Founding Fathers' Meeting Place For The Constitution

The United States Constitution was written in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the summer of 1787. The Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention, was convened from May 25 to September 17, 1787, and the Constitution was signed on the final day of the convention. The convention was conducted under an oath of secrecy, and the first public printing of the Constitution was published in a newspaper, The Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser, on September 19, 1787, two days after it was signed.

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The Philadelphia Convention

The Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787. The convention was initially intended to revise the Articles of Confederation, but proponents like Madison and Hamilton sought to create a new system of government. The delegates elected George Washington, a proponent of a stronger national government, as president of the convention.

The convention was held in the Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall, in Philadelphia. The windows were shuttered and guarded to ensure secrecy and allow delegates to speak freely. The delegates were well-versed in philosophical theories of government and had experience in state politics, making them an exceptional body. James Madison, who arrived in Philadelphia eleven days early, kept detailed notes of the debates, providing a valuable record of the proceedings.

The convention debated and ratified the Constitution of the United States, making it one of the most significant events in American history. One of the fiercest arguments was over congressional representation, which was resolved by compromising on representation based on population and giving each state two senators. The issue of slavery was temporarily resolved by allowing the slave trade to continue until 1808. After a heated summer of debate, a Committee of Style and Arrangement condensed the articles into their final form, and 38 delegates signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787.

George Washington presides

George Washington, along with James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, feared that their young country was on the brink of collapse. 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, could not regulate commerce, or print money.

Washington was unanimously elected president of the Philadelphia convention in 1787, where delegates from 13 states assembled to revise the Articles of Confederation. The delegates closed the shutters of the State House windows and swore secrecy so they could speak freely. After two months of fierce debate, the Constitutional Convention appointed a "committee of detail" to draft a written constitution.

On September 17, 1787, after several days of further revisions, the Constitutional Convention voted in favor of the Constitution. Washington presided over the convention as president, and 38 delegates signed the Constitution.

The Constitution created a much stronger national government than the Articles of Confederation, which had established a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government. The new Constitution gave each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate.

Delegates from 12 states

The United States Constitution was drafted in 1787 by delegates from 12 states who met in Philadelphia. The Constitutional Convention assembled in May of that year, with delegates gathering in the State House, where they shuttered the windows and swore secrecy so they could speak freely. The convention was called to revise the Articles of Confederation, which had been ratified in 1781 and 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 delegates to the convention included George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, who feared that the young country was on the brink of collapse due to disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade. Hamilton helped convince Congress to organize a Grand Convention of state delegates to work on revising the Articles of Confederation.

The Constitutional Convention faced fierce debates over the structure and powers of a new federal government, including congressional representation and slavery. The delegates agreed to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person and allowed the slave trade to continue until 1808. After three months of debate, the convention appointed a Committee of Detail to put its decisions in writing, which was then kneaded into its final form by a Committee of Style and Arrangement. On September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the Constitution.

The ratification process was long and bitter, with Federalists and Anti-Federalists clashing over the contents of the Constitution. The Federalists, led by Hamilton and Madison, believed in a strong central government, while the Anti-Federalists opposed it, arguing for a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties. The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. Massachusetts ratified the Constitution in February 1788 after a compromise was reached to propose amendments, which became the Bill of Rights. By June 21, 1788, the Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it. The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island approved the document.

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The Constitutional Convention

Alexander Hamilton, a nationalist from New York, led the call for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation's governing document. The Confederation Congress endorsed his initiative, and representatives from all 13 states were invited to convene in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787. The delegates met in the State House, with the windows shuttered to ensure secrecy and allow free discussion. General George Washington, who, along with Madison and Hamilton, feared the country was on the brink of collapse, was unanimously elected president of the convention.

After two months of fierce debate over the structure and powers of a new federal government, the convention appointed a "`committee of detail`" to draft a written constitution. Edmund Randolph of Virginia wrote an initial draft, which was then revised by James Wilson. A clean copy was sent to Philadelphia printers John Dunlap and David Claypoole, who printed a limited number of copies for the delegates. The convention lasted three hot summer months, during which time the delegates also appointed a Committee of Style and Arrangement to put the committee's decisions in their final form, condensing 23 articles into seven.

On September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the Constitution, and the states were left to accept or reject the new plan of government. The ratification process was long and bitter, with Federalists and Anti-Federalists battling over the document's contents. The Federalists, who believed in a strong central government, needed to convert at least three states. The Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution because it created a powerful central government, lacked a bill of rights, and discriminated against southern states in navigation legislation. Despite the opposition, the Constitution was gradually ratified by the states, with Delaware being the first on December 7, 1787, and New Hampshire becoming the ninth and final state needed for ratification on June 21, 1788.

Signed on September 17, 1787

The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates. This was after a Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, which began in May of the same year. The convention was called to revise the Articles of Confederation, which had been ratified in 1781, but it soon became clear that a new constitution was required. The Articles had created a weak central government, with most of the power remaining with the state governments.

The convention was led by General George Washington, who was unanimously elected president. The delegates closed the windows of the State House and swore secrecy so they could speak freely. After three months of heated debate, a Committee of Detail was appointed to put the decisions in writing. A Committee of Style and Arrangement then condensed 23 articles into seven in less than four days.

The Constitutional Convention voted in favour of the new constitution on September 17, 1787, and the states were left to accept or reject the new plan of government. The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. The Anti-Federalists fought hard against the Constitution because it created a powerful central government and lacked a bill of rights. The Federalists, on the other hand, believed that a strong central government was necessary to face the nation's challenges.

The ratification process was long and arduous, and the Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document. The Bill of Rights was ratified at the end of the following year.

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