolina, New York, and Virginia were still needed to pass the document

7. Its up to YOU New York…New York • Early On the ratification process was successful in Delaware, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Georgia, Connecticut, and Massachusetts • While nine states had ratified the constitution New York and Virginia needed to approve the document • George Mason and Patrick Henry opposed the constitution unless a Bill of Rights was added

8. Peer Pressure • When James Madison recommended a bill of Rights be added to the constitution, Virginia Ratified it • When New York saw that the promise of a Bill of Rights was close they ratified the constitution as well • North Carolina and Rhode Island Ratified the Document by 1790 forming a new National Government

9. Due Bills • Supporters of the constitution wanted a Bill of Rights to list and protect rights of Americans • James Madison wrote the Bill of Rights and placed it at the end of the Constitution • Three-Fourths of the states would have to ratify the rights to make it law • The Bill of Rights were ratified by the country in 1791 and were made of Ten Amendments

10. This has been another World Famous Mr. Green PowerPoint Presentation Officially the LAST notes of 2013!