Constitution Debates
Our final reading for the quarter consists of speeches from New York politicians in the process of debating whether or not to ratify the new Constitution in 1788. By reading the speeches of Melancton Smith, Alexander Hamilton, and Robert Livingston, we have a chance to see how both Federalists and Anti-Federalists tried to convince other politicians at the ratification convention that their perspective on the Constitution was best for New York. There were three main issues of debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists at the New York ratification convention: sources of corruption, representation in Congress, and the Constitution’s effect on the states.

How did the Anti-Federalists envision the future of the nation if the Constitution were ratified?

What did the Anti-Federalists object to? How did the Federalists answer those objections?

Can you see any hidden bias or motives—perhaps related to social class differences between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists—in the speeches?

Minimum length is 1,000 words.