George Mason and Mercy Otis Warren: Perspectives on the Constitution

Two American patriots that heavily influenced the Revolutionary era were George Mason and Mercy Otis Warren.  While committed to the principles of liberty and independence, they were vocal opponents of the Constitution, the government’s first written charter.  George Mason and Mercy Otis Warren both feared that the Constitution gave too much power to the new national government and that it would threaten individual liberties if a bill of rights were not added.  

As a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, George Mason refused to sign the Constitution due to these reasons and advocated against its ratification in his home state of Virginia.  Mercy Otis Warren, a political activist and historian, brought a female perspective and wrote several documents outlining her concerns over the Constitution.  As Anti-Federalists, both George Mason and Mercy Otis Warren strongly objected to the Constitution’s emphasis on a strong national government, preferring a weaker central government due to fears of the government being too powerful like the British empire.  They also believed that the Constitution would not adequately preserve and protect the rights of individuals and the states.  

Though their arguments were not initially integrated into the Constitution, their concerns over the protection of individual liberties were eventually addressed years later with the implementation of the Bill of Rights.  This site will compare their specific positions on the Constitution, outlining the challenges and risks they felt were harmful to the new country and American people.