Which belief was generally held by the delegates to the constitutional convention of 1787?

Which belief was generally held by the delegates to the constitutional convention of 1787?

A portrait of James Madison (also known as the father of the Constitution) by John Vanderlyn (White House Historical Association)

After four months of intense debate, the delegates finally came to an agreement, and on September 17, 1787, the Constitution as we know it was born. The important role Washington’s commanding presence played in achieving this outcome cannot be underestimated. Perhaps James Monroe summarized this role best when, in a letter to Thomas Jefferson, he said that “Be assured, [Washington’s] influence carried the government.”

Years before the convention, Washington expressed concern that the bold experiment he risked his life for would not succeed for want of lack of unity. In a letter to James Madison on November 30th, 1785, Washington wrote that:

“We are either a United people, or we are not. If the former, let us, in all matters of general concern act as a nation, which have national objects to promote, and a National character to support—If we are not, let us no longer act a farce by pretending to it…”

While Washington feared disunion, his leadership during the convention ultimately succeeded in uniting the delegates, and the new nation, behind the idea of a new federal government. There was no blueprint for this monumental undertaking, but it ultimately produced one of the world's greatest political documents, the United States Constitution.

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United States history [1787]

Alternate titles: Federal Convention, Philadelphia Convention

Constitutional Convention, (1787), in U.S. history, convention that drew up the Constitution of the United States. Stimulated by severe economic troubles, which produced radical political movements such as Shays’s Rebellion, and urged on by a demand for a stronger central government, the convention met in the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia (May 25–September 17, 1787), ostensibly to amend the Articles of Confederation. All the states except Rhode Island responded to an invitation issued by the Annapolis Convention of 1786 to send delegates. Of the 74 deputies chosen by the state legislatures, only 55 took part in the proceedings; of these, 39 signed the Constitution. The delegates included many of the leading figures of the period. Among them were George Washington, who was elected to preside, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin, James Wilson, John Rutledge, Charles Pinckney, Oliver Ellsworth, and Gouverneur Morris.

Which belief was generally held by the delegates to the constitutional convention of 1787?

Discarding the idea of amending the Articles of Confederation, the assembly set about drawing up a new scheme of government but found itself divided, delegates from small states (those without claims to unoccupied western lands) opposing those from large states over the apportionment of representation. Edmund Randolph offered a plan known as the Virginia, or large state, plan, which provided for a bicameral legislature with representation of each state based on its population or wealth. William Paterson proposed the New Jersey, or small state, plan, which provided for equal representation in Congress. Neither the large nor the small states would yield. Oliver Ellsworth and Roger Sherman, among others, in what is sometimes called the Connecticut, or Great, Compromise, proposed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the lower house and equal representation of the states in the upper house. All revenue measures would originate in the lower house. That compromise was approved July 16.

Which belief was generally held by the delegates to the constitutional convention of 1787?

Britannica Quiz

This Day in History Quiz: September 17

From allegorical novels to naval battles, September 17 is filled with monumental events. Try this quiz to see how many you know about!

The matter of counting slaves in the population for figuring representation was settled by a compromise agreement that three-fifths of the slaves should be counted as population in apportioning representation and should also be counted as property in assessing taxes. Controversy over the abolition of the importation of slaves ended with the agreement that importation should not be forbidden before 1808. The powers of the federal executive and judiciary were enumerated, and the Constitution was itself declared to be the “supreme law of the land.” The convention’s work was approved by a majority of the states the following year.

The Editors of Encyclopaedia Britannica This article was most recently revised and updated by Jeff Wallenfeldt.

Which belief was generally held by the delegates to the constitutional?

Most of the delegates initially thought that the executive should be elected by the national legislature; still others thought the executive should be elected by the state legislatures or even by the governors of the states.

What was the main purpose of the Constitutional Convention of 1787?

The Constitutional Convention took place from May 14 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The point of the event was decide how America was going to be governed. Although the Convention had been officially called to revise the existing Articles of Confederation, many delegates had much bigger plans.

What did most Constitutional Convention delegates agree on in 1787?

The delegates generally agreed on the need for a separate executive independent of the legislature. (The executive would be called the “president.”) And they also agreed on giving the president the power to veto laws but only if his veto was subject to an override.

What was the constitutional convention known as in 1787?

It was contemporarily known as the Federal Convention, the Philadelphia Convention, or the Grand Convention at Philadelphia.