The Constitution's Founding Fathers: Who Were They?

The U.S. Constitution, the fundamental framework of America's system of government, was written in 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by delegates from 12 states. The Constitution was formed to replace the Articles of Confederation, which 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, including James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, initially gathered to revise the Articles of Confederation, but soon decided to completely redesign the government. The Constitution created a federal system with a national government composed of three separated powers: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It also included reserved and concurrent powers of states, and set up a system of checks and balances to ensure no one branch had too much power.

Explore related products

The Constitutional Convention: A Narrative History from the Notes of James Madison (Modern Library Classics)

$13.65 $22

Miracle At Philadelphia: The Story of the Constitutional Convention May - September 1787

$10.55 $19.99

The Anti-Federalist Papers and the Constitutional Convention Debates (Signet Classics)

$8.32 $8.95

The Constitutional Convention: A History Just for Kids

$13.99 $13.99

The Constitution of the United States and The Declaration of Independence

$1.99 $6.95

The Constitutional Convention of 1787: Constructing the American Republic (Reacting to the Past™)

$28.49 $32.5

The Articles of Confederation were ineffective

The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, was formed around the time of the Revolutionary War as a replacement for the British system. It was a war-time confederation of states, with a limited central government. However, it soon became clear that the Articles were ineffective at governing the growing American states.

The Articles 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, and couldn't print money. The central government couldn't collect taxes to fund its operations, and it couldn't settle Revolutionary War-era debts. It was reliant on voluntary efforts from the states to send tax money, and without funds, it couldn't maintain an effective military.

The Articles also lacked the power to regulate trade between foreign nations and the various states. Congress tried to strengthen the Articles, but problems persisted. The states often refused to comply with Congress's suggestions, and the central government had no power to enforce its authority.

The Articles also gave each state one vote in Congress, meaning small and large states had the same voting weight. This led to discontent among states with larger populations, such as Virginia, which had over ten times the population of Delaware but the same voting power.

The Articles were also practically impossible to amend, as they required unanimous consent for any changes, and so all 13 states would need to agree. Given the rivalries between the states, this made the Articles impossible to adapt after the war with Britain ended in 1783.

The weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation led to concerns that the young country was on the brink of collapse, and so delegates from 12 states met in Philadelphia in 1787 to propose revisions to the Articles. However, they soon began considering measures to replace the Articles of Confederation entirely, and this ultimately led to the creation of the U.S. Constitution.

A stronger, more centralised government was needed

The United States Constitution was written in 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by delegates from 12 states, to replace the Articles of Confederation with a new form of government. The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, 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 states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart.

The delegates agreed to protect the slave trade for 20 years, allowing states to count three-fifths of their slaves towards their populations for representation in the federal government. They also adopted the Connecticut Compromise, which proposed a Congress with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate, with each state having two senators. These compromises held the Union together and facilitated the Constitution's ratification.

The drafting of the Constitution was a challenging process, with delegates holding diverse interests and views. Benjamin Franklin described the formation of the new government as a game of dice, with players of diverse prejudices and interests unable to make uncontested moves. Despite these challenges, the delegates created a powerful central government, establishing a federal system with three separate powers: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.

The Constitution was signed by 38 out of 41 delegates on September 17, 1787, and it was sent to the states for ratification. Ratification by nine of the 13 states was required for the new government to take effect, and this was achieved on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify. The Federalists successfully lobbied for votes in favour of ratification, with Hamilton and James Madison producing "The Federalist Papers", a series of essays explaining and defending the proposed new government.

The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia

The convention was attended by 55 delegates, including notable figures such as George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin. These delegates represented 12 out of the 13 original states, with Rhode Island refusing to send delegates. The convention was held at the Pennsylvania State House, also known as Independence Hall, in Philadelphia, a city with a diverse population of approximately 40,000 people at the time.

The delegates at the Constitutional Convention engaged in heated debates over the course of three months. One of the fiercest arguments was regarding congressional representation, with larger states advocating for proportional representation and smaller states insisting on equal representation. This issue was resolved through the Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise, which proposed a bicameral legislature. The compromise suggested proportional representation in the lower house, the House of Representatives, and equal representation for each state in the upper house, the Senate.

Another contentious issue addressed during the convention was slavery. To satisfy interests in the South, the delegates agreed to protect the slave trade for 20 years and allowed states to count three-fifths of their slave population for representation in the federal government. They also agreed that the slave trade could continue until 1808. These compromises were essential in holding the Union together and facilitating the ratification of the Constitution.

The Constitutional Convention culminated in the drafting and signing of the new U.S. Constitution. On September 17, 1787, 38 out of 41 delegates present signed the document. However, it would not become binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 states. The ratification process was challenging, with Federalists advocating for a strong central government and Anti-Federalists opposing the concentration of power. Eventually, on June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, marking a significant step in the formation of the United States of America.

Explore related products

Constitution of the United States and The Declaration of Independence: Senator Rand Paul, Delegates of The Constitutional Convention

$2.99 $2.99

Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787

$35 $34.99

Decision in Philadelphia: The Constitutional Convention of 1787

$10.33 $18

The Selling of the Constitutional Convention: A History of News Coverage (Culture)

$44.73 $52

Madison’s Hand: Revising the Constitutional Convention

$26 $26

The Summer of 1787: The Men Who Invented the Constitution (The Simon & Schuster America Collection)

$11.29 $19.99

The Federalists and Anti-Federalists

The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, vehemently opposed the ratification of the Constitution. They argued that it undermined the states and the people by creating a powerful central government, reminiscent of the one they had recently overthrown. Additionally, they criticised the lack of a bill of rights to protect essential liberties. However, the Anti-Federalists struggled to organise effectively across all thirteen states, forcing them to contest ratification at individual state conventions.

The Federalists, recognising the need for a stronger, more centralised government, initiated the call for a constitutional convention. The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, had limited enforcement powers and could not regulate commerce or print money, leading to disputes among the states. The Federalists, including Hamilton, Madison, and George Washington, feared that these issues could lead to the young country's collapse.

The Constitutional Convention, convened in Philadelphia in May 1787, was originally intended to revise the Articles of Confederation. However, the delegates, representing diverse interests and views, decided to create an entirely new form of government. They grappled with contentious issues, including congressional representation and slavery, ultimately crafting compromises that held the union together.

The Federalists worked tirelessly to secure ratification of the Constitution. With assistance from John Jay, Hamilton and Madison produced "The Federalist Papers," a series of 85 essays explaining and defending the proposed government. The document was ratified by the required nine out of thirteen states, with the "'vote now, amend later'" compromise proving pivotal in Massachusetts, the pivotal ninth state.

The Anti-Federalists' efforts were not entirely in vain. Their opposition led to the establishment of the Bill of Rights, ensuring the protection of liberties that they believed the Constitution had violated. The compromises made during the Constitutional Convention and the ratification process contributed to the creation of one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world.

The ratification process

The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. The ratification process was fiercely contested, with Federalists and Anti-Federalists campaigning for and against ratification, respectively. Federalists believed that a strong central government was necessary to address the nation's challenges, while Anti-Federalists opposed the creation of a powerful central government, reminding them of the one they had recently overthrown. Some states also opposed the Constitution on the grounds that it did not provide adequate protection for rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press.

The tide turned in Massachusetts, which became the sixth state to ratify the Constitution on February 6, 1788. The "vote now, amend later" compromise helped secure victory in that state and eventually in the final holdouts. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth and final state needed to ratify the Constitution, marking the end of the ratification process.

Following ratification, Congress set dates for the first federal elections, which were held from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789. The new government officially began on March 4, 1789, with George Washington as President and John Adams as Vice President.

Frequently asked questions