The Federalists argued that a strong national government was necessary for the future prosperity of the United States. They believed that the checks and balances in the Constitution would keep the government from abusing its power. Moreover, the large size of the republic would prevent a "tyranny of the majority."

The Federalists were led by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay. They wrote a series of 85 essays defending the Constitution known as the Federalist Papers , which are still considered the finest commentary ever on the U.S. Constitution.

The Anti-Federalists argued that the Constitution gave too much power to the federal government. They preferred that power remain mostly with the states. Most importantly, they strongly objected to the lack of a Bill of Rights in the original document.

The Anti-Federalists were led by Patrick Henry and George Mason, who both delivered extremely eloquent speeches against the Constitution when Virginia was voting to ratify. Other Anti-Federalists like New York Governor George Clinton wrote essays similar to the Federalist essays.