In 1787, 55 men convened in Philadelphia ostensibly “for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation.” However, many, Washington, Hamilton, Madison and Franklin included, recognized that the sovereignty and independence guaranteed to each state by the Articles of Confederation doomed the union. A new document that would establish a government that could address the issues and problems of a new republic and could be amended to address those of the future needed to be written. These 55 men debated in secrecy for four months in the sweltering heat of Philadelphia to frame a document that would define a democratic government for their new nation. They wrote the American Constitution.
This SDG will explore the issues that made the discussion of a Constitution inevitable, the disputes that took place during the Constitutional Convention, the men who worked to make this document a reality, their political thought, the alliances they made and the compromises that were required.
