Power Politics

This passage explores how Federalists and Anti-Federalists debated the power of the national government. Federalists wanted a strong central government, while Anti-Federalists wanted more power for the states. To compromise, the Bill of Rights was added to protect state and individual freedoms. The debate over states’ rights continued into later events like the Civil War and Civil Rights Movement. These arguments still shape modern debates about the role of government.

Passages like this teach students to connect historical debates to later events, strengthening comprehension and sequencing skills. Vocabulary such as “secede,” “movement,” and “rights” builds academic word knowledge. Students learn to compare historical causes with modern effects, boosting critical thinking. Reading these texts also exposes them to complex sentence structures that improve grammar. Overall, these passages strengthen both historical understanding and language skills.