Delegates Gather To Draft The Constitution

In May 1787, delegates from 12 states gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to write the United States Constitution. This gathering, known as the Constitutional Convention, was convened to address the weaknesses of the central government under the existing Articles of Confederation. The delegates, representing diverse interests and views, engaged in months of debates and compromises to create a new system of government. The resulting Constitution established a federal government with enhanced powers, including the authority to conduct foreign relations. The delegates also devised a bicameral legislative branch, comprising the Senate and the House of Representatives, to ensure balanced representation for all states. The Constitution introduced a system of checks and balances across the legislative, executive, and judicial branches to distribute power and prevent the concentration of authority in a single branch.

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The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia

General George Washington was unanimously elected president of the convention. The delegates, or representatives of the states, debated for months over the content of the Constitution. Some states favoured a strong central government, while others opposed it. Large states felt they deserved more representation in Congress, while small states wanted equal representation. This debate resulted in the "Great Compromise," also known as the Connecticut Compromise, where each state received equal representation in the Senate and representation in the House of Representatives was based on population.

The delegates also grappled with the issue of slavery, agreeing to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person and allowing the slave trade to continue until 1808. Additionally, they established a federal government with more specific powers, particularly in conducting relations with foreign governments. The executive branch was given authority over foreign affairs, while important powers such as treaty ratification remained with the legislative branch.

The delegates created a model of government that relied on a system of checks and balances, dividing federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. They also established the electoral college as a compromise solution to the method of electing the executive. The final draft of the Constitution was produced by the Committee of Detail, chaired by John Rutledge, and submitted to the states for ratification.

Delegates debated for months

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention, met in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in May 1787. They debated for months over what would be included in the Constitution, with some states favouring a strong central government and others opposed. The convention was presided over by George Washington, who was elected unanimously.

The delegates, or representatives for the states, had gathered to revise the Articles of Confederation, but by mid-June, they had decided to completely redesign the government. There was little agreement on what form it would take. One of the fiercest arguments was over congressional representation—whether it should be based on population or divided equally among the states. The framers 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 agreed to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person.

Another contentious issue was slavery. The delegates agreed that the slave trade could continue until 1808. However, the question of how to elect the executive was also difficult, with proposals ranging from direct election by the people to election by state governors. The delegates eventually agreed on the electoral college, which gave large states proportional strength in the number of delegates and the right for state legislatures to select delegates.

The delegates also debated the powers of the different branches of government. The final Constitution established a federal government with more specific powers, including the ability to conduct relations with foreign governments. An executive branch was created to handle routine paperwork and manage foreign affairs, while important powers such as treaty ratification remained with the legislative branch. The delegates also agreed on a system of checks and balances to ensure that no one branch became more powerful than the others.

The Virginia Plan

Delegates gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, for the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The convention was also known as the Philadelphia Convention or the Grand Convention at Philadelphia. The delegates met to discuss and draft improvements to the existing Articles of Confederation, which was the first plan of government of the United States.

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The Great Compromise

The United States Constitution was drafted during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, which met between May and September 1787. The convention was also known as the Federal Convention, the Philadelphia Convention, or the Grand Convention at Philadelphia. The delegates to the convention created a model of government that divided federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.

Under the Great Compromise, the upper house or Senate would have equal representation from each state, with each state having two members. The lower house or House of Representatives would have proportional representation, with each state having one representative for every 40,000 inhabitants, counting three-fifths of each state's enslaved population toward that state's total population. Money bills would originate in the lower house and would not be subject to amendment by the upper chamber.

38 delegates signed the Constitution

The United States Constitution was signed by 39 delegates, although some sources state that 38 signed. The signing took place at the Constitutional Convention, also known as the Federal Convention, the Philadelphia Convention, or the Grand Convention at Philadelphia. The convention was held in the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, in Philadelphia, between May and September 1787.

The convention was convened to address the weaknesses of the central government under the Articles of Confederation, which had established the first national government. The Articles had failed to empower the central government to carry out essential functions, protect interstate trade, or conduct diplomatic relations. Many delegates had not arrived intending to draft a new constitution, but rather to discuss and propose improvements to the Articles of Confederation.

During the convention, delegates debated competing proposals, including the Virginia Plan, presented by Edmund Randolph of Virginia and supported by Madison, and the New Jersey Plan, drafted by William Paterson. The Virginia Plan, which called for a supreme national government, was chosen as the basis for the new government. The delegates agreed on a federal government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.

After two months of intense debates and revisions, the delegates produced the document known as the Constitution, which expanded the power of the central government while protecting the prerogatives of the states. The final draft of the Constitution included ideas from both the Virginia and New Jersey Plans.

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