What was a primary concern of the Anti-Federalists?

The primary concern of the Anti-Federalists was the fear of a strong central government. This group of early American political thinkers and activists believed that a powerful federal government would threaten individual liberties and the rights of the states. They were particularly wary of the potential for tyranny that could arise from a central authority that had too much control over the lives of citizens.

Anti-Federalists advocated for a system of governance that favored more decentralized power, where states maintained significant authority to govern themselves independently. They argued that the proposed Constitution lacked sufficient safeguards to protect the rights of individuals and state sovereignty. This led to demands for a Bill of Rights to be included in the Constitution, ensuring that specific liberties would be expressly protected from government encroachment.

In this context, other concerns such as taxation, foreign influence, or ineffective government were relevant but did not encapsulate the core fear that motivated the Anti-Federalist movement. Their primary focus was on preventing the concentration of power in a distant and potentially unaccountable federal government, which they believed could lead to the erosion of personal freedoms and state authority.