Skip to main content

The Anti-Federalist Papers - Part 1


The underlying foundation of The Study (my current project) are the principles that the founding fathers held dear with the addition of the advancements of modern society. Part of creating the world after The Study is staying true to the original ideals that formed this country.

              The purpose of the anti-federalists was very similar to mine: freedom from tyranny by any form of elite, preserve community identity and personal freedoms. One of the greatest fears of the anti-federalists was that the will of the people would be drowned out by the will of the wealthy. This is something that appears to be happening now, which makes a closer look at these ideals that a large percentage of founders ascribed to.

              The Federalist Papers are a collection of documents that is frequently found in high school social science curriculum, and contains ideas much closer to the Constitution the country holds in such high regard. The anti-federalist papers are mostly unknown to society, even those I’ve spoken with that enjoyed history in school and had great teachers. This side of the argument is less represented, and its key players are obscure in our modern minds relative to their ideological opponents. It is said that history is written by the victors. This fact alone would explain why the anti-federalists ideas are studied less frequently, even though they are responsible for such important documents as the Bill of Rights.

              The antifederalists and I also have a shared cherished belief: that good nature and strong wills are innate in all people. They wanted the laws to allow for the maximum amount that people can act as their best selves. This is something they thought would be prevented by a strong central government, as the creation of classes lead to behavior that marginalizes the other based on wealth.

              When I first read the introduction to the ideal of the opposing side of the constitutional debate, I thought that no one would listen to these ideas because they seem contradicted by the baser natures of people. When I realized that this faction was large and a strong voice in the conventions and the nation’s early years, I knew that reading their work is just as important as the more common Federalist Papers.
              The ideals of the anti-federalists could have been what shaped our country. I think it would have been more difficult, but worth it in the long run. I’m withholding my final opinion on the type of government I think would work until The Study is published, but I think a critical read of both sides of the debates that formed this country is key to understand what the founders of this country wanted for the people. It will take time to read and digest all of their works, but I will share with you their wisdom and influence on our nation’s ideals as I come to understand them better. I will do the same for the Federalist Papers, and any other source documents I enjoy through my research.

Comments

Post a Comment

Popular posts from this blog

What If We Addressed Problems Holistically

What If… We treated problems holistically instead of individually?               One of the things I realized early on in my adult education was the relationship between seemingly disparate ideas. My bachelor’s degree focused on the relationship between biological equilibrium, environmental factors, and the mental reaction of individuals. From the beginning, I knew that it was folly to think that any of these categories could be studied in a vacuum. It did not take long for me to realize that it was not only in my own specialty that this was true, but in many other aspects of life. Yet, the compartmentalized view of the world is how the general populace perceives its environment, and social problems in particular.               As an educator, I found myself unable to teach only the subject with which I was tasked. I found the need for students t...
Post a Comment
Read more

On Hold

  The Viral Candidate – On Hold               I really don’t want to run for office. I’m an idea person, not an implementation person. I have a lot of ideas that I think would do a lot of good. I realized that all the political candidates have done something “noteworthy” in politics or life before trying to run the country. This feels elitist, but also ensures intelligent, capable people are the ones running. Or maybe those are the people who refuse to run because our political landscape has gotten so toxic. With that thought, I want to finish some of my ideas and do something larger than being a high school teacher before I try to imagine a national political campaign. Therefore, I am putting the Viral Candidate project on hold for a year.               I have been trying to find a way to build a platform and have done so with little guidance so far...
Post a Comment
Read more

The DIY Rape Kit

This is one of my ideas that will have to be implemented in The Study in order for some of the programs to work.               Melania Trump had a point when she said that women need hard evidence before they accuse a man of sexual assault. Women are not believed as victims, and he said-she said is very hard to prove. We also live in a culture where the woman is often blamed for the incident, including by herself. We live in a culture where “boys will be boys” and we train women on how to avoid an all-too-common scenario, as if they have the power to prevent the situation from occurring. All this means that if women need hard evidence to see their accusers brought to justice, they need a way to gather evidence in a way that is less traumatic for the survivors, so that more will be empowered to come forward.               Talk to someone who was strong ...
Post a Comment
Read more