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The Federal Convention convened in the State
House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia on May
14, 1787, to revise the Articles of Confederation.
Because the delegations from only two states were
at first present, the members adjourned from day
to day until a quorum of seven states was obtained
on May 25. Through discussion and debate it became
clear by mid-June that, rather than amend the
existing Articles, the Convention would draft an
entirely new frame of government. All through the
summer, in closed sessions, the delegates debated,
and redrafted the articles of the new
Constitution. Among the chief points at issue were
how much power to allow the central government,
how many representatives in Congress to allow each
state, and how these representatives should be
elected--directly by the people or by the state
legislators. The work of many minds, the
Constitution stands as a model of cooperative
statesmanship and the art of
compromise. |
