Anti-Federalism

Anti-Federalism was a movement in early American history that opposed the creation of a strong central government as outlined in the U.S. Constitution of 1787. Its supporters believed that a powerful national government could threaten individual freedoms and states' rights. They favored keeping most powers with state governments and were concerned that a centralized authority might become tyrannical. Anti-Federalists advocated for a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties and were cautious about consolidating too much power in a central government, emphasizing local control and state sovereignty.