One reason why the antifederalist wanted a Bill of Rights is because it would be able to limit the power of the government. They believed if they gave too much power to the federal government, then it would turn into a monarchy, which was what they had originally broken away from. For example, amendment …show more content…
Similar to what was said before, a strong central government in Europe had led to their being a king that ruled them all, which accordingly is the opposite of what the Americans now want. To illustrate, amendment 10 declares, “The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people.” This quote from the Bill of Rights describes how any powers not given to the federal government are given to the state government. Consequently, this is giving more power to the states, which is what the antifederalist desire, and takes away power from the central government, which reveals their fear of a strong central government. Moreover, amendment 2 proclaims, “A well regulated Militia, being necessary to the security of a free State, the right of the people to keep and bear Arms, shall not be infringed.” This section of the Bill of Rights exhibits how the colonist were so afraid of the British, who indeed were a strong central government, that they were allowed weapons to keep themselves from …show more content…
When under the rule of the king, the colonists were not secured with basic rights. However, under the new government being created, they wanted it to be confirmed that the basic rights would be protected. To demonstrate, amendment 3 announced, “No Soldier shall, in time of peace be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner…”. This component explains how soldiers used to be able to live in other citizen’s houses, despite any objections from the citizen. Furthermore, this protects people’s privacy against troops, which is something not provided to them while in Britain. Likewise, amendment 9 states, “The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not to be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.” This portion of the Bill of Rights shows even if certain rights are not listed on the constitution, they are still authorized for all