Tom McKean is neither a federalist nor an anti-federalist. From his background information, he became a soldier in the Continental Army while still very young at the age of sixteen, thus missed his education, yet he was an apt pupil. He joined Continental Army by chance but without any specific intention of supporting any form of government, and that made him change his life later.
When he came out of the army, he continued with his education because a professor of English inspired him into believing that education is everything in life. He pursued the profession of journalism and traveled widely in every state, where he experienced more about the problems facing the American colonies. Although he noted the challenges that faced the American government as Spanish-Indian Conspiracy and Daniel Shays, he was just reporting for he never stated whether he supports them or not. He acknowledged that these revolutions would bring instability to any government, whether central or federal.