The Convention of 1787: The Convention is called, February 21, 1787

On February 21, 1787 the Congress Assembled passed the following resolution,

Whereas there is provision in the Articles of Confederation & perpetual Union for making alterations therein by the Assent of a Congress of the United States and of the legislatures of the several States; And whereas experience hath evinced that there are defects in the present Confederation, as a mean to remedy which several of the States and particularly the State of New York by express instructions to their delegates in Congress have suggested a convention for the purposes expressed in the following resolution and such Convention appearing to be the most probable mean of establishing in these states a firm national government

Resolved that in the opinion of Congress it is expedient that on the second Monday in May next a Convention of delegates who shall have been appointed by the several states be held at Philadelphia for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation and reporting to Congress and the several legislatures such alterations and provisions therein as shall when agreed to in Congress and confirmed by the states render the federal constitution adequate to the exigencies of Government & the preservation of the Union

 

A Simple resolution, but one that had a long road on its journey to being passed. As discussed in the Prelude; the Annapolis Convention, George Washington’s concern about the western frontier has directly led to the calling of this Convention. What started out as a desire to ensure roads and waterways to the west, resulted in an agreement between the two States of Virginia and Maryland at Mt. Vernon in March, 1785. But this agreement was in violation to the Articles of Confederation, and the Congress also lacked the ability to allow or make this agreement between the States. This resulted in Virginia inviting the States for a special meeting in Annapolis, Maryland in September 1786 to resolve the issues with trade and commerce. Lack of representation of most of the States prohibited the Annapolis Convention from pushing forward a resolution to the trade and commerce, but not their ability to discuss the situation and recommend another convention of a much greater scope than trade and commerce. The Annapolis Convention recommended another Convention for the second Monday in May 1787, to not only discuss trade and commerce but all the defects of the Articles of Confederation. On February 21, 1787 the Congress Assembled called for just that to establish, “a firm national government”.

The Articles of Confederation were well known by this point to not only be inadequate, but were failing and the United States was on the verge of political collapse. Trade wars ensued between the States, States were negotiating their own agreements with foreign nations, the United States and most of the States were in serious debt, resulting in the National Government falling even more in debt from insufficient funds. Shays’ Rebellion in Massachusetts had just recently been stopped, exposing another serious flaw in the lack of the ability of Governments of the States and the United States in dealing with rebellion, insurrection or other domestic violence. Impression was occurring of US Mariners by the British on the High Seas, with no means to defend against it. The flaws were known, in the open, serious and the correction of them was “critical” in saving not only the Union, but each of the United States. (read more here Why the Articles of Confederation failed.)

The stated purpose of the Convention in Philadelphia was for, “the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation”. As history knows, the Convention went beyond just revising the Articles of Confederation, they drafted a whole new Constitution. But at this point in time, the Convention is set, and the States will now begin to choose their delegates to the Convention to attempt to create a more perfect Union.