9781422275603

Now, with the opening of the 1787 convention, Washington, the six-foot-two Revolutionary War hero, was back to help his country—only this time in the role of statesman rather than soldier. Delegates to the Constitutional Convention hailed from Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New Jersey, New York, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, South Carolina, Vermont, and Virginia. Rhode Island had refused to send anyone because its state leaders were opposed to the creation of a strong national government. The delegates’ mission was to rewrite the Articles of Confederation, the laws governing the country at that time, which were proving to be ineffective. One of the main problems with the Articles was that they gave too much power to the states. There was a national Congress but no chief executive or judiciary . It seemed to many people that the states had become separate countries: each had its own constitution, its own militia , and its own government. The states had even begun to create their own paper money, which differed in value from one state to another and made trade very difficult. A total of 74 delegates had answered the call to the Constitutional Conven- tion. Over the four months that it took to create a new constitution, however, only 55 delegates would make an appearance. On average, 30 delegates attended each day.They came from different backgrounds, but all were landowners and most were educated. They ranged in age from 26 to 81. Thomas Jefferson was the American minister to France at the time of the con- vention, so he had to miss it. He called the meeting “an assembly of demigods.” In his mind, the intelligence and leadership qualities of the group were awe inspiring. John Adams was serving as the first American minister to England and was also absent from the convention. The delegates originally thought that they were gathering in order to revise and improve the Articles of Confederation. After some time spent on that project, however, it became clear to some that the Articles needed to be scrapped and a new plan of government created. As delegates realized that they had to create a new constitution, then have it ratified (or approved) by at least nine states, they became upset. Some leaders were staunchly opposed to a strong central govern- ment. They were afraid that it would take away the states’ rights, for which they had fought during the American Revolution. One of the strongest opponents was Patrick Henry of Virginia, who refused to attend the convention. When he was

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THE CONSTITUTION