An essay about the Constitutional Convention of 1787

Following the Revolutionary War, the new American Government was set up under the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation did not give the federal government enough authority to be effective. So in 1787 delegates from all the states attended a meeting known as the Constitutional Convention. Among those attending were James Madison, representing Virginia, William Paterson, representing New Jersey, and Roger Sherman, representing Connecticut. These three men contributed a great deal to the Constitution that we live under today and were highly respected by the other delegates.

James Madison was born on March 16, 1751 ,in Port Conway, Virginia. He graduated from the College of New Jersey(later Princton) in 1771, where he was a diligent student of history and government. In 1780 Madison became the youngest member to join the Continental Congress. He played a major role in deliberations, advocating tarriffs as the means of raising revenue, and much more.

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William Paterson 1745 - 1806 (Paterson, NJ) and th...

Most importantly, Madison set in motion the process that would eventually lead to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. He wrote about the problems with the Articles of Confederation in hopes of opening the eyes of congress and the states. Finally he got results(Brief). The Constitutional Convention of 1787 gave Madison the opportunity for which he had so long prepared. Success, he believed, was imperative because failure would lead to a return to monarchy or to the dissolution of the United Staes into several different governments. Basing his theories on the historical experiences of both ancient and modern confederacies, which, he charged, had failed beacause of the weakness of their central authorities, Madison arrived fully prepared to become the leading advocate of a strong central government. During the Continental Convention Madison introduced The Virginia Plan. The Virginia Plan embodied his principal proposals, including a legislature of two houses with differing...