Which group primarily supported the Anti-Federalists?

The Anti-Federalists were primarily supported by farmers and rural people, who were concerned about the potential for a strong central government to undermine their rights and local autonomy. This group was particularly wary of how a powerful federal government might affect their livelihoods and interests, believing that it would favor urbanized and commercial interests over those of agrarian communities.

Farmers and rural citizens often felt underrepresented and feared that the policies enacted by a centralized government would be more beneficial to the elite and wealthy urban populations, such as merchants and bankers, rather than to their own needs. This perspective highlighted a broader tension during the founding of the United States, as the nation sought to balance the power between urban and rural interests, with the Anti-Federalists advocating for a more decentralized government structure to protect the rights and freedoms of individual states and their residents.