The Constitutional Congress: Shaping America's Future

The Constitutional Congress, also known as the Constitutional Convention, was a meeting of delegates from the Thirteen Colonies in 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The purpose of the convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was the United States' first constitution. The Articles of Confederation established a weak federal government that lacked the power to regulate commerce, levy taxes, or enforce laws. The Constitutional Congress debated and ultimately created a new constitution that established a stronger federal government with a separation of powers between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. The convention also addressed issues such as congressional representation, slavery, and interstate commerce.

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The Articles of Confederation

In 1784, Congress proposed an amendment to give it powers over foreign trade, but it failed to receive unanimous approval by the states. Many Americans, particularly those from the upper class, were concerned that the state constitutions were too democratic, leading to legislators being more concerned with maintaining popular approval than doing what was best for the nation. These issues, along with disputes between the states over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade, led to fears that the young country was on the brink of collapse. As a result, delegates from five states met at the Annapolis Convention in September 1786 and invited all states to a larger convention to be held in Philadelphia in 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation.

Congress's limited powers

The Constitutional Congress, also known as the Constitutional Convention, was assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787 to revise the existing form of government and frame a new Constitution. The delegates at the convention were concerned with the Articles of Confederation, which governed the United States at the time. The Articles of Confederation functioned more like a treaty between independent countries than a national constitution, guaranteeing state sovereignty and independence.

The Confederation Congress had limited powers under the Articles of Confederation. It could wage war and direct foreign affairs, but it lacked the power to levy taxes or tariffs. The Congress could only request money from the states and had no enforcement powers to compel delinquent states to pay. This lack of enforcement power extended to other areas as well, such as regulating commerce and printing money.

The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the country apart. The Confederation Congress also lacked the authority to regulate foreign and interstate commerce effectively. For example, Britain, France, and Spain imposed restrictions on American ships and products, but the U.S. was unable to coordinate retaliatory trade policies due to the lack of centralized authority.

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention aimed to address these issues by creating a model of government that divided federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches, establishing a system of checks and balances. They debated the idea of a bicameral Congress, with one house being more democratic and popular, and the other being smaller, more deliberative, and independent. This became the House of Representatives and the Senate, respectively.

The delegates also grappled with the question of congressional representation, with large states favoring representation by population and small states arguing for equal representation. They compromised by adopting the "Great Compromise" or the "Connecticut Compromise," establishing proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate.

A strong central government

The Constitutional Congress, also known as the Constitutional Convention, was assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787. The delegates, including James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, feared that their young country was on the brink of collapse.

The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states. However, it lacked enforcement powers, the ability to regulate commerce, and the power to print money. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the country apart.

One of the central issues at the Constitutional Convention was the debate over the power of the federal government versus the states. Many delegates believed that a strong central government was necessary to face the nation's challenges and that the federal government should be able to overrule state laws. They argued that the federal government needed compulsory taxation authority and the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce.

However, others feared that a strong federal government would oppress its citizens, reminding them of the British rule they had just overthrown. A compromise was reached, known as the "Great Compromise" or the "Connecticut Compromise," which established the House of Representatives, apportioned by population, and the Senate, which represented the states equally. This compromise allowed for both proportional representation and equal representation for the states in Congress.

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention 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, thus ensuring that no single branch held too much power.

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Congressional representation

The Constitutional Congress, also known as the Constitutional Convention, was assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787 to revise the existing form of government and create a new Constitution. One of the most contentious issues during the convention was congressional representation. Large states favoured representation by population, while small states argued for equal representation by state.

The delegates compromised by creating a bicameral legislature, with the House of Representatives apportioned by population and the Senate representing the states equally. This "Great Compromise" or "Connecticut Compromise" resolved one of the most controversial aspects of the drafting of the Constitution. Each state was to have one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate.

The issue of slavery was central to the debates over representation, as enslaved Africans were counted as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of congressional representation. This "Three-Fifths Compromise" greatly increased the number of congressional seats in several Southern states. The delegates also agreed that the federal government could ban the importation of enslaved people after 1808, which was one of the only clauses of the Constitution that could not be amended.

The characteristics of the Senate, including the basis of representation, the number of senators per state, qualifications, terms of service, and powers, were the subject of fierce debate and compromise. The delegates agreed that senators would vote as individuals, rather than having one vote per state as was previously practised in Congress under the Articles of Confederation. The term lengths for senators varied across states, with the majority setting one-year terms, while others had terms ranging from two to five years.

The Constitutional Congress aimed to address the challenges faced by the young nation, including disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade. The Congress created a model of government with a series of checks and balances, dividing federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. The executive branch was established to handle routine paperwork and matters of lesser consequence, while the Senate was expected to handle important issues such as the ratification of treaties.

Checks and balances

The Constitutional Congress, also known as the Constitutional Convention, was assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787 to revise the existing form of government and draft a new Constitution. The delegates 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 legislative branch, or Congress, was given the most power, which was viewed as the most representative of the people. The delegates debated the idea of a Congress made up of two houses, with one being the popular, democratic house, and the other being a smaller, more independent house. This became the Senate. The delegates compromised by allotting specific responsibilities to the federal government while delegating all other functions to the states.

The executive branch was also established to deal with routine paperwork and matters of lesser consequence. However, as the convention progressed, the executive branch acquired more power to address issues that had been a source of tension under the Articles of Confederation. As a result, the President gained the authority to conduct foreign relations.

The judicial branch was also established, with state courts and judges under the control of the legislative branch. The delegates agreed that the federal government should be able to overrule state laws, but they also wanted to prevent a strong federal government from oppressing its citizens. To achieve this balance, they gave Congress the explicit right to use force against non-compliant states and created a federal court system.

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