The Day the Philadelphia Convention Narrowly Avoided Permanent Adjournment
“Something must be done, or we shall disappoint not only America, but the whole world…. We must make concessions on both sides. Without these, the constitutions of the several states would never have been formed.” -Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, July 2, 1787 W....
The Great Compromise and the Struggle to Preserve State Sovereignty
The first weeks of July, 1787 were full of fiery speeches, threats of disunion, and tenuous compromises. In other words, just an ordinary time at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. On July 16, 1787 after nearly two weeks of debate, the convention adopted what has...
Alexander Hamilton’s Biggest Big Government Plan
Alexander Hamilton had a lot of big government plans for the United States, but his craziest plan may have been his proposal for an 11-point plan for government that he gave during a day-long speech at the Philadelphia Convention on June 18, 1787. At this stage of the...