The Anti-Federalist Papers were written by a variety of prominent political figures and intellectuals who opposed the ratification of the United States Constitution. Some of the most notable Anti-Federalists included George Mason, Robert Yates, Brutus (a pseudonym used by Robert Yates and John Lansing), Melancton Smith, and Mercy Otis Warren. These individuals feared that the proposed Constitution gave too much power to the federal government and undermined the rights of individual states and their citizens. The Anti-Federalist Papers were a series of essays and articles published in newspapers and pamphlets throughout the United States, primarily between 1787 and 1788, as part of the public debate leading up to the ratification of the Constitution. Despite their efforts, the Federalist Papers, written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay, were more influential in shaping public opinion, and the Constitution was ultimately ratified by the necessary number of states.