Political Science the Constitutional Convention

Political Science

The Constitutional Convention

The 1787 Constitutional Convention was momentous for many reasons. First, it created one of the longest lasting democratic documents in history. However, the 55 delegates who met in Philadelphia had many concerns and goals. It would take them 87 days to iron them out and frame the Constitution.

The Constitution was drafted to replace the Articles of Confederation that were drafted in the early 1780s after the Revolutionary War. Many people felt the Articles were weak and inadequate, and they wanted a stronger document to govern the American people. Most importantly, the Articles did not cover religion and commerce, and many believed they should. As one historian notes, "The solution, concluded Madison, was to create an extended republic, in which a variety of opinions, passions, and interests would check and balance each other, supported by a governmental framework that endorsed a separation of powers between the branches of the general government" (Lloyd).

One concern of the 55 delegates (only 39 signed the final document) was secrecy. They felt for honest discussion the ideas must be kept secret, and so they hid behind closed windows and drawn curtains to keep everything that happened inside secret (Lloyd). In addition, the delegates were concerned with separation of powers, term limits on elected officials, and One of the biggest worries throughout the Convention was getting everyone to agree. It took 87 days to draft the document that would eventually gain approval, and that is because there were many stalemates along the way that were difficult to overcome. Many delegates still supported the antiquated Articles of Confederation, while others wanted more reform in the new document, and it was difficult for them to agree on one central idea and solution. Eventually, they decided to blend a bit of nationalism with a bit of federalism, and they came up with a plan that formed two houses of legislation and two bases of representation, the House of Representatives and the Senate. Then they had to define state and national powers, and create the powers of Congress.

Perhaps the most contentious and important issue the Convention delegates faced was the issue of slavery. An early draft of the Constitution initially did not permit Congress to rule on the issue of slavery at all, but later versions gave Congress the ability to ban or regulate the practice after 1808.

There was also the issue of the Presidency. The Congress created the idea of the Electoral College as a way to help elect the President in a country where communication was still difficult at best. It took nearly four months to agree on the College, and only then, could the term, the powers, and the re-election of the President be discussed and agreed on.