Civics
3
In July 1788, opposing views at the New York Ratification Convention were brought into compromise when Dutchess County delegate Melancthon Smith helped bridge the positions of the Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton and John Jay, and the Anti-federalists, under Governor George Clinton. Proposed changes intended to safeguard personal liberty soon became amendments to the new Constitution of the United States, providing the foundation for the Bill of Rights. Smith's mediation ended the ratification struggle by confirming New York's commitment both to personal liberty and to a strong central government.
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Poughkeepsie, New York · United States
