Each state's ratifying convention had its own dynamic; however, the Massachusetts convention represents one of the most significant and contentious. Its large size and economic strength ensured that Massachusetts was a vital state for America's survival under the Constitution. Additionally, the strategy adopted by the Massachusetts convention provided a blueprint for all subsequent ratifying conventions to incorporate the concerns of the AntiFederalists without rejecting the Constitution.

At the start of the Massachusetts convention, it seemed the Anti-Federalists would comfortably prevail. Governor John Hancock was the presiding officer of the convention, and he strongly opposed the Constitution. Furthermore, it was estimated that Anti-Federalists outnumbered Federalists by a margin of at least three to one. Since the early seventeenth century Massachusetts, as both a colony and a state, widely relied on town hall meetings, where citizens would directly vote on community...