Historical Research Library

The Looking Glass for 1787, Amos Doolittle, 1787, Library of Congress.

Antifederalist No. 9, 1787

A critique of the proposed Constitution, expressing concerns over centralized power and the potential threat of an elite ruling class

Key Document

The Federalist: A Collection of Essays, Written in Favour of the New Constitution, 1788 (The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History)

Federalist No. 10, 1787

One of 85 essays advocating the ratification of the Constitution, addressing the dangers of factionalism and promoting the strengths of a large republic

Key Document

Washington at the Constitutional Convention of 1787, by Junius Brutus Stearns, 1856 (Virginia Museum of Fine Arts. Creative Commons CC-BY-NC.)

Constitutional Convention, 1787

Delegates meet in Philadelphia to address weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, resulting in a new form of government

Event

Federalist No. 84, 1788

One of 85 essays advocating the ratification of the Constitution, focusing on Antifederalist concerns about the need for a Bill of Rights

Key Document

William Faden, The United States of North America, with the British & Spanish territories according to the treaty of 1784. Library of Congress

Antifederalist No. 84, 1788

An expression of Antifederalists desire for a Bill of Rights in the US Constitution

Key Document

US Constitution, printed by Dunlap & Claypoole, September 17, 1787 (The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History)

United States Constitution, 1788

A unique framework for a new government based on the idea of the consent of the governed

Key Document

Detail from A New Map of North America, 1780. (The Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History)

Antifederalist No. 46, 1788

An expression of Antifederalists’ concerns over federal power and the potential for tyranny in the proposed US Constitution

Key Document

One of 85 essays advocating the ratification of the Constitution, providing insight into the different branches of government, particularly the importance of checks and balances and the separation of powers

Key Document