From 1787 to 1791 the development of the American Constitution was a battle between two opposing political philosophies. This led America's best political minds to gather in Philadelphia and other Northeastern cities to find common ground in a government structure. The Federalist Party, led by James Madison, favored the newly formed Constitution and its strong central government. The main purpose of the Constitution was to create a strong centralized government to solve the country's problems resulting from the weakness of the central government created by the Articles of Confederation. The Anti-Federalist Party, led by Patrick Henry, opposed the Constitution, favoring weaker central government in favor of stronger state legislatures. Ultimately, the Federalist Party and the Anti-Federalist Party would accept the Federalist Constitution, including the Anti-Federalist Bill of Rights. Say no to plagiarism. Get a tailor-made essay on "Why Violent Video Games Shouldn't Be Banned"? Get an original essay While the Federalists had developed a new political philosophy, they saw their most important role in defending the social gains, freedom, and independence that the Americans Revolution had created through the use of the Constitution. Federalists focused their arguments in favor of ratifying the Constitution on the inadequacies of the Articles of Confederation and the advantages of the national government as formed by the Constitution. The Federalists were well organized and, using their influence and power, often controlled elections to ratifying conventions. The Federalist Party was composed of wealthy, educated, and influential men united by the desire for a powerful, centralized government. These members were supporters of an orderly and efficient government that could protect their economic status. They were also more open to trade than the Anti-Federalists and argued that a strong central government would foster commercial growth in the new country. Furthermore, the Federalist vision of society was seen more as a compromise between many different and competing interests and groups, none of which was completely dominant compared to the Anti-Federalist vision of society composed primarily of farmers. Many Anti-Federalists believed in a type of government centered on the society of landowners participating in local politics. Anti-Federalists, meanwhile, found many problems with the Constitution, arguing that the document would give the country an entirely new and untested form of government. Therefore, they saw no point in replacing the existing form of government and believed that the federalists had overestimated the current problems within the country. The Anti-Federalists also argued that the framers of the Constitution had gathered as an elite group under a veil of secrecy and had violated the provisions of the Articles of Confederation in the midst of the Constitution being ratified. Although the Anti-Federalists were united in their opposition to the Constitution, they were divided over which form of government was the best alternative. Some believed that the Articles of Confederation could be changed, others wanted the Union to divide into several confederations, and others were ready to accept the Constitution if it were changed to better protect the rights of citizens and states. To further rebuke the Constitution's critics, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay published a series of eighty-five letters and essays defending the Constitution and its principles to persuade citizens to.