The Constitution's Framing: When Did It Begin?

The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. The process of framing the constitution began in February 1787, when a group of around 50 men, including James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, met to develop amendments to the Articles of Confederation. They soon realized that they were creating an entirely new document, and their work culminated in the signing of the Constitution on September 17, 1787. The Constitutional Convention, which assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787, played a crucial role in this process, as the delegates decided to redesign the government completely, addressing issues such as congressional representation and slavery. The Constitution has endured as one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions globally, reflecting the visionaries' intent to establish foundational principles to guide the nation into an uncertain future.

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The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787

The framing of the United States Constitution began with the assembling of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in May 1787. The convention was held to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation, which was 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 lacked enforcement powers, could not regulate commerce, and could not print money. This led to disputes among the states over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade, threatening to tear the young country apart.

James Madison of Virginia, Alexander Hamilton of New York, and other leading proponents of the Constitutional Convention sought to create a new frame of government rather than revise the existing one. Madison, who arrived in Philadelphia eleven days early, set the convention's agenda. Before the convention, he studied republics and confederacies throughout history and drafted a document titled "Vices of the Political System of the United States," which evaluated the American political system and offered solutions. Madison's blueprint for constitutional revision became the starting point for the convention's deliberations. He believed that the solution to America's problems lay in a strong central government with compulsory taxation authority and the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce.

The Constitutional Convention took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787, in the Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall. The delegates elected George Washington of Virginia, former commanding general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War, to serve as President of the convention. On May 30, Gouverneur Morris succinctly described the critical issue as the distinction between a federation and a national government. The former relied on the good faith of the parties, while the latter possessed "supreme power" and could exercise necessary authority. The delegates debated various proposals, including the Virginia Plan, which forced the debate into the Virginians' frame of reference.

By mid-June, the delegates had decided to completely redesign the government, and they compromised on congressional representation by agreeing to give each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate. They also agreed to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person, and they temporarily resolved the issue of slavery by agreeing that the slave trade could continue until 1808. 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 convention ultimately debated and ratified the Constitution of the United States, making it one of the most significant events in American history.

The convention superseded the Articles of Confederation

The United States Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. The Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and served as the United States' first constitution. It was in force from March 1, 1781, until 1789, when the present-day Constitution came into effect.

The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787 to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation. The convention was initially called to revise the Articles of Confederation, but by mid-June, the delegates had decided to completely redesign the government. The delegates, representing wildly different interests and views, crafted compromises to create a powerful central government. One of the fiercest arguments was over congressional representation—whether it should be based on population or divided equally among the states. They compromised by giving each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate.

The Articles of Confederation gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it lacked enforcement powers, could not regulate commerce, and could not print money. The central government faced challenges in conducting foreign policy and was unable to pass or enforce laws. The states retained considerable power, and disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the country apart.

The United States Constitution that emerged from the convention established a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments. The Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress (Article I); the executive, consisting of the president and subordinate officers (Article II); and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts (Article III). The Constitution also addressed federalism, describing the rights and responsibilities of state governments, the states in relation to the federal government, and the shared process of constitutional amendment.

The delegates aimed to revise the Articles of Confederation but decided to redesign the government

The framing of the Constitution of the United States of America started in May 1787. The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia with the aim of revising the Articles of Confederation, which was the nation's first constitution.

The Articles of Confederation had been adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, establishing a league of friendship for the 13 sovereign and independent states. However, just a few years after the Revolutionary War, prominent political thinkers like James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington feared that their young country was on the verge of collapse. The Articles gave the Confederation Congress the authority to make rules and request funds from the states, but it lacked enforcement powers, the ability to regulate commerce, and the ability to print money. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the country apart.

In September 1786, delegates from five states met at the Annapolis Convention to discuss the need to address interstate protectionist trade barriers. They voted to invite all states to a larger convention in Philadelphia the following year. The Confederation Congress endorsed this convention "for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation".

When the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia in May 1787, the delegates quickly realized that the defects in the government could not be remedied by simply altering the Articles. By mid-June, they had decided to completely redesign the government. There was much disagreement about what form it should take, with one of the fiercest arguments being over congressional representation. Should it be based on population or should each state have an equal number of representatives? They eventually compromised by giving each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate. They also had to grapple with the thorny issue of slavery, agreeing to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person and allowing the slave trade to continue until 1808.

On September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the new Constitution, with George Reed signing for the absent John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The delegates, wary of centralized power and loyal to their states, had created a powerful central government. They crafted compromises to represent the wildly different interests and views, and set the terms for ratifying the Constitution. Ratification by 9 of the 13 states enacted the new government, bypassing the state legislatures as they knew their members would be reluctant to give up power.

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The delegates debated the Virginia Plan, which forced the debate into their own terms

The framing of the US Constitution began in May 1787, when the Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia. The delegates to the convention had been tasked with revising the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. However, by mid-June, they had decided to completely redesign the government.

One of the most significant contributions to the debate over the new government's structure was the Virginia Plan, proposed by Virginia delegate Edmund Randolph and written primarily by fellow Virginian James Madison. The plan was introduced at the beginning of the convention, and it outlined a strong national government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislative branch would be divided into two bodies (the Senate and the House of Representatives) with proportional representation, meaning that each state's representation in Congress would be based on its population.

The Virginia Plan was a tactical coup for the Virginians, as it forced the debate into their own frame of reference and on their own terms. For 10 days, the members of the convention discussed the sweeping and, to many delegates, startling Virginia resolutions. The critical issue was the distinction between a federation and a national government. Gouverneur Morris, who favoured the latter, described it as a "supreme power" capable of exercising necessary authority, rather than a fragmented and ineffective shadow government. This nationalist position revolted many delegates who were wary of centralised power and loyal to their states.

The Virginia Plan was not without its critics, particularly among delegates from less populous states. An alternative proposal, known as the New Jersey Plan, was introduced by William Paterson on June 15. The most significant difference between the two plans was that the Virginia Plan called for two legislative houses with proportional representation, while the New Jersey Plan advocated for a one-bodied legislature with equal representation for each state.

After much debate and compromise, the delegates eventually shaped the Virginia Plan into a document that was accepted by states of all sizes. This final document, known as the Connecticut Compromise, incorporated elements of both the Virginia and New Jersey Plans. On September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the Constitution, creating a powerful central government that stands today as one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world.

38 delegates signed the Constitution on 17 September 1787

The United States Constitution, one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world, was signed by 38 delegates on 17 September 1787. This event occurred at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, also known as Independence Hall, where 12 of the 13 states were represented. Rhode Island did not send any delegates.

The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787, with delegates from 12 states, including George Washington, a delegate from Virginia, who was elected president of the convention. The delegates had initially gathered to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. However, by mid-June, they had decided to completely redesign the government. The delegates debated and crafted compromises, addressing contentious issues such as congressional representation and slavery.

The final draft of the Constitution, presented to the convention on 12 September 1787, contained seven articles, a preamble, and a closing statement. The document was endorsed by 39 delegates, with 38 signatures from the delegates and one signature, George Read, on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, who was absent. The remaining three of the 42 delegates present refused to sign. The signing of the Constitution marked the beginning of the ratification process, which required approval from nine of the 13 states for the document to become binding.

The ratification campaign faced opposition from states like Massachusetts, as the Constitution failed to reserve undelegated powers to the states and lacked protection for certain political rights. A compromise was reached, and on 21 June 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document. The new government under the Constitution was agreed to begin on 4 March 1789.

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