After the Revolutionary War ending in 1783, the United States needed a framework for their government. The Articles of Confederation had already been established in 1781, however, the debate over the necessity of a Constitution was underway. The Constitutional Convention, beginning in 1781 in Philadelphia included delegates from 12 of the 13 states. During the convention, the delegates discussed issues to be resolved in their proposed Constitution. Public debates outside of the convention also emerged where the common people debated over the Constitution as well. In the late 1780s, following the Constitutional Convention, two groups, the Federalists and Anti-federalists, debated over the necessity and potential dangers of the proposed Constitution. …show more content…
(Doc C) After seeing unvirtuous things in war, Washington agrees that they need a new government centered around the lack of virtue where the government checks itself, ensuring the national government would not become too tyrancial. Federalists argue that people are not virtuous enough to expect government officials to put aside self-interest for the sake of the people, therefore the government should aim to turn that self-interest into the common good. (Doc F) Alexis de Tocqueville, as well as Federalists believed that self-interest was for the common good and would make for a successful government. Forty-seven years after the Constitution, Tocqueville vindicates this argument by providing evidence that the Federalists argument was valid through his writings. Another important aspect of the Federalists appears in Alexander Hamilton's speech at the Constitutional Convention where he argues for elite representation in government. Federalists believed that elites would make better representatives than common folk. However, Hamilton, as well as all the other rich white male elite federalists would stand to gain power and benefit from being a representative in government. Federalist 35, also by …show more content…
Anti-federalists wanted a small democracy, while Federalists believed that the Constitution and a central government was crucial. The Anti-federalists, however, feared that a strong central government would swallow up the states. Federalists proposed a government that allowed exclusive elite representation and deemphasized the common folk in the Anti-federalists view. History has a tendency to repeat itself, and the Civil Rights Movement between North and South over slavery is similar to the Federalists and Anti-federalists argument to the Constitution. The North, like the Federalists, wanted the government large, and to have the power to overturn state legislature. On the other hand, the South, who wanted to protect segregation, are similar to the Anti-federalists since both want to protect state rights. During this movement the South was using state laws to disregard the national law in order to segregate. In response, acts like the Black Voting Rights Act that made voting fair for all, and prevented states from preventing blacks from voting, and the Housing Rights Act which made buying houses fair and equal regardless of race were passed. The proper role of government in personal life and where the power should lie is also a major aspect of both the Constitutional Convention and the Civil Rights Movement. The Federalists