The Constitutional Convention of 1787: Creating America’s Founding Document

CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION 1787

MEETINGS OF DELEGATES TASKED TO REVISE THE A.O.C, INSTEAD REWRITE A WHOLE NEW CONSITUTION OF THE U.S. THAT IS STILL USED TODAY

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was a gathering of delegates from 12 of the 13 original states (Rhode Island did not send any delegates) who convened in Philadelphia to draft a new constitution for the United States of America. The convention was held from May 25 to September 17, and resulted in the creation of the U.S. Constitution, which still serves as the supreme law of the land.

The delegates who attended the convention were some of the most important and influential figures in American history, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and many others. They came together with the goal of creating a stronger federal government that would better represent the interests of the country as a whole, while also protecting the rights of individual citizens.

During the course of the convention, the delegates engaged in lengthy debates over a variety of issues, including the role of the federal government, the balance of power between the states and the federal government, and the rights of individual citizens. They ultimately agreed upon a system of government that included a separation of powers between three branches (the legislative, executive, and judicial), as well as a system of checks and balances that would prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.

The Constitution that emerged from the convention was not without its controversies, however. Some delegates were displeased with certain aspects of the newly drafted Constitution, and refused to sign it. Additionally, it was not until several years later, with the passage of the Bill of Rights in 1791, that many of the individual rights and protections that we now associate with the Constitution were added.

Despite these challenges, however, the Constitutional Convention of 1787 is widely regarded as a seminal moment in American history, and the Constitution that resulted from it continues to shape the country’s political and legal landscape to this day.

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