Founding Fathers' Mission: Framing The Us Constitution

The Constitutional Congress, also known as the Constitutional Convention, was a convention held in Philadelphia in 1787. The purpose of the convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. The Articles of Confederation had established a unicameral legislature where each state had one vote, but it had limited powers and could not regulate commerce or enforce laws. The convention aimed to address these issues and create a stronger central government by dividing federal authority between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The convention also debated issues such as congressional representation, slavery, and the balance of power between the federal government and the states.

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To revise the Articles of Confederation

The Constitutional Congress was convened with the purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. The Articles of Confederation had established a unicameral legislature where each state was entitled to one vote. However, the Confederation Congress lacked enforcement powers, could not regulate commerce or print money, and was unable to effectively manage foreign policy.

The Articles of Confederation had been adopted by the Second Continental Congress in 1777 and ratified by all states in 1781. However, just a few years after the Revolutionary War, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington feared that the young nation was on the brink of collapse due to disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade. The Articles only allowed amendments with unanimous state approval, giving each state effective veto power over any proposed changes.

In 1784, Congress proposed an amendment to gain powers over foreign trade, but it failed to receive unanimous state approval. The Confederation Congress also lacked the authority to regulate trade with Britain, which was flooding U.S. markets with goods to the detriment of American importers and manufacturers. The federal government faced challenges in enforcing the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which ended the American War of Independence, as many states blocked its enforcement due to unpopular provisions. This led to British refusal to vacate military forts in U.S. territory.

The Constitutional Congress aimed to revise the Articles of Confederation to address these issues and create a stronger central government. The delegates to the Constitutional Convention, which included representatives from all states except Rhode Island, created a model of government that divided federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. They established the House of Representatives, apportioned by population, and the Senate, which represented the states equally. The delegates also agreed to a "Three-Fifths Compromise," where enslaved Africans were counted as three-fifths of a person for congressional representation, increasing the number of congressional seats in several Southern states.

To discuss the structure of Congress

The Constitutional Congress was assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. The Articles of Confederation had established a unicameral legislature, the Congress of the Confederation, whose members were chosen by their state legislatures, with each state having one vote.

One of the key issues discussed at the Constitutional Congress was the structure of Congress and how its members would be selected. There was a fierce debate over congressional representation, with large states favouring representation by population, and small states arguing for equal representation by state. The "Great Compromise" was reached, which established the House of Representatives, apportioned by population, and the Senate, which represented the states equally.

The delegates also discussed the division of the legislature into an upper and lower house, which had wide support. The question of slavery was central to the debates over representation and commerce. The "Three-Fifths Compromise" counted enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of congressional representation, increasing the number of congressional seats in several states, particularly in the South.

The Constitutional Congress also addressed the powers of the federal government versus the states. While many delegates believed the federal government should be able to overrule state laws, others feared a strong central government, having just fought a war against tyranny. A compromise was reached by allotting specific responsibilities to the federal government while delegating all other functions to the states.

To address slavery and representation

The Constitutional Congress was assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. The Articles of Confederation had given the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, and couldn't print money.

One of the most contentious issues that the Constitutional Congress had to address was slavery and its role in representation in Congress. Of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Congress, about 25 owned slaves. Many of the framers had moral qualms about slavery, but they also recognised that it would be a highly divisive issue that could threaten the unity and goals of the convention.

The delegates eventually adopted the Three-Fifths Compromise, which counted three-fifths of a state's slave population for representation. This gave southern states with large slave populations an advantage in terms of representation and electoral votes. The Three-Fifths Compromise was based on an approximation of the wealth that an enslaved person contributed to a state's economy, rather than a belief that enslaved people were partially human. This compromise allowed the delegates to sidestep the issue of slavery, which some considered to be a moral abomination, and focus on creating a unified country.

The Three-Fifths Compromise had important implications for the future of slavery in the United States. By giving southern states with large slave populations more political power, it created the "Slave Power" in the legislature. This meant that bills favourable to the southern region, such as those supporting the slave trade, would be more likely to pass in Congress. The Compromise also prohibited Congress from outlawing the Atlantic slave trade for 20 years and included a fugitive slave clause that required the return of runaway slaves to their owners.

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To establish a strong central government

The Constitutional Congress was convened in Philadelphia in May 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. The Articles of Confederation had established a unicameral legislature where each state was entitled to one vote. However, the Confederation Congress lacked enforcement powers and could not regulate commerce or print money.

The Federalists believed that a strong central government was necessary to address the nation's challenges. They wanted the federal government to be able to overrule state laws. However, the Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution, arguing that it created a powerful central government that reminded them of the one they had overthrown, and that it lacked a bill of rights.

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention created a model of government that divided federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. They established the House of Representatives, which was apportioned by population, and the Senate, which represented the states equally. The Constitution also gave the President the authority to conduct foreign relations.

The Constitutional Congress also addressed issues such as the payment of debts from the Revolutionary War, slavery, and territorial disputes. The final Constitution was signed by 38 delegates on September 17, 1787, and ratified in 1789.

To resolve disputes over territory and taxation

The Constitutional Congress, also known as the Constitutional Convention, was convened in Philadelphia in May 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. The Articles of Confederation had established a unicameral legislature where each state had one vote and was guaranteed sovereignty and independence.

One of the key issues that the Constitutional Congress aimed to address was the disputes among the states over territory, taxation, war pensions, and trade. The Confederation Congress lacked the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce, which led to problems such as the imposition of import duties on goods by some states and the restriction of American ships' navigation by foreign governments. The states' disputes over these issues threatened to tear the young country apart, and the Constitutional Congress sought to resolve these differences and establish a stronger central government.

The Constitutional Congress also aimed to address the lack of enforcement powers of the Confederation Congress. Under the Articles of Confederation, the Congress could make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no power to enforce these rules or collect delinquent taxes. This often resulted in deadlocks and sectional tensions between the North and South. The delegates to the Constitutional Congress created a model of government that divided federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches, with the executive branch acquiring more power to address issues that had been a source of tension under the Articles of Confederation.

Another critical aspect of the Constitutional Congress's purpose was to address the representation in Congress. Large states favored representation based on population, while small states argued for equal representation by state. The delegates reached a compromise by establishing the House of Representatives, apportioned by population, and the Senate, where each state had equal representation. This "Great Compromise" aimed to balance the interests of both large and small states.

The Constitutional Congress also grappled with the issue of slavery, which was central to the debates over commerce and representation. The delegates agreed to the "Three-Fifths Compromise," which counted enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person for congressional representation. This compromise increased the number of congressional seats in several states, particularly in the South. The delegates also agreed to allow Congress to ban the slave trade after 20 years, and in 1808, the United States formally prohibited the international slave trade.

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