who were the anti-federalists?

The Anti-Federalists were a loose political coalition in early U.S. history who opposed the creation of a stronger national government as proposed by the U.S. Constitution of 1787. They feared that a strong centralized government would threaten the sovereignty of the states, individual liberties, and lead to upper-class dominance or even a monarchy. Key figures included Patrick Henry of Virginia and Samuel Adams of Massachusetts. The Anti-Federalists were instrumental in pushing for the addition of the Bill of Rights to the Constitution as protections for individual freedoms. Their opposition eventually contributed to the formation of the Jeffersonian Republican Party, which stood for strict interpretation of the Constitution and stronger state governments. They were particularly strong in states like Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia, and in some cases delayed ratification of the Constitution until a Bill of Rights was promised.