Simone Lawson
The United States Constitution, which was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, was the first written constitution for any nation in the world. The delegates, including George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, were tasked with revising the existing government under the Articles of Confederation, which had no enforcement powers and couldn't regulate commerce or print money. The result of the convention was a completely new form of government, with a powerful central government and a series of checks and balances dividing federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. The US Constitution has influenced the constitutions of other nations and is considered one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | May to September 1787 |
| Location | Philadelphia |
| Delegates | 55 |
| Signatories | 39 |
| Purpose | To revise the Articles of Confederation |
| Result | A new form of government |
| Powers | More specific powers, including foreign relations |
| Amendments | Appended to the document |
| Ratification | By 9 of the 13 states |
| Enactment | 1789 |
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What You'll Learn
The Articles of Confederation
The Dickinson Draft of the Articles of Confederation named the confederation "the United States of America." The Second Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation on November 15, 1777, after considerable debate and revision. The document consists of six sheets of parchment stitched together, with the last sheet bearing the signatures of delegates from all 13 states. This "first constitution of the United States" established a "league of friendship" for the 13 sovereign and independent states. Each state retained "every Power... which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States." The Articles of Confederation also outlined a Congress with representation not based on population—each state would have one vote in Congress. Ratification by all 13 states was necessary to set the Confederation into motion.
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The Revolutionary War
In the fall of 1786, a group of "nationalist" politicians met in Annapolis and proposed that the Continental Congress call a "general convention" in Philadelphia to address the issues facing the young nation. Congress reluctantly agreed, and the Constitutional Convention was convened in Philadelphia between May and September of 1787. The convention was tasked with revising the Articles of Confederation, which was the nation's first constitution but had been found to have several shortcomings, including a lack of enforcement powers and the inability to regulate commerce or print money.
The 55 delegates to the convention, including notable figures such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, worked to create a new form of government. They crafted a constitution that established a federal government with more specific powers, including the power to conduct foreign relations. The delegates also created a model of government that relied on a series of checks and balances by dividing federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.
The final draft of the Constitution, consisting of seven articles, a preamble and a closing endorsement, was presented to the convention on September 12, 1787. On September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the Constitution, with one additional signature by George Reed on behalf of the absent John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total to 39 signatures. The Constitution was then submitted to the Congress of the Confederation and forwarded to the thirteen states for ratification. It came into effect in 1789 and has served as the basis of the United States Government ever since.
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A weak central government
The United States Constitution came into existence due to the efforts of 38 delegates (39 signatures, with George Reed signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware) who aimed to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation. America's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, or print money. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart.
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention, including James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, created a model of government that relied on a series of checks and balances by dividing federal authority among the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. They crafted a powerful central government, wary of centralized power and loyal to their states. The delegates, representing diverse interests and views, worked towards compromises to establish a strong legislature divided into a House of Representatives and the Senate.
The Articles of Confederation, which the delegates intended to revise, were rejected, and a completely new form of government was introduced. The delegates, tasked with revising the existing government, created a federal government with more specific powers, including conducting relations with foreign governments. An executive branch was established to handle routine paperwork and manage foreign affairs, while important powers such as treaty ratification remained with the legislative branch.
The Constitutional Convention, held in Philadelphia from May to September 1787, produced the world's first written constitution. The final draft, presented on September 12, 1787, contained seven articles, a preamble and a closing endorsement. The delegates, despite their differences, worked together to reach agreements and create a lasting document that has served as the basis of the United States Government.
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Checks and balances
The US Constitution, which came into effect in 1789, is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution. The Articles of Confederation gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, or print money. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart.
Fearing that their young country was on the brink of collapse, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington helped convince Congress to organize a Grand Convention of state delegates to work on revising the Articles of Confederation. The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787.
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention created a model of government that relied on a series of checks and balances by dividing federal authority between the Legislative, the Judicial, and the Executive branches of government. The framers of the Constitution had originally imagined a weak presidency and a strong legislature divided into a House of Representatives and the Senate. Under the Articles of Confederation, considerable minor paperwork had bogged down important business enough that legislators decided to establish an executive branch to deal with routine paperwork.
The US Constitution that emerged from the convention established a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments. Under the reformed federal system, many of the responsibilities for foreign affairs fell under the authority of an executive branch, although important powers, such as treaty ratification, remained the responsibility of the legislative branch.
The delegates were hardly of one mind about many of the specifics of the Constitution they had created. They disagreed vehemently on important issues, but the rule of secrecy allowed them the freedom to change their minds and return the following morning or week to find ways to reach an agreement.
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The Philadelphia Convention
The convention was initially intended to revise the Articles of Confederation and devise the first system of federal government under it. However, leading proponents of the convention, including James Madison of Virginia and Alexander Hamilton of New York, sought to create a new frame of government rather than revise the existing one. They elected George Washington of Virginia, a proponent of a stronger national government, to serve as president of the convention.
The delegates to the convention created a model of government that relied on a series of checks and balances by dividing federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. They established a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments, with many responsibilities falling under the authority of an executive branch. The convention debated and ratified the United States Constitution, making it one of the most significant events in American history.
The convention was not referred to as a constitutional convention at the time. Most delegates did not arrive intending to draft a new constitution, and many assumed that the convention's purpose was to discuss improvements to the Articles of Confederation. Once the convention began, however, most delegates came to agree that the goal would be a new system of government. Several broad outlines were proposed and debated, notably Madison's Virginia Plan and William Paterson's New Jersey Plan. The Virginia Plan was selected as the basis for the new government, and the delegates quickly reached a consensus on a general blueprint of a federal government with three branches.
On August 6, 1787, the convention accepted the first draft of the Constitution, and on September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed it, creating a powerful central government. The Constitution came into effect in 1789 and has served as the basis of the United States Government ever since.
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Frequently asked questions
The Constitutional Convention was convened to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution. The delegates aimed to revise the Articles of Confederation, but ultimately created a new form of government with a federal government and more specific powers.
There were 55 delegates at the Constitutional Convention, including George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, and John Dickinson.
The delegates addressed issues such as the weak central government, state disputes over territory, war debts, taxation, and trade. They also established a model of government with a series of checks and balances, dividing federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.
The outcome of the Constitutional Convention was the creation of the United States Constitution, which was signed by 38 delegates on September 17, 1787. The Constitution was then submitted to the Congress of the Confederation and forwarded to the thirteen states for ratification. It came into effect in 1789, superseding the Articles of Confederation.
