Essay #3

Carolyn Shaw, Ben Zuidema, Britta Wischer, Angela Kim

New Jersey as a whole was a state that was rich with culture and forward thinking individuals. As they watched history progress, the people of New Jersey started to realize that there were many problems with the way that their government was beginning to be run. The New Jersey people began to come to the realization that if all of the states did not join together and form a government that would support all states that the end result might turn out to be chaos and mayhem, not to mention that America had just won its way out from under Britain's wing, and they did not want to be reabsorbed! The people of New Jersey decided to start this process of positive change by being one of the first states to ratify of the constitution. They knew that this move was somewhat of a risky one, but the majority also believed that such a calculated risk was worth the possibility of failure. In short, they were saying that though they understood where the Anti-Federalists stood, they could not doubt the need of the people for a strong centralized government.

During 1787 and 1788 the main topic was that of the possible ratification of the Constitution. Many of the states had mixed reactions which slowed down the process even more, but New Jersey was one of the states whose people almost completely supported it. The main reason for their support, as stated above, was their pure belief in the need of the people for a strong government. They knew that if they did not have a strong national government, anarchy or political disorder would triumph. These people were pretty certain that only a strong national government could ever truly protect the new nation. They believed that it would solve not only internal problems but also would keep the nation safe from their enemies, protecting their land from intruders with a clear set of rules that all were expected to follow.

When the whole issue of ratifying the constitution came up there were many different beliefs that both sides of the table held, and many of those same beliefs were dear to the other side of the argument as well. Federalists themselves thought that this was the only way that they would ever truly prosper as a country. It was there belief that the only way they could ever start a nation that was truly wonderful and better in every way then Britain was to make a new government. But for this new nation to succeed they needed to start a new form of government that while it still had many of the British government stuff in it, it as itself was different enough that it would cause true order to start. It was their belief that if they simply changed the way power was distributed that it would cause order in every shape and form. They thought that they would be able to have a better society by having people decide more what is best for them then having one figure head in charge trying to do what only he himself thought was best. This quote best shows what the federalists were thinking. “Enlarge the public views by passing them through the medium of a chosen body of citizens, whose wisdom may best discern the true interest of their country, and whose patriotism and love of justice will be least likely to sacrifice it to temporary or partial considerations…” (James Madison, The Federalist, No. 10.) James Madison here is just saying exactly what most New Jersey Federalists were thinking. That a body of citizens in almost all causes will be able to make better decisions then a king could. The Anti-Federalists however believed this as well but they were more afraid that they would just make the mistakes of the British government system all over again. The Anti-Federalist’s were more thinking along the path that power corrupts. A famous quote by William Pitt the Younger says it best. "Unlimited power is apt to corrupt the minds of those who possess it" (http://www.number10.gov.uk/output/Page161.asp). This quote is one that the Anti-Federalists probably thought about a lot. It simply shows how they thought that any form of central government always results in some one getting corrupt or greedy and then goes and starts to do what is best for him instead of what is best for the general public. This was one of the most important beliefs Anti-Federalists had that made them think the way they did. They were in no way wanting to start a new government that would in the end give the citizens themselves no power. So with these ideas in their heads they would do what ever they could to try and keep away from a central government and try to only care about their own individual sates. Many Anti-Federalists’ feared that “A consolidation of this extensive continent under on government [under the Constitution of 1787] cannot succeed, without a sacrifice of your liberties.” – Brutus. Brutus was a pseudonym for a man or group of men who put out the Anti-Federalist version of the The Federalist Papers, expounding upon the reasoning behind their beliefs. Many an Anti-Federalist deeply agreed with what Brutus said, using quotes from his literature in their arguments against the Federalists.

Many Anti-Federalists in America thought that the ratification of the constitution was a great nuisance. After years of having to deal with the British Government, the colonist’s minds were uneasy with the thought of a centralized power, one that could possibly bring the reign of the Britons back to America. And although they knew that they needed a strong form of government, the idea of people holding too much power disturbed them deeply. Early federalist such as Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay spent much of their time trying to convince that if there was not a strong national government, than only anarchy or political disorder would be possible. The main problem that Anti-Federalists have is that they fear that with a central government in place it will only lead to a new kind of Britain that is full of tyranny and people not having their voice heard. These beliefs however do not warrant enough of a reason to not ratify the constitution. This is because America as it was during this time had no government at all to truly keep order. They needed some kind of document to do this for the people. This was the constitution, it would allow the American people to finally start off as being an independent country that can truly fend for it’s self. So the reason why Anti-Federalists were viewed as wrong was pretty much because America needed to start off with some kind of Structure, this was the constitution, and while it probably would have many problems with it at first over time as a country there would always be the ability to change it as long as it would cause the county as a whole to benefit. The Constitution was finally finished on September 12, 1787 and made public. An issue brought up by the Anti-Federalists was that of the economics of the South based mostly off of slave labor. This problem came to be the fact that the Southern states thought that when they did ratify the constitution that the Northern states would start to try and stop using as much slave labor. The south thought that this would only cause their economy to fall and was a huge reason why they decided to be more Anti-Federalists. This however was not really a problem for the federalists. They still would not do anything to make their economy suffer. So of course slave labor would be there because no one wanted to see their country start to fail. So this is just another fear that Anti-Federalists had with ratifying the constitution. Pretty much Anti-Federalists believe the way they do off of fears that in reality never would really come true.

When it comes down to it the issue of anti-federalist verses federalists was an issue that lasted a while. New Jersey was one of those states however that very quickly decided to be federalists and in the end their decision was one that only made their state better. They went into ratifying the constitution without truly knowing what the end result would entail. They just said we want change with the way we are currently being run so they decided the constitution would only help them in the long run. This decision did however very soon start to pay off and it caused the federalists of New Jersey to finally see a more successful way of living within their new nation.

Personal responses:

Ben: In my own opinion I think that being federalists was the only real thing that would make the American public ever truly prosper. It was the only possible option that would ever cause the chaos to stop and bring order to the people. The truth is that men in their natural state are complete animals. If they are left to do what they please then they will simply do what is best for them without thinking about what might happen to the rest of the world. This is why I believe that they need some form of government and laws to keep them in check. And that is all that the Constitution was doing. It was making it so that states no longer just did what was best for themselves, but to instead help create a country that makes sure every citizen is in some way contributing to form a more peaceful and happy society for all to live in. To put it simply this type of central government was exactly what the people of America needed to finally start and try to create a stable and self functioning country. So federalists were doing what they could to change the country for the better and the Anti-Federalists were afraid of this change and not ready to truly see the big picture.

Carolyn: In our society there is no real "Federalist" or "Anti-Federalist", at least not at the level of the distinction that there was in the late 1700's. In spite of this lack of real-world application, I think I would have been an Anti-Federalist. In my reality, the Constitution is a mark of pride, something that has kept our country going for over 200 years. But, were I a person of that time, I'm sure I would have reacted differently. I am a great advocate of free will and every person's right to choose as I have always been, and to me that is what the Anti-Federalists signified. At the beginning I took my typical Protagonist vs. Antagonist stance, choosing the Federalists as my Protagonist characters and the Anti-Federalists as my Antagonists, but over time and with much research my views began to change. The Federalists were a group that actively yearned for structure, for someone to tell them what to do and when to do it, while the Anti-Federalists wanted to be able to control themselves and their lands.

Angi: Overall I would side with the Federalists, but there is just one thing that I have to agree with the Anti-federalist's. I believe that a Bill of Rights is needed with the Constitution because although eight states already had such bills in their state constitutions, what about the other states? Though, I agree and fully support the Constitution. Each and every state are individually different, but that does not mean that each state is capable of growing and prospering on their own, to the way they want, without any means of help. In order for the states to grow, I believe that the states require help and support from the other fellow states. The Constitution binds all these states, and the majority have agreed and signed to it. "The Federalists believed in a strong and effective government that would ensure commercial growth and international prestige; the Anti-federalist's saw such goals threatening liberty and preferred local control." (Source of Quote) Although I see both arguments from both groups, I still agree with the federalists because leaving all the "dirty work" with one strong government, would be more reasonable to me, than having smaller groups trying to solve certain issues with their disagreements. I believe that with smaller governing groups, comes more responsibility, more time is needed for meeting with other groups, and it would be more complicating to come to an official agreement.

Britta: In my experience with writing this essay I think I would have sided more with the Federalists. I think this because while writing this essay I learned a lot about how much trouble existed within the colonies. By having all states being part of one central government it would only promote a better environment for the American people. Having the constitution in place only makes life better for the Americans. It made it so people could live their lives as they please within reason. And in the end as we can clearly see today, it did work and our country is better because of it.