What were the main arguments prior to ratification of the Constitution? Essay sample

The Constitution of the United States did not appear out of nothing. The Articles of Confederation were the first edition of the US Constitution written yet during American Revolution and ratified in 1981. As every legislative document compiled for the first time, the Articles of Confederation had a few problems. Each state had the only vote in Congress no matter how large it was. Congress had no power to put taxes and regulate the interstate commerce. There were no judicial system and no executive branch to enforce acts of Congress. To address these and more inconsistencies, 55 delegates met at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The Founding Fathers of the US led the country through the American Revolution and wrote its Constitution. The document was signed in 1787, but its ratification was rather problematic. Nine more states had to ratify the Constitution so that it went into effect. The need for ratification has born a vast argument on whether the Constitution is necessary after all. The Delegates divided into the Federalists who wanted the ratification and the Anti-Federalists who did not support the document. In this Great Debate, Federalists argued that a Bill of Rights is not necessary as it might create an artificial barrier to citizens. Anti-Federalists complained that the new Constitution threatened individual rights and liberties. In course of the Great Debate, the parties reached compromise. Many of the states could not decide which side they took. After a long debate, the Constitution was ratified in Massachusetts on the condition that it would be amended with the Bill of Rights. Interestingly, Federalists Alexander Hamilton and James Madison who originally opposed the Bill of Rights did a great job amending the bill. Eventually, these Federalists were the ones to present the Bill at Congress.