JWSJ Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 If you lived back in the day, would you be a Federalist or an Anti-Federalist? Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in Neverland Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Anti-federalist. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Back then, I probably would have been a federalist. Now, we may have moved a bit too far in the federalist direction. I think the anti-federalist papers are more interesting than the federalist papers, I especially like 78 - 82, The Power of the Judiciary: http://www.wepin.com/articles/afp/ What I really want to know after reading L.M. Montgomery is whether I would have been a Tory or a Grit, I've never figured out what each side believed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Heather in WI Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Anti-federalist all the way. It is a truth confirmed by the unerring experience of ages, that every man, and every body of men, invested with power, are ever disposed to increase it, and to acquire a superiority over every thing that stands in their way. This disposition, which is implanted in human nature, will operate in the federal legislature to lessen and ultimately to subvert the state authority. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sharon H in IL Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Federalist. In order to act in a coordinated fashion, we needed to work together closely. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Dirtroad Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Anti Federalist.... I love, love, love Patrick Henry! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
OhM Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Anti-federalist - but more TJ than Patrick Henry Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Melinda in VT Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 I voted Federalist, but if you asked me again in a couple of months, I might change my answer.:tongue_smilie: I recently read a great biography of Washington, so I think his views are coloring my opinion. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Kim in Appalachia Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 but if I lived back then I would have seen the practical need for the federalist position; for the purpose of defense and even just coordination between the states. I agree with many of the anti-federalist points, but when it comes down to it, I think their position would have made it hard for the nation to grow. Just my 2 cents. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Cedarmom Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 Federalist. We had definite problems with being too separate as states. I don't think we would have been able to protect ourselves miliatarilly if we had kept the status quo. However, the anti-federalist had many good points, I am glad we listened to some of them, and we should have paid attention to more. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
FloridaLisa Posted May 6, 2009 Share Posted May 6, 2009 (edited) Federalist, since we're talking about the term as it was conceived by the Founders. Stronger national government than under the Articles of Confederation, but balanced and checked by strong states' rights. Lisa Edited May 6, 2009 by FloridaLisa Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
JWSJ Posted May 7, 2009 Author Share Posted May 7, 2009 You'll surprised me. I thought it would be overwhelmingly anti-federalist... :001_huh: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
ElizabethB Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 You'll surprised me. I thought it would be overwhelmingly anti-federalist... :001_huh: I think that today, most people here would lean more anti-federalist, but at that point in our history, more federalism was needed. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
brehon Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 I think that today, most people here would lean more anti-federalist, but at that point in our history, more federalism was needed. :iagree: I think a lot of us are "reading history forward" (as one of my favorite historians likes to say), not backward. IOW we're trying to imagine what it was like to live in those times and form a new nation. Now, if you're talking about "knowing now what I didn't know then", then, yes, I think many of us would be anti-Federalists. As for me, even when I read History forward, I tend to come out on the anti-Federalist side. I don't think I could ever have been a Hamiltonian. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
dhudson Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Federalist then, anti-federalist now. I love reading about George Washington and his level, steady thinking so I think that colors my view. I also think that for defense we had to be stronger than the anti-federalists wanted especially considering War of 1812, Spanish- American War and all the wars going on Europe. I do love Patrick Henry though and his passion for his beliefs but Washington seems so stable. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Elaine Posted May 7, 2009 Share Posted May 7, 2009 Anti Federalist.... I love, love, love Patrick Henry! :iagree: Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Guest Blessedx5inCO Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 We would love to study the Federalist/Anti-Federalist Papers as a family (10 yo twins and 13 yo - all boys). Is there a study guide or curriculum help to guide us through these articles? TIA! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Orthodox6 Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 Until very recently I tuned out political science almost completely, and quickly affirm that I know little about it. (I read The Worldly Philosophers in my high school economics class, which as close as I ever came to the subject !) Not long ago someone sent me "just a dabble" concerning Edmund Burke. At first blush, he sounds closer to some of my basic outlooks than anybody else has. So if someone familiar with Burkean thought wishes to tell me into which of the two specified "camps" that places me, please let me know ! Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Peek a Boo Posted June 16, 2009 Share Posted June 16, 2009 We would love to study the Federalist/Anti-Federalist Papers as a family (10 yo twins and 13 yo - all boys). Is there a study guide or curriculum help to guide us through these articles? TIA! start w/ the wiki entries: http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Federalist_papers http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Anti-Federalists Then read up on the key authors of each one -biographies. You will want a solid grounding in early US History before tackling just the anti/federalist papers. and yeah --I'd be more anti-Federalist. Anti-Federalist doesn't mean there was NO alliance or ability to defend ourselves, only that the central gvt wouldn't have as much power as it does now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
tricia Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 Anti here. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
Sebastian (a lady) Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 We would love to study the Federalist/Anti-Federalist Papers as a family (10 yo twins and 13 yo - all boys). Is there a study guide or curriculum help to guide us through these articles? TIA! I really enjoyed the books on the revolution by Jeff Sharra, in particular the first one which was centered on the decision to declare independence. From this distance it seems so inevitable. But it was a much closer thing than we generally give credit for. I think that these novels would give a lot of background into the personalities that were later involved in writing the Constitution. I think that the general history on the Constitution is Miracle at Philadelphia by Bowen. It has been a very long time since I've paged through this, so I'm not sure how helpful it would be to you. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
WTMCassandra Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 I agree with some of the others. Replying for back in the day, I would probably have leaned Federalist. So that's how I voted in the poll. HOWEVER, those anti-Federalists were sure forward-thinking guys, really seeing the end of the road of the Federalist position. At the time, I think we did need more of a stronger Federal government, but I think we have now swung too far on the other side of this question. If I were voting TODAY, I would vote Anti. I wish more people were quoting and discussing the Anti position in regards to how we are conducting government now. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
KrissiK Posted June 17, 2009 Share Posted June 17, 2009 I'm ashamed to admit that I voted, "huh?" I really have no idea. I know what I believe, but I'm don't know enough about those two philosophies to know where I fit in. I hate that I had such a shoddy education (I don't blame it completely on the system, I wasn't terribly interested in history, and maybe that's the fault of the system) and when I finally got to the point in my life where I'm motivated to do something about it, I'm so tired that when I sit down to read I fall asleep - even if it's in the middle of the day. Quote Link to comment Share on other sites More sharing options...
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