The Constitution's Journey: Convention To Law

The Constitution of the United States was signed on September 17, 1787, by 39 of the 55 delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention. The Constitution came into effect in 1789 after the necessary number of state ratifications, and has served as the basis of the United States Government ever since.

The Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787

The Constitutional Convention, which took place in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787, was a pivotal event in American history. The convention was convened to address the weaknesses of the central government under the Articles of Confederation, which had proven inadequate for managing the various challenges facing the young nation. The delegates, led by figures such as George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton, decided to create a new constitution rather than simply revise the existing system of government.

The convention was marked by intense debates and compromises as the delegates grappled with contentious issues such as congressional representation, the powers of the federal government, and the institution of slavery. One of the fiercest arguments centred on whether representation in Congress should be based on population or divided equally among the states. The Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise, resolved this dispute by proposing a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation for each state in the Senate.

Another critical issue was the place of slavery in the new nation. The delegates agreed to the Three-Fifths Compromise, which counted slaves as three-fifths of a person for representation in the House of Representatives and taxation purposes. They also agreed to continue the slave trade until 1808. Additionally, a fugitive slave clause was included in the Constitution, requiring the return of escaped slaves to their owners.

The convention resulted in the creation of a new form of government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. This system of checks and balances aimed to ensure that no single branch would become too powerful. The legislative branch was tasked with making laws, the executive branch with providing leadership and enforcing laws, and the judicial branch with interpreting laws.

The final version of the Constitution was signed by 39 of the 55 delegates on September 17, 1787. The document was then submitted to the states for ratification, with ratification by 9 of the 13 states required to enact the new government. The Constitution came into effect in 1789 and has served as the foundation of the United States Government ever since.

The convention was initially intended to revise the Articles of Confederation

The Constitutional Convention, also known as the Federal Convention or the Philadelphia Convention, was initially intended to revise the Articles of Confederation. The convention took place in Philadelphia from May to September 1787. 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, and couldn't print money. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart.

Alexander Hamilton helped convince Congress to organize a Grand Convention of state delegates to work on revising the Articles of Confederation. The convention was attended by 55 delegates, including George Washington, who was elected to preside, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, James Wilson, John Rutledge, Charles Pinckney, Oliver Ellsworth, and Gouverneur Morris.

The delegates agreed to observe a strict rule of secrecy, allowing them to speak freely and change their minds without posturing or pandering to public opinion. While the convention was initially intended to revise the Articles of Confederation, by mid-June, the delegates had decided to completely redesign the government. They discarded the idea of amending the Articles of Confederation and set about drawing up a new scheme of government.

One of the fiercest arguments was over congressional representation—whether it should be based on population or divided equally among the states. The delegates also debated the powers and mode of election of the chief executive, and the place of the institution of slavery in the new continental body politic. The delegates haggled over how to apportion representation in the legislature for over six weeks. Those from large, populous states argued that representation in both houses of Congress should be based on population, while those from smaller states argued for equal representation for each state.

The delegates eventually agreed to a bicameral legislative branch, which gave equal representation to each state in the Senate and representation based on population in the House of Representatives. This compromise, known as the Connecticut Compromise or the Great Compromise, was championed by delegates from Connecticut. The Constitution also created an executive branch and a judicial branch, setting up a system of checks and balances.

The convention concluded on September 17, 1787, when 39 delegates signed the Constitution. The delegates had been tasked with revising the existing government but came up with a completely new one. The Constitution became law in 1789 after ratification by 9 of the 13 states.

The convention resulted in the creation of the Constitution of the United States

The Constitutional Convention, which took place in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787, resulted in the creation of the Constitution of the United States. The convention was convened to address the weaknesses of the central government under the Articles of Confederation, which had been in place since 1781. The Articles of Confederation had established a loose confederation of independent states, with a weak central government that lacked the power to regulate commerce, collect taxes, or enforce laws that individual states found contrary to their interests.

The convention was attended by 55 delegates from 12 states, with Rhode Island being the only state that refused to send representatives. George Washington, former commander of the Continental Army during the American Revolutionary War and proponent of a stronger national government, was elected to preside over the convention. While the convention was originally intended to revise the Articles of Confederation, many of its proponents, including James Madison of Virginia and Alexander Hamilton of New York, had a different goal in mind: to create an entirely new system of government.

The delegates spent several months debating the form that this new government would take. One of the fiercest arguments was over congressional representation, with large states advocating for representation based on population, while small states wanted equal representation. This dispute was eventually resolved through the Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise, which proposed a bicameral legislature with 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 was slavery. The Southern states, where slavery was a significant part of the economic fabric, wanted to ensure that slaves were counted for representation purposes, while the Northern states were opposed to this idea. The delegates ultimately agreed to the Three-Fifths Compromise, which stated that slaves would be counted as three-fifths of a person for representation in the House of Representatives. Additionally, the delegates agreed to allow the slave trade to continue until 1808.

The final version of the Constitution, drafted by the Committee of Style, was voted on and signed by 39 of the 55 delegates on September 17, 1787. The Constitution established a federal government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. It granted the federal government specific powers, including those related to conducting foreign relations, and created a system of checks and balances to ensure that no one branch became too powerful.

The Constitution came into effect in 1789 after being ratified by the necessary number of states, marking a significant milestone in the history of the United States and serving as the basis of its government ever since.

The Constitution was signed by 39 of the 55 delegates present

The United States Constitution was signed by 39 of the 55 delegates present on September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Constitutional Convention was held between May 25 and September 17, 1787, with the aim of revising the Articles of Confederation, which was the first constitution of the United States of America. However, the intention of many of the proponents, including James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, was to create a new frame of government. The convention was presided over by George Washington, former commanding general of the Continental Army.

The delegates in attendance represented 11 states, as Rhode Island did not send any delegates, and two of New York's three delegates left before the convention ended. The delegates debated for months, with some states in favour of a strong central government, while others were opposed. Large states felt they should have more representation in Congress, while small states wanted equal representation.

The convention addressed several key issues, including the structure of the government, the role of the executive branch, the composition of the legislature, the issue of slavery, and the process of amending and ratifying the Constitution. The final document established a federal government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. It also included the "Three-Fifths Compromise", which counted slaves as three-fifths of a person for representation in the House of Representatives.

The Constitution was then submitted to the states for ratification, with ratification by 9 of the 13 states required to enact the new government. This process was completed in 1789, and the Constitution has served as the basis of the United States Government ever since.

The Constitution was ratified by 9 of the 13 states

The United States Constitution was ratified in 1789, two years after the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, which took place between May and September 1787. The Constitution came into effect after ratification by nine of the thirteen states.

The Constitutional Convention was attended by 55 delegates, representing twelve states. Rhode Island was the only state that refused to send delegates. The delegates elected George Washington of Virginia, former commanding general of the Continental Army, as President of the convention. The convention was convened to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation. 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 lacked enforcement powers, could not regulate commerce, and could not print money.

The delegates of the convention decided to scrap the Articles of Confederation and create a new constitution. The new constitution would establish a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments. The delegates debated for months over what would be included in the Constitution. One of the most contentious issues was congressional representation—whether it should be based on population or divided equally among the states. The delegates eventually agreed to a bicameral legislature, with representation based on population in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate.

Another contentious issue was slavery. The delegates agreed to the Three-Fifths Compromise, which counted slaves as three-fifths of a person for representation in the House of Representatives. They also agreed that the slave trade could continue until 1808.

The Constitution created a federal government with three branches: a legislative branch to make laws, an executive branch to provide leadership and enforce laws, and a judicial branch to explain and interpret laws. This system of checks and balances ensured that no one branch would become more powerful than another.

The Constitution also addressed issues such as commerce, nationality requirements for senators and representatives, and the process for amending and ratifying the Constitution. The delegates agreed that senators would have to be citizens for nine years, representatives for seven years, and the president must be native-born to be eligible to hold office. They also agreed that any changes or amendments to the Constitution would require ratification by nine of the thirteen states.

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