Agrippa Timeline of the Ratification of the Constitution by Gordon Lloyd

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Ratification of the Constitution

Agrippa Timeline of the Ratification of the Constitution by Gordon Lloyd

1787

November 1787

Nov 23, 1787: Agrippa I (Massachusetts)

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Nov 27, 1787: Agrippa II (Massachusetts)

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Nov 30, 1787: Agrippa III (Massachusetts)

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December 1787

Dec 3, 1787: Agrippa IV (Massachusetts)

The Antifederalist Agrippa reminds his readers “it is the opinion of the ablest writers on the subject, that no extensive empire can be governed upon republican principles, and that such a government will degenerate to a despotism unless it be made up of a confederacy of smaller states, each having the full powers of internal regulation. This is precisely the principle which has hitherto preserved our freedom.” Moreover, “the idea of an uncompounded republic, on an average, one thousand miles in length, and eight hundred in breadth, and containing six million white inhabitants all reduced to the same standard of morals or habits, and of laws, is in itself an absurdity and contrary to the whole experience of mankind.” But that is the idea behind the proposed plan.

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Dec 11, 1787: Agrippa V (Massachusetts)

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Dec 14, 1787: Agrippa VI (Massachusetts)

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Dec 18, 1787: Agrippa VII (Massachusetts)

The Massachusetts Antifederalist Agrippa says, “it is in vain to tell us that we ought to overlook local interests. It is only by protecting local concerns, that the interest of the whole is preserved.” And these local interests ought to be represented in the general government. But they are not adequately represented under the proposed Constitution. “The perfection of government depends on the equality of its operation, as far as human affairs will admit, upon all parts of the empire, and upon all citizens�the government ought to have the same authority in one place as another.” But the Constitution does not meet this test. “I have now gone through two parts of my argument, and have proved the efficiency of the state governments for internal regulation, and the disadvantages of the new system, at lest some of the principal.”

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Dec 25, 1787: Agrippa VIII (Massachusetts)

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Dec 28, 1787: Agrippa IX (Massachusetts)

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1788

January 1788

Jan 1, 1788: Agrippa X (Massachusetts)

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Jan 8, 1788: Agrippa XI (Massachusetts)

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Jan 11, 1788: Agrippa XII (Massachusetts)

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Jan 14, 1788: Agrippa XIII (Massachusetts)

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Jan 25, 1788: Agrippa XIV (Massachusetts)

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Jan 29, 1788: Agrippa XV (Massachusetts)

Massachusetts Antifederalist Agrippa, with James Wilson’s October speech in mind, suggests ” the friends of the new plan appear to have nothing more in view than to establish it by a popular current, without any regard to the truth of its principles. Propositions, novel, erroneous and dangerous, are boldly advanced to support a system, which does not appear to be founded in, but in every instance to contradict, the experience of mankind.”

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February 1788

Feb 5, 1788: Agrippa XVI (Massachusetts)

Massachusetts Antifederalist Agrippa continues to address the delegates in attendance at “the Massachusetts Convention” Here he proposes that the delegates adopt fourteen amendments to the proposed Constitution. “If the new constitution means no more than the friends of it acknowledge, they certainly can have no objection to affixing a declaration in favor of the rights of states and of citizens, especially as a majority of the states have not yet voted upon it.”

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