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The Essential Antifederalist
At the pivotal moment in the history of the United States of America, ratification of the Constitution was championed by James Madison, John Jay and Alexander Hamilton in a series of newspaper articles known as the Federalist Papers. In answer to these arguments and as a way of pointing up flaws and weaknesses in the Constitution itself, a number of political thinkers (who mostly used pseudonyms) argued against ratification through articles and speeches which have collectively come to be known as the 'Antifederalist Papers.' This edited collection of readings from Antifederalist thought was first published in 1985. Here presented with a completely revised and updated interpretive essay from the editors and expanded to cover the period of the founding from 1776-91, this book is the most complete one-volume collection of its kind.
378 pages, Paperback
First published May 12, 1985
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Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews
November 25, 2009
As the book notes at the outset, "'The Antifederalists' is the name commonly used to designate those people who opposed the ratification of the Constitution." Most Americans are probably pretty much unaware of the key opponents of the Constitution as it was being debated--let alone understanding the arguments raised against the document. This edited volume helps to address this lack of awareness by presenting many key documents authored by those who opposed the Constitution. As such, it enriches our understanding of what was "at stake" during the Constitutional debate.
The book reminds us that the Antifederalists actually had demonstrable effects on the final version of the Constitution; for one thing, their argument about the need for a Bill of Rights led to a promise by Federalists (supporters of the proposed Constitution) to include such an item after the new government was formed and operational.
The Introduction notes two key issues animating the Antifederalists and dividing them from the Federalists--: ". . .the people are the sovereigns of the government; and an express reservation of powers qualified the government by affirming the people's sovereignty." A central issue dividing the opposing camps, indeed, was the very nature of representation. Antifederalists wanted more representation (annual elections, rotation in office [now referred to as "term limits":], large numbers of representatives), whereas the Federalists, as indicated in the "Federalist Papers," wanted some distance between the people and their representatives.
The preceding lays out the nature of the volume. There are some nice features of the work, such as a timeline of events during ratification. What about the contents of the book? Chapter One focuses on the origin of Antifederalist thought (including writings by John Lansing, Luther Martin, and John Lansing, among others). Chapter Two looks at the Antifederalists' views of the Federalists, including speeches by Patrick Henry at the Virginia Ratifying Convention. Chapter Three explores the Antifederalist view of republicanism. Some of the major works on this subject that appeared in print are presented in the book. The final chapter examines Antifederalist support.
In sum, this is not a perfect volume (many important essays are left out, but one can only include so much, and the editors' selection is a reasonable set of works), but it does provide a representative compendium of works by the Antifederalists. As such, the book helps enhance understanding of the debates of that era and indicates key issues that were at stake during the debate.
The book reminds us that the Antifederalists actually had demonstrable effects on the final version of the Constitution; for one thing, their argument about the need for a Bill of Rights led to a promise by Federalists (supporters of the proposed Constitution) to include such an item after the new government was formed and operational.
The Introduction notes two key issues animating the Antifederalists and dividing them from the Federalists--: ". . .the people are the sovereigns of the government; and an express reservation of powers qualified the government by affirming the people's sovereignty." A central issue dividing the opposing camps, indeed, was the very nature of representation. Antifederalists wanted more representation (annual elections, rotation in office [now referred to as "term limits":], large numbers of representatives), whereas the Federalists, as indicated in the "Federalist Papers," wanted some distance between the people and their representatives.
The preceding lays out the nature of the volume. There are some nice features of the work, such as a timeline of events during ratification. What about the contents of the book? Chapter One focuses on the origin of Antifederalist thought (including writings by John Lansing, Luther Martin, and John Lansing, among others). Chapter Two looks at the Antifederalists' views of the Federalists, including speeches by Patrick Henry at the Virginia Ratifying Convention. Chapter Three explores the Antifederalist view of republicanism. Some of the major works on this subject that appeared in print are presented in the book. The final chapter examines Antifederalist support.
In sum, this is not a perfect volume (many important essays are left out, but one can only include so much, and the editors' selection is a reasonable set of works), but it does provide a representative compendium of works by the Antifederalists. As such, the book helps enhance understanding of the debates of that era and indicates key issues that were at stake during the debate.
March 10, 2022
Read for grad school for my Masters of American Government and History.
Great resource of the various Antifederalist essays.
Great resource of the various Antifederalist essays.
January 5, 2013
essential American History reading
Displaying 1 - 3 of 3 reviews