Ch 8, Sec 12: The Constitution Goes to the States

Main Idea – After heated debates, the 13 states voted one by one to approve the new Constitution.

Federalists Debate Antifederalists

Federalists: Supporters of the Constitution

Antifederalists: Against the Constitution

Federalists Debate Antifederalists

Federalists: Believed the Articles of Confederation:

Left too much power to individual states Made a dangerously weak central gvn’t Made disputes between states too difficult for the

national gvn’t to function Believed the Constitution:

Gave the national gvn’t the authority it needed to function effectively

Protected rights and powers of individual states

Federalists Debate Antifederalists

Federalists: Used the Federalists Papers to:

Explain and defend the Constitution

Federalists Debate Antifederalists

Antifederalists: Believed the Constitution:

Made the national gvn’t too strong and states too weak

Gave the executive (President) too much power

Felt the Executive Branch should not be too powerful because: Other Presidents would lack the honor and

skill of Washington.

Key Issue: Need for a Bill of Rights

Main objection to the Constitution by the Antifederalists: No Bill of Rights

The States Vote to Ratify

Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787.Rhode Island was the last state to ratify the Constitution on May 29, 1790.Many states agreed to ratify the Constitution only if: A Bill of Rights was added

Adding a Bill of Rights

George Washington was elected President and John Adams was chosen as Vice-presidentNew York was the nation’s first capitolThere is a way to amend, or change, the Constitution

Adding a Bill of Rights

In 1789, James Madison wrote a list of 12 amendments, only 10 of them were ratified and are now known as the Bill of Rights