Anti-Federalism facts for kids
Anti-Federalism was a movement in the United States made up of many different Americans. These people were against the approval, or ratification, of the 1787 United States Constitution.
Anti-Federalists worried that a strong central government could become unfair and act like a tyrant. They felt this was similar to what they believed had happened in England. They wanted a weak central government, much like the one they had under the Articles of Confederation.
One of the main disagreements between Anti-Federalists and Federalists was that the new Constitution did not include a Bill of Rights. The Federalists first argued that a Bill of Rights was not needed. However, they later agreed to add several changes, called amendments, to the Constitution.
The House of Representatives approved 17 amendments. The Senate then sent 12 of these to the states for approval. Out of these 12, 10 were approved by the 13 states. These 10 became known as the United States Bill of Rights. Virginia was the last state to approve these amendments on December 15, 1791.
See also
In Spanish: Antifederalismo para niños
