| Constitutional Convention Of 1787 |
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'', by Howard Chandler Christy .]] The Philadelphia Convention (also known as the '''Constitutional Convention''', the '''Federal Convention''', or in the newspapers of the time the "'''Federal Convention'''" or merely the "'''Grand Convention at Philadelphia'''") took place from May 25 to September 17 , 1787 , to address problems in The United States Of America following independence from Great Britain . Although it was purportedly intended only to revise the Articles Of Confederation , the intention of many of the Convention's proponents, chief among them James Madison and Alexander Hamilton , was from the outset to create a new government rather than "fix" the existing one. The result of the Convention was the United States Constitution . The convention is considered one of the founding events in the History Of The United States . Deliberations Virginia Plan The Virginia Plan was the unofficial agenda for the Convention; it was the main plan being considered. The plan was mostly written by James Madison and other members of the Virginia delegation, and was first reported to the Convention by Edmund Randolph . It included:
New Jersey Plan Some, like William Paterson , thought that if too much power was given to government, or to larger states, then they could swallow up the smaller states and take over the House, and the smaller states would have little influence in future issues in the country. The New Jersey Plan was largely a response to the Virginia Plan . Paterson reported the plan to the Convention on June 15, 1787. It included:
Hamilton's Plan On June 18th Alexander Hamilton reported his own plan for the US government. In a marathon speech, Hamilton outlined a plan calling for a president and Senate that would be elected, but serve for life on "good behavior," and a House of Representatives directly elected for three year terms. It was largely based on the British form of government, which still had a number of admirers in America, and hinted of Monarchy . The plan was never seriously considered by the convention. Although the delegates had agreed that the debates of the convention were to be confidential, in later years, Hamilton's political foes leaked elements of his plan in an effort to cast Hamilton as a monarchist. Hamilton left the convention soon after, only to return to sign the Constitution near the end of the Convention. Dickinson's Plan John Dickinson also formed a plan. He never formally presented it in its entirety, but his notes reveal his general ideas. Because he owned substantial property in a large state and in a small state, he anticipated the debates over representation. Dickinson propsed a resolution that based representation upon financial contribution. Historians speculate that Dickinson was going to present the rest of his plan if his resolution was generally accepted. He did not want to follow Hamilton's five hour-long oration, and he fell ill, complaining of a "severe headache," shortly after he planned to present it. Delegates objected to the first resolution on the basis that some states without ports would have no source of revenue and therefore would be taken over in the government by wealthier states. New Jersey was a "cask tapped at both ends" according to Madison, and North Carolina was a "patient bleeding at both arms." His plan was not adopted, but Dickinson supported the final Constitution. The Great Compromise following Sherman's plan of having the House Of Representatives be based on population and in the Senate each state would get an equal amount of Senators. This was also known as the Connecticut Compromise . Slavery How would Slavery work in the new government set up by the Constitution? On June 11th Sherman suggested that only free persons should be counted, but the southern states wanted slaves to be counted as well. James Wilson suggested that only three-fifths of the population of slaves would be counted. It was later agreed to, and became known as the Three-Fifths Compromise . It was also decided that the new government could not ban the slave trade for at least 20 years (January 1, 1808). In effect they postponed the decision on the slave trade because of its contentious nature. The delegates to the Convention did not want its ratification to fail because of the conflict over slavery. Drafting and signing In late July, the convention appointed a committee to draft a document based on the agreements that had been reached. After another month of discussion and refinement, a second committee, the Committee of Style and Arrangement, headed by Gouverneur Morris , and including Hamilton, William Samuel Johnson, Rufus King, and Madison, produced the final version, which was submitted for signing on September 17 . Morris is credited now, as then, as the chief draftsman of the final document, including the stirring preamble. Not all the delegates were pleased with the results; some left before the ceremony, and three of those remaining refused to sign: Edmund Randolph and George Mason of Virginia , and Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts . Of the 39 who did sign, probably no one was completely satisfied, but such is the nature of compromise. Their views were ably summed up by Benjamin Franklin , who said, ''"There are several parts of this Constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them. ... I doubt too whether any other Convention we can obtain, may be able to make a better Constitution. ... It therefore astonishes me, Sir, to find this system approaching so near to perfection as it does; and I think it will astonish our enemies..."'' Delegates Who Attended The 55 Delegate s who drafted the Constitution included most of the outstanding leaders, or Founding Fathers , of the new nation. Thomas Jefferson said, “It is really an assembly of demi-gods.” about the convention. They represented a wide range of interests, backgrounds, and stations in life, although the vast majority of them were wealthy landowners, and all were White males. There were thirty-two lawyers, eleven merchants, four politicians, two military men, two doctors, two teacher/educators, one inventor, and one farmer. The Convention was mostly made up of Christian faiths (and Deism) including Congregationalist, Deist, Dutch Reformed, Episcopal, Lutheran, Methodist, Presbyterian, Quaker, and Roman Catholic. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams did not attend; they were abroad in Europe, but they wrote home to encourage the delegates. Patrick Henry was also absent, he refused to go for he "smelt a rat in Philadelphia, tending toward the monarchy." served as president of the Convention.]] , the author of large sections of the Constitution, including the Preamble .]] , traditionally regarded as the "Father of the Constitution", took detailed notes on the Convention deliberations.]] was the oldest delegate at the Convention.]]
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