The Convention which assembled in Philadelphia in the late spring of 1787 contained only a handful of men who were opposed to a strong government and none who spoke out clearly for democracy. The Antifederalists who attended did not represent the rank and file of the party, but the propertied minority.

The struggle over the ratification of the Constitution was primarily a contest between the commercial and non-commercial elements in the population. This is the most significant fact, to which all else is elaboration, amplification, or exception. The Federalists included the merchants and the other town dwellers, farmers depending on the major cities, and those who produced a surplus for export. The Antifederalists were primarily those who were not so concerned with, or who did not recognize a dependence upon, the mercantile community and foreign markets.

As the delegates made clear the intent to establish a strong national government, the Antifederalists, one by one, drew back. The Constitution did not represent the views of the moderate Antifederalists. While the Antifederalists within the Convention were being gradually disillusioned, those outside viewed the assemblage with mingled optimism and apprehension

About half of all the delegates to the convention had seen some military service during the war, almost all of them as officers, but of the Antifederalists only one had held a rank higher than captain, whereas among the Federalists there were at least sixteen field officers. The ten members of the convention who belonged to the Society of Cincinnati were Federalists. Such facts as these imply that the Federalists came from higher social strata. This is suggested also by their superior education, for all of the college men in the ratifying convention were Federalists. The professions of the members also indicate the differences between parties. The great majority of the merchants, large manufacturers, lawyers, judges, and those with extensive holdings in land voted for the Constitution. Moreover [as George Bryant put it] “monied men, and particularly the stockholders in the bank were in favor of it.” Clearly the businessmen and creditors were Federal.

The Federalists dominated the towns and the rich valleys, they included most of the public and private creditors, great landowners, lawyers and judges, manufacturers and ship-owners, high ranking civil and military officials, and college graduates. Antifederalists rank and file were men of moderate means, with little social prestige, farmers often in debt, obscure men for the most part.

The Federalists held far more property, which is to be expected in view of the east versus west, rural versus urban nature of the division. In the convention were twelve men of wealth, of whom ten were Federalists; another half-dozen were well-to-do, of whom all but one were Federalists. The remainder, which included almost all the Antifederalists, had only moderate property.

In the Antifederal ranks at the convention were at least twenty-nine delegates who had actively participated in Shay’s Rebellion and several others who had attended county conventions. Indeed, a map showing the towns sympathetic with the Rebellion is almost identical with the one outlining the Antifederal area.

Of the delegates to the convention, very few Antifederalists were well-to-do, whereas many Federalists were men of wealth. Almost all of the public securities were held by Federalists. Merchants, shipowners, bankers, manufactuurers, lawyers, and judges were Federalists by a very large majority, as were generals, naval captains, and members of the Cincinnati; most college men were Federalists, and most ministers.