Elizabeth Raum - The Tenth Amendment: States Rights

Rhode Island refused to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention. Rhode Islands leaders feared they would lose power to the federal government.

Reasons for Missing Signatures

For a variety of reasons, several delegates did not sign the Constitution.

• Delegate Patrick Henry (Virginia) - Felt it took away states rights
• Delegate George Mason (Virginia) - Wanted a bill of rights
• Delegate Richard Henry Lee (Virginia) - Wanted a bill of rights
• Delegate Edmund Randolph (Virginia) - Not enough checks and balances among the three parts of the federal governmentthe president, Congress, and courts
• Delegate John Lansing (New York) - Opposed to strong federal government
• Delegate Robert Yates (New York) - Opposed to strong federal government
• Delegate Elbridge Gerry (Massachusetts) - Wanted a bill of rights
• Delegate Caleb Strong (Massachusetts) - Opposed to Electoral College, the group that elects the president and vice president after the general election
• Delegate Luther Martin (Maryland) - Felt it took away states rights
• Delegate John Mercer (Maryland) - Left in protest

Article I, section 8, of the Constitution listed the powers of Congress. The last item gave Congress the power to make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing Powers. It appeared to many state leaders that Congress could make whatever laws it wanted. State leaders feared that Congress might take away the rights of the people or the powers of the states.

Congress serves as the lawmaking body of the United States.

The right to protest peacefully is granted in the U.S. Bill of Rights.

Each of the original 13 colonies was unique. The English had settled some areas. The Dutch and Germans had settled in others. People in various colonies spoke different languages. They practiced various customs. Religious beliefs varied from place to place. People did not consider themselves Americans. Their loyalty was to their states, not to their country. They were Virginians or New Yorkers. They believed their state leaders would make decisions serving their needs. They feared that a federal government would not understand their differing needs.