Constitutional Debate: Federalists vs Anti-Federalists

Annotated Bibliography


Primary Sources

  • "The Address by the Senate of 1789 to George Washington." Founding.com: A Project of the Claremont Institute. Web. 04 Mar. 2011.  <http://founding.com/founders_library/pageID.2356/default.asp>.
This was the address by the Senate of 1789 to George Washington where they assure the President that they will "...cheerfully co-operate in every measure which may strengthen the Union, conduce to the happiness, or secure and perpetuate the liberties of this great confederated republic."

  • "The Articles of Confederation - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net." Index Page - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net. Web. 04 Mar. 2011. <http://www.usconstitution.net/articles.html>.
The Articles of Confederation was the first governing document. It proved to be too weak to the Founding Fathers because it gave too much power to the states and not enough power to the central government.


  • "Bill of Rights." National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 04 Mar. 2011. <http://archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights.html>.
The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution, as it was demanded by the Anti-Federalists, to protect their natural rights, and rights as individuals.

  • Convention at Philadelphia, 1787 by Frederick Juengling and Alfred Kappes."TeachingAmericanHistory.org -- Free Seminars and Summer Institutes for Social Studies Teachers. Web. 04 Mar. 2011. <http://www.teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/juengling_kappes/>.
This is an engraving "The Convention at Philadelphia, 1787," by Frederick Juengling who was assisted by Alfred Kappes. Both of them were from New York, and lived during the time.It depicts George Washington presiding over the Constitutional Convention. Behind him, are delegates bent over vigorously writing the U.S Constitution.

  • "The Federalist Papers." THOMAS (Library of Congress). Web. 04 Mar. 2011. <http://thomas.loc.gov/home/histdox/fedpapers.html>.
These articles, which were 85 total, were written by Alexander Hamilton(52), James Madison(28) and John Jay(5). These articles were written between 1787 and 1788.  The articles give reasons for ratifying the U.S. Constitution, and supporting a strong central government. These were also propaganda essays to the people trying to convince them that the Constitution will provide a better government. They were compiled by the library of Congress 



  • "Second Treatise Chapters 16-19 by John Locke." TeachingAmericanHistory.org -- Free Seminars and Summer Institutes for Social Studies Teachers. Web. 04 Mar. 2011. <http://teachingamericanhistory.com/library/index.asp?document=1019>.
John Locke was a philosopher who influenced many of the Founding Fathers who wrote the U.S.Constitution. He is well known for his Natural Rights Philosophy. Chapter 19 of this article "Of the Dissolution of Government" talks about how having no government would result in chaos and a weak nation. As it would allow foreign forces to take over, and fighting within the country. It gives strong arguments for the need for government.


  • "The United States Constitution - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net." Index Page - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net. Web. 04 Mar. 2011. <http://www.usconstitution.net/const.html>.
The first words of the U.S. Constitution contained in the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution states "We the people...in Order to form a more perfect Union...". The need to create a strong central government was so important that these were the first words in the U.S Constitution.


Secondary Sources

  • Berkin, Carol. Permission to use video of her being interviewed. February 28 2011
We emailed her, asking for permission if we could use a a video of her being interviewed about the Constitutional Convention. She emailed us back saying we could. 
  • Miller, Marilyn. Words That Built a Nation: a Young Person's Collection of Historic American Documents. New York: Scholastic, 1999. Print.
From this book we used the transcript of the Preamble to be included into our website. We also used the original copy of the US Constitution and The Bill of Rights.
  • "Constitutional Topic: The Federalists and Anti-Federalists - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net." Index Page - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net. Web. 03 Mar. 2011. <http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_faf.html>.
This website helps describe the Philosophy, History, and Delegates that provided for the Federalist Philosophy of creating a strong and centralized National Government. I learned that one of the primary sources for these views came directly out of the Federalist Papers which were essays written by key Federalist that served as propaganda to persuade the American people that they needed to revise the Articles of Confederacy.
  • "Arguments of the Anti-Federalists." Pinzler.com. Web. 03 Mar. 2011. <http://www.pinzler.com/ushistory/argantfedsupp.html>.
This website provides summaries of some of the arguments used by the Anti-Federalist to support the inadequacy of the proposed Constitution. This website contains important details of the key components of the argument to include the BILL OF RIGHTS in the new Constitution in fear that the newly found government would easily trample the rights of individuals like the British Monarchy did during the colonial period.
  • Bragdon, Henry W., Samuel Proctor McCutchen, and Donald A. Ritchie. History of a Free Nation. New York: Glencoe/McGraw-Hill, 1998. Print.
This History text book told us the history that led to the Constitutional Convention of 1787.

  • "Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation." Web. 03 Mar. 2011. <http://www.radford.edu/~shepburn/weaknesses_of_the_articles.htm>.
This website told us the main weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
  • "Constitutional Topic: Slavery - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net." Index Page - The U.S. Constitution Online - USConstitution.net. Web. 03 Mar. 2011. <http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_slav.html>http://www.usconstitution.net/consttop_slav.html
Describes the issue of slavery as a failure of the Constitutional Convention.
  • "Ratification of the Constitution." TeachingAmericanHistory.org -- Free Seminars and Summer Institutes for Social Studies Teachers. Web. 03 Mar. 2011. <http://teachingamericanhistory.org/ratification/>.
This website told us how the ratification process  of the Constitution came about during the Constitutional Convention

  • "YouTube - Carol Berkin on the Constitutional Convention." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 04 Mar. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=ef280RNSUzo>.
Here is a video clip of Carol Berkin being interviewed about how the Constitutional Convention started.
  • "YouTube - Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists: A Compromise." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself.Web. 04 Mar. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=SsjfSoaW4tc>.
This a video clip of a documentary about the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists opposing views on the Constitution.
  • "YouTube - Bill of Rights Song (good Version)." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 04 Mar. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=KINGYf7pdJE>.
This is a video of a song called the Bill of Rights. In this song, it talks about what the Ten Amendments are.
  • "YouTube - James Horton on Slavery and the American Revolution." YouTube - Broadcast Yourself. Web. 04 Mar. 2011. <http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=GhwSACtj7Mg>.
This is a video of James Horton, a professor, who was being interviewed  to talk about the issue of slavery during the Constitutional Convention of 1787

  • "Amcerican Samoa Constitutional Convention." March 04.2011 www.americansamoa.gov/american-samoa-constitutional-convention  
This website is a local website of American Samoa. It gave us some information on how the Constitutional Convention of American Samoa had happened just recently. We also used photos from this page depicting the event that happened.

  • "The Constitutional Convention of 1787 in Philadelphia." UMKC School of Law. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/convention1787.html>.
This website gave us the history on the Constitutional Convention of 1787
  • Lloyd, Gordon. "Introduction to the Constitutional Convention & American Founding."TeachingAmericanHistory.org -- Free Seminars and Summer Institutes for Social Studies Teachers. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/intro.html>.
This website also gave us the History of the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
  • "Bill of Rights." National Archives and Records Administration. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://archives.gov/exhibits/charters/bill_of_rights.html>.This website talked about how the Bill of Rights came about.
 We also used the original Document of the Bill of Rights to be included in our website.
  • Longley, Robert. "The Great Compromise of 1787." U.S. Government Info - Resources. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://usgovinfo.about.com/od/uscongress/a/greatcomp.htm>.
This website talked about the Great Compromise also known as the Connecticut Compromise, also how the Bicameral Legislature was made.
  • R, Aarti. "Three-Fifths Compromise." Buzzle Web Portal: Intelligent Life on the Web. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://www.buzzle.com/articles/three-fifths-compromise.html>.
This website gave us a look at how the Constitutional Convention dealt with slavery, and how the 3/5th compromise was made.
  • "October 2008." History Makes Time Travel Possible. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://historychic-travelintime.blogspot.com/2008_10_01_archive.html>.
We used a picture from this website. It shows quarrel between the Federalists and the Anti-Federalists
  • "Painting by Howard Chandler Christy 1937." Hardin County Schools. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://www.hardin.k12.ky.us/jhhs/jhhslmc/constitutionalconvention.htm>.
We used a photo from this website. Its a photo showing the delegates singing the Constitution
  • "George Washington Is Elected President of and Presides Over the Federal Convention of 1787 (now Referred to as the Constitutional Convention) « President George Washington."President George Washington. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://presidentgeorgewashington.wordpress.com/2010/03/05/george-washington-is-elected-president-of-the-federal-convention-of-1787-now-referred-to-as-the-constitutional-convention/>.
We used this picture from this website. Its a picture of George Washington Elected as President of and Presides over the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
  • "Alexander Hamilton - Alexander Hamilton Photo (119861) - Fanpop." Fanpop - Fan Clubs for Everything. What Are You a Fan Of? Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://www.fanpop.com/spots/alexander-hamilton/images/119861/title/alexander-hamilton-photo>.
We used a portrait of Alexander Hamilton from this website.
  • "Thomas Sully. Authentication, Certificates of Authenticity and Expert Appraisals." Art Experts, Inc.: Authentication, Certificates of Authenticity and Expert Appraisals. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://www.artexpertswebsite.com/pages/artists/sully.php>.
We used a portrait of Patrick Henry from this website.
  • "1st Amendment, Government, Politics » Thomas Jefferson: The Consummate American." 1st Amendment, Government, Politics. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://www.glenninstitute.org/thomas-jefferson.html>.
We used a portrait of Thomas Jefferson from this website.
  • "George Washington." Speculative Bubble. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://www.speculativebubble.com/politics/george-washington.php>.
We used a portrait of George Washington from this website.
  • "James Madison." Speculative Bubble. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://www.speculativebubble.com/politics/james-madison.php>.
We used a portrait of James Madison from this website.
  • "John Adams." Stupid Senators — ….Since 1788…. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://stupidsenators.com/tag/john-adams/>.
We used a portrait of John Adams from this website.
  • Ask Mr. Milo - The Web’s Premier Source for Guidance on Both Personal and Business Matters. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://askmrmilo.com/>.
We used a portrait of Thomas Paine from this website.
  • "George Mason." ISI's American Studies Center. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://faculty.isi.org/catalog/resource/view/id/583>.
We used a portrait of George Mason from this website.
  • "Congress Clipart." Educational Technology Clearinghouse. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://etc.usf.edu/clipart/21900/21927/congress_21927.htm>.
We used this clip-art showing the Congress from this website.
  • "Slavery in New Hampshire." History of American Women Blog. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://www.womenhistoryblog.com/2007/12/slavery-in-new-hampshire.html>.
 We used a picture showing the "slaves having a prayer meeting" from this website.
  • "Congress Stock Photos and Images. 2422 Congress Pictures and Royalty Free Photography Available to Search from over 100 Stock Photo Brands." Stock Photography - Search 8.4 Million Stock Photos, Stock Footage Video Clips, Royalty Free Images, and Illustrations. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://www.fotosearch.com/photos-images/congress.html>.
  • We used a photo from this website showing The "Congress meeting"
  • Singh, Riteshni. "Congressman Assures US Support - Fiji Times Online." The Fiji Times Online. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://www.fijitimes.com/story.aspx?id=122840>.
We used a photo of Eni Faleomavaega from this website.
  • "2011 ICS ITINERARY." HOME. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://2011summit.org/aboutus.aspx>.
We used a photo of Daniel Inouye from this website
  • "The Bill of Rights | US Constitution." Home, Constitution, Constitutional Amendments, Constitutional Rights. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://www.morningconstitution.net/bill-of-rights.html>.
We used a Picture of the Bill of Rights from this website, showing the ten amendments.
  • "Communism: Censorship and Freedom of Speech." WWW-CS-FACULTY & STAFF Home Page (12-Apr-1995). Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://www-cs-faculty.stanford.edu/~eroberts/cs201/projects/communism-computing-china/censorship.html>.
We used this photo to represent the amendment found in the Bill of Rights. Freedom of Speech.
  • "Buckles." Home | NightRider Jewelry. Web. 01 Mar. 2011. <http://www.nightriderjewelry.com/buckles>.
We used a picture from this website showing a picture of a gun and a wording that says "Bear Arms" To show the freedom to bear arms.
  • "Religion: Text, Images, Music, Video | Glogster." Mburge21's Profile | Glogster. Web. 02 Mar. 2011. <http://mburge21.glogster.com/religion/>.
We used a picture from this website to show an example of the Freedom of Religion. Its a Picture of praying hands.
  • "Slaves." Web. 02 Mar. 2011. <http://plaza.ufl.edu/dlamen/emeslaves/slaves.html>.
We used this article from this website to represent a symbol of slavery.
  • "Scottish Sugar Slaves In Barbados vs. African Slave Trade: Do Mr. & Mrs. Bourne Want To Forget or Remember? | Barbados Free Press." Barbados Free Press | Barbados News, Opinions & Information. Web. 02 Mar. 2011. <http://barbadosfreepress.wordpress.com/2009/07/08/scottish-sugar-slaves-in-barbados-vs-african-slave-trade-do-mr-mrs-bourne-want-to-forget-or-remember/>.
We used a clip from this website showing how George Washington was a slaveholder.
  • Flickr, On. "Yahoo! Image Detail for - Http://www.nps.gov/liho/historyculture/images/slavery.jpg."Yahoo! Image Search. Web. 02 Mar. 2011. <http://images.search.yahoo.com/images/view?back=http://images.search.yahoo.com/search/images?p=slavery&ei=utf-8&y=Search&w=295&h=340&imgurl=www.nps.gov/liho/historyculture/images/slavery.jpg&rurl=http://www.nps.gov/liho/historyculture/slavery.htm&size=41KB&name=... Historic Sit...&p=slavery&oid=2ec12481c4aa22103b28bb64e2dfd15e&fr2=&no=12&tt=290000&sigr=11imo89vn&sigi=11iia9426&sigb=128kv3h8a&.crumb=b6h02.mNMN6>.
We used a photo of an African American Slave from this website to show the result of slavery