Constitutional Convention (United States)

Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States, by Howard Chandler Christy.

The Philadelphia Convention (also known as the Constitutional Convention or the Federal Convention) took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787, to address problems in the government of 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

James Madison was one of the principal writers of the Virginia Plan, which was to create a whole new republican and nationalist government. This plan was the unofficial "agenda" for the Convention, it was the main plan being considered. The plan was first reported to the Convention by Edmund Randolph. It included:

• A bicameral legislature
• Both house's membership determined proportionately
• The lower house was elected by the people
• The upper house was elected by the lower house
• The legislature was very powerful
• An executive was planned, but would exist to ensure the will of the legislature was carried out, and was so chosen by the legislature
• Formation of a judiciary, with life-terms of service
• The executive and some of the national judiciary would have the power to veto legislation, subject to override
• National veto power over any state legislation

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 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:

• The current Congress was maintained, but granted new powers. For example, the Congress could set taxes and force their collection
• An executive, elected by Congress, was created - the Plan allowed for a multi-person executive
• The executives served a single term and were subject to recall based on the request of state governors
• A judiciary appointed by the executives, with life-terms of service
• Laws enacted by the Congress took precedence over state law

The Great Compromise

Roger Sherman was well liked in the convention, and he had the respect of many of the other members. Earlier on July 11, Sherman proposed: "That the proportion of suffrage in the 1st. branch should be according to the respective numbers of free inhabitants; and that in the second branch or Senate, each State should have one vote and no more." This was largely disregarded as too radical at first. Later when neither side would give into the other, they made a compromise, known as 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.

Hamilton's Plan

On July 18th Hamilton reported his own plan for the US government. It was largely based on the British form of government and hinted of Monarchy, and was ultimately rejected. Hamilton left the convention soon after, only to return to sign the Constitution near the end of the Convention.

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 they be counted as 3/5 of a person. 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 contentous 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, headed by Gouverneur Morris, produced the final version, which was submitted for signing on September 17. 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 delegates 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, 2 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. Patrick Henry was also absent, he refused to go for he "smelt a rat."

George Washington served as president of the Convention.

Gouverneur Morris, the author of large sections of the Constitution, including the Preamble.

James Madison, traditionally regarded as the "Father of the Constitution", took detailed notes on the Convention deliberations.

Benjamin Franklin was the oldest delegate to the Convention.

• Connecticut
  • William Samuel Johnson
  • Roger Sherman
  • Oliver Ellsworth*

• Delaware
  • George Read
  • Gunning Bedford
  • John Dickinson
  • Richard Bassett
  • Jacob Broom

• Georgia
  • William Few
  • Abraham Baldwin
  • William Pierce*
  • William Houstoun*

• Maryland
  • James McHenry
  • Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer
  • Daniel Carroll
  • John Francis Mercer*
  • Luther Martin*

• Massachusetts
  • Elbridge Gerry*
  • Nathaniel Gorham
  • Rufus King
  • Caleb Strong*

• New Hampshire
  • John Langdon
  • Nicholas Gilman

• New Jersey
  • David Brearley
  • William Houston*
  • William Paterson
  • William Livingston
  • Jonathan Dayton

• New York
  • Robert Yates*
  • Alexander Hamilton
  • John Lansing, Jr.*

• North Carolina
  • Alexander Martin*
  • William Richardson Davie*
  • Richard Dobbs Spaight
  • William Blount
  • Hugh Williamson

• Pennsylvania
  • Thomas Mifflin
  • Robert Morris
  • George Clymer
  • Jared Ingersoll
  • Thomas Fitzsimons
  • James Wilson
  • Gouverneur Morris
  • Benjamin Franklin

• Rhode Island
  • No appointment

• South Carolina
  • John Rutledge
  • Charles Pinckney
  • Charles Cotesworth Pinckney
  • Pierce Butler

• Virginia
  • George Washington
  • Edmund Randolph*
  • John Blair
  • James Madison
  • George Mason*
  • George Wythe*
  • James McClurg*

(*) Did not sign the final draft of the US Constitution

See also

• Founding Fathers of the United States
• History of the United States