Question

Not everyone was as pleased as Franklin with the results. Patrick Henry felt vindicated, or proven right. He had predicted a move toward a stronger national government, and the delegates had certainly done that. He was angry after reading only the first three words of the Constitution. "We the People," it read. It should read, "We the states," Henry argued, believing this proved the delegates desired to submerge the states into an all-powerful central government.

The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and sent to the states for their approval. Instead of sending the document to the state legislatures for approval, the delegates decided to require the ratification (agreement) of the states through elected state conventions. Nine states’ ratification would be required for the Constitution to be in effect, and then in only the states so ratifying.

The delegates had reasons for opening the Constitution with the words "We the People." It was the same reason as requiring the agreement of the states through elected state conventions. Under the social contract theory of the nation’s founding document, the Declaration of Independence, the new government would be illegitimate (illegal) without the consent of the governed.

Henry and others also opposed ratification of the Constitution because it had no bill of rights. They wanted clear protections for the states and the people from the new national government.

Answer 1

They believed that without a bill of rights, the central government could potentially infringe upon the rights and freedoms of the states and the individual citizens. Henry argued that the Constitution gave too much power to the central government and did not adequately protect the rights of the people. He feared that without specific protections outlined in a bill of rights, the government could become tyrannical.

Patrick Henry and his supporters, known as the Anti-Federalists, actively campaigned against the ratification of the Constitution. They wrote essays and delivered speeches arguing against its adoption. Their efforts were successful in influencing several states to call for amendments to protect individual rights before ratifying the Constitution.

As a result of their efforts, the Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution in 1791. These first ten amendments ensured the protection of individual liberties, such as the right to free speech, freedom of religion, and the right to a fair trial. The inclusion of a bill of rights helped alleviate some of the concerns of those who opposed the centralized power of the new government.