Miraculously, America won our war for independence with a weak national government under the Articles of Confederation. Soon, Americans decided they needed a stronger union.
While Shays’ Rebellion was beginning in western Massachusetts and distressed farmers and common folk were preparing to revolt against the entire system of law and order, other Americans were already taking notice that something must be done. Chief among these were James Madison of Virginia and Alexander Hamilton of New York. Madison was Thomas Jefferson’s closest ally, the man who would become his eventual successor as president. Hamilton was George Washington’s chief aide and secretary throughout the Revolutionary War. Both Madison and Hamilton were well schooled in history, political theory, and constitutional law. Both feared the nation would collapse without a stronger central government.
Madison convinced his home state Virginia legislature to call a convention in Annapolis, Maryland and invite the other twelve states to discuss ways of improving trade and interstate commerce. Only New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Delaware joined Virginia in sending delegates. While that sparse attendance spoiled chances for any solution, it also allowed Madison and Hamilton to take control of the small meeting. They pushed through a resolution convening a constitutional convention for the following year in Philadelphia to form an entirely new national government. And this time, in May of 1787, all states but Rhode Island sent delegates, including George Washington and Madison from Virginia, Hamilton from New York, Ben Franklin of Pennsylvania, and many others.
Washington presided over four months of deliberations that ultimately produced our Constitution and our national government of limited and separated powers, a republic, as Franklin once said, if the American people could keep it.
"The History of Our Freedoms" is produced by KEDT-FM in Corpus Christi. Dr. Bill Chriss is a historian and legal scholar. For more on history and the constitution, check out his blog at https://drbillchriss.substack.com/.
