The Philadelphia Convention was an assembly of the brightest minds of American politics in 1787. Emerging from it was the Constitution of the United States, which gave the national government more power, but kept them restrained through a system of checks and balances. States still decided smaller political matters, but much power was taken away from them that they held with the Articles of Confederation. Two groups emerged after the Convention, one for the ratification of the Constitution and the other against. The group …show more content…
Those in favor of the Constitution called themselves Federalists. Those opposing the Constitution and in favor of more power towards the states called themselves Antifederalists. One strong argument for the Antifederalists side was that the Constitution did not protect the liberties of the people (B). The Constitution did not include a bill of rights which displeased many Americans. When it came time to vote, there were many Antifederalists absent at the polls. Because the Federalists had such figures as Washington and Franklin on their side, as well as organized and aggressive strategies, they were victorious in making the Constitution the law of the United States. The final state to help put this into place was New Hampshire. Even though the majority had voted in favor of the Constitution, some states still opposed it, making them susceptible to succession. Through persuasive speeches and constant campaign, the Federalists won over the final states of New York and Virginia. After a huge demand for a bill of rights from the people, as well as the states of Massachusetts, Virginia, and New York, the new government decided one shall be composed