Countdown to the Constitution – Final Details
Philadelphia, September 10 – 15, 1787 As the weather finally cools a bit and the Convention enters what will be the final week of deliberations, the main topics of discussion are the amendment process and the ratification process. On Monday, September 10, Elbridge Gerry raises a concern about the amendment process—he fears that the new [...]
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Countdown to the Constitution – Brearly Committee – Executive Branch
It has become evident to the delegates that they cannot make the decisions about the executive independent of a conversation that discusses the executive’s election, term, powers, and removal in a holistic way. Thus the Brearly Committee is tasked with such a conversation. The result – Article II of the Constitution. Read on for some [...]
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Countdown to the Constitution – Brearly Committee – Powers of Congress
Philadelphia – As September began, the Convention had made remarkable progress toward drafting a new Constitution, but many questions had been left for later. The delegates agreed “to refer such parts of the Constitution as have been postponed, and such parts of Reports as have not been acted on, to a Committee of a member [...]
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Countdown to the Constitution – Reviewing Committee of Detail Report
Philadelphia—The delegates, having now tackled topics as challenging as representation in Congress and several issues related to slavery, are beginning to see a light at the end of the tunnel. But decisions remain related to the separation of powers between the three national branches, as well as to federalism: the assignment of powers between the [...]
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Countdown to the Constitution – Slavery
Philadelphia – When the Convention began their work in earnest in the spring of 1787, its delegates must have known that the complex issue of slavery would be a “make-or-break” matter for the new republic. Indeed, the volatile issue would wait a full three months into the Convention before being tackled with any level of [...]
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Countdown to the Constitution – A Rough Draft of the Constitution
The Convention adjourned from July 26th to August 6th to allow the Committee of Detail – composed of John Rutledge of South Carolina, Edmund Randolph of Virginia, Nathaniel Gorham of Massachusetts, Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut, and James Wilson of Pennsylvania – to prepare a rough draft of a constitution, based on the series of resolutions [...]
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Committee of Detail Report – A Rough Draft of the Constitution
Philadelphia – The end of July marked a significant milestone at the Constitutional Convention. Having considered and debated multiple proposals and counter proposals on the structure of a new government, the delegates were ready to compose a written version of the resolutions they had agreed upon. A “Committee of Detail” – composed of John Rutledge [...]
Countdown to the Constitution July 25: Establishing the Presidency
Philadelphia – Establishing the Presidency One of the most persistent topics discussed in the Philadelphia Convention was the structure of the presidency. The Framers had grappled with this topic on June 1, 2, 4, 9, and 18, and then again on July 17, 18, 19, 20, 24, 25, and 26. The main issues were questions [...]
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