During the turbulent years of the American Revolution, colonial citizens were beginning to unite under an unprecedented ideology of self governance and equality.  This new ideology stimulated the minds of thousands of people in the New World of what a government in a free society would look like.  The collaboration of these new ideas began to cause turmoil among the public after the war.  The United States had just accomplished one of the greatest feats in the history of the world.  It had just successfully separated from a world power government of tyrannical reign and established it's own nation under the beliefs of equality and a government of the people.  The memories of despotism were fresh on the minds of many Americans during the early years of the nation and they began to voice their concerns of a strong federal government that could encroach on their unalienable rights just as the British Government had.  This sparked a vibrant debate between those who wanted a strong and centralized federal government and those who were skeptical of an all too powerful federal government.

This source offers an in depth analysis of the Constitutional Convention debates and provides a description of some of the views and motives of the Anti-Federalists.  The Anti-Federalists were not against centralized government (as often perceived) as much as they were against a broad definition of power given to the government, particularly the "proper and necessary" clause referring to the enumerated powers as well as the rhetoric referring to the general welfare of the nation.  Many of the encroachments upon their cherished "inalienable" rights by the British were fresh on their minds and they wanted articulate and concrete limitations on the federal government to prevent those from ever happening again.  This source points out that Anti-Federalists championed ideas of individual responsibililty and personal freedom.  They had a healthy skepticism of government and believed that citizens themselves were much more effective at dealing with societies problems than the government.  However, the author points out that these Americans were not anti-government.  Rather these people were American patriots who didn't want government to once again encroach upon their lives.

This source also provides many firsthand accounts of the debates during the Constitutional Convention.  These accounts offer valuable insight into the motives and arguments of the framers of the Constitution.  Sometimes these debates escalated outside of the particulars of what should be included in the Constitution.  One of these debates digs into the issue of federalism and the proper powers given to the states and those given to the federal government.

From:
Ketcham, Ralph, and United States. Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates. New York, NY:  Signet, 1987.

The Federalist Papers were a collection of eighty-five essays advocating the ratification of the then newly proposed Constitution.  These papers were the bedrock of the arguments for the Federalists and were heavily scrutinized by those of all ideologies because of their support of an unprecedented style of government.  Among the two that deal with the issue of Federalism head on and the role of the federal government are Federalist Papers Ten and Thirty-Nine. 

"The Federalist No. 39" was written by Madison (although published under the name of Publius as was all the essays) and discussed the federal government as a whole.  Madison argues that the power of the federal government is derived from the people, as well as the states but to a lesser extent.  He also points out that the United States would be neither what he termed a "Federal Government" or a "National Government" stating that they were not mutually exclusive, but rather had characteristics of both. 

"The Federalist No. 10" suggests that under the new government, the government would be safeguarded from factions and the passions of the different ideologies; therefore the wishes of the people as a whole would be addressed, including minorities.  These, as well as many of the essays open up the argument from the Anti-Federalists of their concern of a national government given too much authority.

From:
Hairfield, Roy. The Federalist Papers. Garden City, NY: Anchor Books, 1961.

This book offers a look into the rhetoric and arguments used by the staunch Federalist Fisher Ames.  Ames wrote many articles in support of a new federal system before, during, and after the ratification and consideration of the Constitution.  One of these such articles, Camillus No. 1, was written in response to Shay's Rebellion.  This article is important in several respects.  First, the title is referring to the days of the Roman Empire.  Many Federalists thought of themselves as forward thinking and were trying to build a progressive society which had new and innovative ideas that could better deal with societies problems.  Second, Shay used the Rebellion to the advantage of the Federalists and argued that it was a prime example of the need for a strong federal government to protect people from "dangers to which our liberty would be exposed."  Ames believed that the passions of the public were high and unsteady and leaders of various ideological groups could gain support using the revolutionary rhetoric and eventually create tyranny or commit violence, as in the case of Daniel Shay.

From:
Ames, Fisher. Works of Fisher Ames. Boston: T.B. Wait & Company, 1809.

In Washington's farewell address he warned against the formation of factions within the political sphere.  However, the debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists paved the way for these factions in America and set forth the basis for the party system this nation that exists today.  It is important though to look at these factions with an open mind.  Factions perhaps signified a triumph of American democracy as they represent different ideas and perspectives being brought forth in determining policy for the nation as a whole.  However one looks at it, the formation of these factions represented one of the first, if not the first, times in the history of the world in which a government was set up that provided a government for the people and by the people and allowed a free thinking society to flourish and become the ever flourishing nation that is the United States of America.