User:Gabbyhistory316/Anti-Federalism

Original Passage:
With the passage of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights, the Anti-Federalist movement was exhausted. Some activists joined the Anti-Administration Party that James Madison and Thomas Jefferson were forming about 1790–91 to oppose the policies of Treasury Secretary Alexander Hamilton; this group soon became the Democratic-Republican Party. When Jefferson took office as the third president in 1801, he replaced Federalist appointees with Democratic-Republicans and sought to focus on issues that allowed the states to make more of their own decisions in matters. He also repealed the whiskey excise and other federal taxes, shut down some federal offices and broadly sought to change the fiscal system that Hamilton had created.

Updated Passage:
The following update to the above passage provides a broader context to the lasting effects of the anti-federalist movement, as seen in modern-day politics:

While the foundation of Antifederalist argument was the desire for a Bill of Rights in the recently ratified Constitution, much of the Antifederalist beliefs remain to be seen in politics today. At the core of their debates, for example, antifederalists wanted a smaller central government and greater state rights. In modern politics, these ideals mirror much of the Republican party's core values. In contrast, Federalists wanted a stronger central government, generally aligning with modern-day Democrats. These connections are important, as America's historical politics influenced much of how the nation is shaped today.

References:
https://www.gilderlehrman.org/history-resources/teaching-resource/differences-between-federalists-and-antifederalists?gclid=CjwKCAjwiuuRBhBvEiwAFXKaNMmpl4zDwYEB62ggm8-rmH2C1Wn-KrFqnNfSDhn58Ba6QLyNoz78xxoCSLMQAvD_BwE