"THE OPPOSITION TO the constitution came from several sources,
although its core lay in the poorer and more democratically
inclined sectors of the population. In New York, for example,
considerable opposition came from wealthy and conservative
landowners who feared the Constitutions republicanism and
from those who savored the revenues drawn form goods arriving
in New York's harbor and intended for eventual consumers in
New Jersey and Connecticut. Many opponents simply feared that
the creation of a powerful central government would threaten
individual liberties much in the manner of the British
authorities, whose rule had so recently been terminated.
Others felt that the Federalists sought to gain economically
from the institution of the new government; Charges were made
then and later that the speculators were purchasing the worthless
Revolutionary War bonds and other obligations at deflated prices
in hopes that they would be redeemed in full by the government
under the constitution."
Antifederalists are those who opposed the idea of detaching ourselves as a
union away from Great Britain andestablishing ourselves as an independent
nation. Antifederalists tend to be "poorer and more democratically inclined"
people which is probably why they are so ignorant to change. They believed
that an individuals rights would be minimized if there were ever a central
government, just like Great Britain did. They also believed the federalists
were self seeking and only wanted to help the rich instead of establishing
more money for the people instead of for themselves.
They wanted to get away from Great Britain too. Its just that afterwards they wanted to keep the articles of confederation which made the independent states stronger. So if the landowners in New York lose the power to control their own trade tariffs, they might lose money which is why they are opposed. Maybe the poor were ignorant maybe their fears were legitimate, a lot of shady things were done to ratify the Constitution. Finally, a new larger more powerful central government means it is going to be better funded which means the value of the war bonds it issues would go up. The thing with that is that they were sold to average people and soldiers and widows, who sold them cheap to financiers because they were worthless, then they cashed in when the Constitution was ratified, it just happens a lot of the same guys with these bonds were also pushing for the Constitution.
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