Question

The Anti-Federalists and Federalists finally reached a compromise in ratification of the Constitution. Which of the following describes this compromise?
Question 14 options:

The Federalists and Anti-Federalists agreed that a government that was too strong would too closely resemble a monarchy and agreed that the separation of powers in the Constitution was enough to limit the powers of government.


The Federalists and Anti-Federalists never actually compromised over ratification of the Constitution, but after 9 of the 13 states ratified the Constitution the Anti-Federalists realized they had lost the fight.


The Anti-Federalists finally agreed to ratify the Constitution if a Bill of Rights was added to protect the rights of the people from the government.


The Federalists finally agreed to ratify the Constitution if the Anti-Federalists would allow a Cabinet of advisers for the President and a bicameral legislature.

Answer 1

Correct answer:  

The Anti-Federalists finally agreed to ratify the Constitution if a Bill of Rights was added to protect the rights of the people from the government.

Details:

The Articles of Confederation, in place prior to the ratification of the Constitution of the United States of America, had granted stronger authority to the states.  Patrick Henry and other Anti-Federalists were concerned about too much power winding up in the hands of the federal government and its executive branch, thus allowing a small number of national elites to control the affairs of the USA.  They feared this also would diminish the rights and freedoms of individual citizens.

The Bill of Rights, laid out in the first ten amendments to the Constitution, provided some reassurance to Anti-Federalists in  the fight over ratification.  The compromise which led to agreement in regard to ratification of the Constitution was called the Massachusetts Compromise, because of major opposition to ratification that had existed in Massachusetts.  John Hancock and Samuel Adams (both of them anti-Federalists) were the ones who helped negotiate the compromise. The anti-Federalists agreed that they would support ratification of the Constitution, with the understanding that recommendations for amendments would follow if the Constitution was ratified.  The Federalists promised to support the proposed amendments, which would outline a Bill of Rights to guarantee protection of specific rights the anti-Federalists wanted specifically asserted in the Constitution.  

The US Constitution was ratified in 1788.  The Bill of Rights was created in 1789 and ratified in 1791.

Answer 2

The Federalists believed in a strong, central government. They supported the Constitution as written and argued for immediate ratification. The Federalist Papers are the articles they wrote in support of the Constitution. This group was large and powerful. It included people like George Washington and John Adams, who became the first two U.S. presidents.

On the other hand, the Anti-Federalists thought the new government was too strong. They wanted to see a Bill of Rights added to the Constitution to protect state governments' power and the people's rights. Anti-Federalists wanted to wait for ratification until a Bill of Rights was complete. Anti-Federalists included Patrick Henry and George Mason.