U.S Constitution
The Creating
The Constitutional Convention
In February of 1787, the Confederation Congress invited states around the world to attend a convention in Philadelphia. The purpose of this meeting was to improve the Articles of Confederation.
This convention was help in May of 1787, in Philadelphia's Independence Hall. During this convention, the U.S Constitution was basically remodeled, and this angered some of the people participating in the act. George Washington, the Revolutionary War hero, was elected president over this Convention.
Some agreed to this and others refused to attend, such as; John Adams, Thomas Jefferson, and Patrick Henry. Some that attended this Convention were Benjamin Franklin and James Madison.
Philadelphia's Independence Hall, where the Confederation Congress was held.
Photo owner: Afronie on Flickr
The Signing of the Constitution
Photo owner: wallyg on Flickr
The Great Compromise
Some delegates wanted to make small changes to the constitution while others wanted to rewrite the whole thing, which was a problem. They decided on having two plans called the Virginia plan and the New Jersey plan. After a full month of arguing they could not agree on how the states should be represented. A guy from Connecticut, Roger Sherman, came up with a compromise that the legislative branch should have two houses. This meant each state would have two representatives. This gave each state an equal voice, This became known as the Great Compromise.
Hitting A Problem
People liked the idea of the Great Compromise, but some began to take advantage of it by suggesting that enslaved Africans be part of the populations. Though others disagreed. To resolve this problem they came up with a new compromise that stated three-fifths of the enslaved Africans could be counted. Another big issue was the foreign slave trade. Some thought it was wrong others thought it was much needed. The reached another compromise that allowed importation of slaves until the end of 1807.
Federalist Government
The delegates wanted to balance the power of the government. Federalism was created. Federalism is sharing the power among the government and the states. Under the rules of the Constitution, each state must obey all authority of federal and national government. This included local government, education, and the supervision of the religious bodies. Sates must protect the welfare of their citizens.
Balances of Power
The Constitution balances power between three branches, the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch. The framers of the constitution created a system called the checks of balance to make sure no one branch could end up with to much power.