The Anti-Federalists by Jackson Main, 1961, Edited Excerpts
The Convention which assembled in
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 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. 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
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. Antifederalists rank and file were men of moderate means, with little social prestige, farmers often in debt, obscure men for the most part. The Antifederalists had only moderate property, very few Antifederalists were well-to-do, In the Antifederal ranks at the convention were at least twenty-nine delegates who had actively participated in Shay’s Rebellion.
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.
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
