Ratifying the Constitution in North Carolina BY BENJAMIN SANDERFORD
The atmosphere was tense in the meeting room at Hillsborough on July 21, 1788, as William Bridgers, Joseph Boon, William Farmer, John Bryan and Everet Pearce took their seats. They had arrived from Johnston County to meet with delegates from all over North Carolina to discuss the proposed ratification of a new constitution for the United States signed in Philadelphia the year before. The supporters of ratification, the Federalists, led by James Iredell, Sr., William R. Davie and Richard Caswell,
among others, argued that the Articles of Confederation, the original body of national law, were too weak. They claimed that the U.S. Constitution was needed for effective government. The representatives from Johnston County listened skeptically. They were inclined to agree with Willie Jones, Samuel Spencer, Timothy Bloodworth and other Anti-Federalists who voiced concern that a stronger government would threaten individual liberty. Despite this fundamental disagreement, the delegates came as colleagues, not enemies. The only sparring was verbal, not physical, as the two sides competed
to make their cases most convincing. As the convention drew to a close, it was clear there was an impasse. Therefore, on Aug. 4 the delegates voted 184 to 83 to delay the final decision on ratification. They also sent to other states proposed constitutional amendments explicitly guaranteeing individual rights. In the meantime, North Carolina would be outside the United States. As such, the state government sent Hugh Williamson as ambassador. Given that the Federalist Williamson had participated in the 1787 Constitutional
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