The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention was a meeting of representatives of the 13 original colonies which took place from May 14 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia. Its purpose was to address problems in governing the United States of America, which was then operating under the Articles of Confederation following independence from Great Britain. In the last week of the Convention, on September 13, 1787 (224 years ago today), the founders set the date for the first ever Presidential election (on the first Wednesday of the following February).
Although the Convention was convened for the purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation, many of the leading lights among the founding fathers had other intentions. James Madison and Alexander Hamilton wanted to create an entirely new form of government rather than fix the existing one. The delegates elected George Washington to preside over the convention. The result of the Convention was the United States Constitution, making the Convention among the most significant events in the history of the United States.
Before the Constitution was drafted, the 13 colonies operated under the Articles of Confederation, created by the Second Continental Congress, held in 1775. The national government that operated under the Articles of Confederation was too weak to adequately settle the various conflicts that arose between the states. The Articles of Confederation could only be amended by unanimous vote of the states, so every state had a veto power over any proposed change. The Articles gave the weak federal government no taxing power: it was wholly dependent on the states for its money, and had no power to collect from any state who refused to pony up its share of the federal government's bills.
On the reccomendation of Madison, the Virginia Legislature invited all the states to send delegates to Annapolis, Maryland to discuss ways to resolve these interstate conflicts. At the Annapolis Convention, the few state delegates in attendance endorsed a motion that called for all states to meet in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787 to discuss ways to improve the Articles of Confederation.
Probably the most controversial issue confronting the delegates was slavery. Slaves accounted for about one-fifth of the population in the American colonies and most of them lived in the Southern colonies, where slaves made up 40 percent of the population. How slavery was to be regulated under the new Constitution was a matter of conflict between the North and South, with several Southern states refusing to join the Union if slavery was not allowed.
One of the most contentious slavery-related issues was the question of whether slaves would be counted as part of the population in determining representation in the United States Congress or considered property not entitled to representation. Delegates from states with a large population of slaves argued that slaves should be considered persons in determining representation, but as property if the new government were to levy taxes on the states on the basis of population. Delegates from states where slavery had disappeared or almost disappeared argued that slaves should be included in taxation, but not in determining representation. A delegate from Pennsylvania named James Wilson proposed the Three-Fifths Compromise in which three-fifths of the population of slaves in a given state would be counted for enumeration purposes regarding both the distribution of taxes and the apportionment of the members of the United States House of Representatives. After much debate, the compromise was eventually adopted by the convention.
Another issue at the Convention was what should be done about the slave trade. Ten states had already outlawed it. Many delegates heatedly denounced it, but the three states where it was allowed (Georgia and the Carolinas) threatened to leave the convention if the trade were banned. 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. A special committee assigned to the problem worked out another compromise: Congress would have the power to ban the importation of slaves, but not until at least 20 years had passed, in 1808.
Although the Convention was convened for the purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation, many of the leading lights among the founding fathers had other intentions. James Madison and Alexander Hamilton wanted to create an entirely new form of government rather than fix the existing one. The delegates elected George Washington to preside over the convention. The result of the Convention was the United States Constitution, making the Convention among the most significant events in the history of the United States.
Before the Constitution was drafted, the 13 colonies operated under the Articles of Confederation, created by the Second Continental Congress, held in 1775. The national government that operated under the Articles of Confederation was too weak to adequately settle the various conflicts that arose between the states. The Articles of Confederation could only be amended by unanimous vote of the states, so every state had a veto power over any proposed change. The Articles gave the weak federal government no taxing power: it was wholly dependent on the states for its money, and had no power to collect from any state who refused to pony up its share of the federal government's bills.
On the reccomendation of Madison, the Virginia Legislature invited all the states to send delegates to Annapolis, Maryland to discuss ways to resolve these interstate conflicts. At the Annapolis Convention, the few state delegates in attendance endorsed a motion that called for all states to meet in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787 to discuss ways to improve the Articles of Confederation.
Probably the most controversial issue confronting the delegates was slavery. Slaves accounted for about one-fifth of the population in the American colonies and most of them lived in the Southern colonies, where slaves made up 40 percent of the population. How slavery was to be regulated under the new Constitution was a matter of conflict between the North and South, with several Southern states refusing to join the Union if slavery was not allowed.
One of the most contentious slavery-related issues was the question of whether slaves would be counted as part of the population in determining representation in the United States Congress or considered property not entitled to representation. Delegates from states with a large population of slaves argued that slaves should be considered persons in determining representation, but as property if the new government were to levy taxes on the states on the basis of population. Delegates from states where slavery had disappeared or almost disappeared argued that slaves should be included in taxation, but not in determining representation. A delegate from Pennsylvania named James Wilson proposed the Three-Fifths Compromise in which three-fifths of the population of slaves in a given state would be counted for enumeration purposes regarding both the distribution of taxes and the apportionment of the members of the United States House of Representatives. After much debate, the compromise was eventually adopted by the convention.
Another issue at the Convention was what should be done about the slave trade. Ten states had already outlawed it. Many delegates heatedly denounced it, but the three states where it was allowed (Georgia and the Carolinas) threatened to leave the convention if the trade were banned. 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. A special committee assigned to the problem worked out another compromise: Congress would have the power to ban the importation of slaves, but not until at least 20 years had passed, in 1808.