Why did Patrick Henry oppose the ratification of the United States Constitution?

Patrick Henry opposed the ratification of the U.S. Constitution primarily because he feared it did not adequately protect the rights of individual states or citizens. He was concerned that the proposed federal government would be too powerful and could potentially infringe upon the liberties gained during the American Revolution. Henry also harbored suspicions that the Northern states might compromise the crucial right of navigation on the Mississippi River. His opposition placed him as a leading figure among the Anti-Federalists, who advocated for stronger protections of individual and state rights.12