From the period of the drafting and proposal of the federal Constitution in September, 1787, to its ratification in 1789 there was an intense debate on ratification.
The principal arguments in favor of ratification were made in a series of articles written by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay called the Federalist Papers.
The arguments against ratification appeared in various forms, by various authors, most of whom used a pseudonym. Collectively, these writings have become known as the Anti-Federalist Papers.
The Anti-Federalist Papers contain warnings of the dangers of tyranny that weaknesses in the proposed Constitution did not adequately protect against. Some of those weaknesses were corrected by adoption of the Bill of Rights, but others remained.
As you read the Anti-Federalist Papers, ask yourself "How many of these dangers are now coming to pass?"
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