Of Federalists and Anti-Federalists

I never realized how fascinating the whole Federalist/ Anti-Federalist debate was until I read Gordon Wood's "The Radicalism of the American Revolution." I can't recommend this book enough.

Apparently, the Anti-Federalists were not just beany states-righters from the South, but also included a lot of the emerging non-gentry middle class.

The problem for the Anti-Federalists is largely that they didn't have a really good writer. (This is also a problem for the Book of Mormon, but I digress). So, in the high school history way that these things are taught, Madison always wins. It also probably doesn't help their cause that they are "Anti" something and that the States Rights movement can be traced back to them.

Of course the Bill of Rights is theirs too, so we're at least a little indebted....