Federalists: Supporters of the proposed new Constitution who believed in a strong central government. They argued that it would provide stability and protect individual rights.
Anti-Federalists: Opponents of the proposed new Constitution who were concerned about giving too much power to a central government. They wanted to ensure that individual liberties were protected.
Ratification: The process by which an agreement or law is formally approved. In this context, it refers to the approval of the proposed new Constitution by each state's ratifying convention.