Constitutional Convention Dbq

“Although Americans are accustomed to thinking about the Constitution as a miraculously well-constructed and farsighted document, its writing was the result of significant conflict and compromise” (Castner, The Constitutional Debates). The Constitutional Convention was a meeting of state delegates in 1787 to revise and edit the Articles of Confederation. The original Articles of Confederation caused politicians to meet and revise the government. The process the delegates went through included debates on slavery, legislature, and state representation. The effect of the convention is obvious: a strong republic that stood the test of time and still governs the US justly and fairly. The Constitutional Convention impacted American History due to

The citizens of the thirteen colonies were also unhappy with their existing government. The Articles of Confederation had just one branch of government, the legislative branch, and that gave the government little power over the states. The Articles were made to help the states cooperate, not lead them (Wolfe and Moehn 15). When a revolt occurred in Massachusetts, faults of the Articles were brought to light. Many politicians then knew that they had little control over the unruly colonies. In fact, the only things they had power over were declaring war, conducting foreign policy, regulating Native American affairs, and borrowing money. All of the states were governing themselves and weren’t giving back to their congresses. The politicians were scared of a strong, centralized government, but they knew the states needed to be tamed. Even James Madison, a future president wrote The Vices of the Political System of the US that targeted the flaws of the Articles of Confederation. So, they set up a convention in Mt. Vernon to discuss the problems of their government. Unfortunately, there were few delegates present so they rescheduled. Again, only a few people showed up at the second convention in Annapolis. For the third and final time, the delegates scheduled a convention over the summer of 1787. Politicians wanted to meet to create a strong government, in which all of the

The politicians of old had no idea what effect their decisions would have on the US. For example, James Madison took notes and copied down every debate and argument held in the Philadelphia State House. These documents have helped hundreds of modern-day lawyers win over juries and present their cases. These notes also helped historians understand what truly happened at the convention. However, a few states weren’t pleased with the convention’s outcome. Rhode Island and North Carolina refused to sign the Constitution. Eventually, both states realized they could not survive on their own without support from the government. They signed the constitution and supported the new government. Even the Bill of Rights wouldn’t have existed without the Constitutional Convention. Multiple states refused to ratify the Constitution if a Bill of Rights wasn’t added (Bodenner web). The Bill of Rights also changed the government and transformed it for the better. The government is the way it is because of the Philadelphia Convention. The delegates knew that America would evolve and adjust so they offered some protection. They didn’t want the constitution to hold back the country from developing, so they inserted a law in Article Five stating that the government could make changes or amendments to the constitution. This crucial decision has benefited generations. As culture evolved, the government could make amends