Constitutional Convention
The Founders’ Promises About What the Federal Government Could NOT Do
The Constitution created a federal government with powers that, as James Madison said, were “few and defined.” Yet today the feds have their paws in almost every pocket of American life. How did that happen? One reason is that if you don’t know much about the...
Today in History: The Philadelphia Convention Convenes
On May 14, 1787, delegates from the several states convened in Philadelphia, forming a convention with the initial aim of proposing amendments to the Articles of Confederation. Over the course of the next four months, they formulated a model for a new general...
This Week in History: The Philadelphia Convention Begins
When delegates gathered in Philadelphia 230 years ago this week to consider changes to the structure of the general government, many prominent delegates brought plans to create a much stronger central authority, shifting power away from the states. However the...
At the 1787 Convention: State Sovereignty and Standing Armies
It has been 227 years since August 23, 1787, but the debates that occupied the 50 or so delegates present that day at the so-called Federal Convention in Philadelphia can still be heard in Congress today. On that hot summer day, representatives confronted the delicate...