The Constitution lays out the framework for the United States Government and was supported by the Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton. The Federalists wanted a strong centralized government that would not suffer from the same issues that the weaker government had under the Articles of Confederation.

The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, were wary of a strong centralized government. They felt that such a system could infringe upon the individual rights of citizens and the sovereignty of states. Some even saw centralized governments as just another form of despotism. Consequently, they opposed the Constitution as it was written at the Constitutional Convention.

In order to settle the debate, it was required that every state individually ratify the Constitution. Some states quickly ratified the document, but others were more hesitant or outright opposed to it. Opposition in Rhode Island was so fierce that a mob of 1,000 Anti-Federalists marched on Providence in protest. Massachusetts, New York, New Hampshire, and Virginia were also very uncertain as to whether or not to accept it. Major factions in these states were worried that the Constitution did not go far enough to protect an individual's rights.

The debate was eventually settled with the Massachusetts Compromise in February of 1788. As part of this compromise, Samuel Adams and John Hancock, two prominent Anti-Federalists, negotiated a deal that would lead to the adoption of the Bill of Rights. With the promise of these ten amendments to protect a citizen's rights, the remaining states eventually ratified the Constitution.