What reason did rhode island have had for fighting ratification?

* Fear of losing independence and sovereignty: Rhode Island was one of the smallest and most independent of the original 13 colonies, and it was concerned that ratifying the Constitution would mean giving up too much of its autonomy to the federal government.

* Concern over the slave trade: Rhode Island was one of the few Northern colonies that still actively participated in the Atlantic slave trade, and it was worried that the Constitution would eventually lead to the abolition of slavery, which would hurt its economy.

* Distrust of the larger states: Rhode Island was afraid that the larger states, such as Massachusetts and Virginia, would dominate the federal government and leave smaller states with little say in important decisions.

* Concerns about the powers of the federal government: Rhode Island was concerned that the federal government would have too much power and would be able to interfere with the internal affairs of the states.