Question

Why did the delegates call the Convention? What was the danger looming for Americans at that time? List some of the symptoms that show our country was not doing so well.

Answer 1

The Constitutional Convention was called in May of 1787 and lasted till September. Delegates called this Convention to discuss the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation was the first Constitution for the United States, and was created in 1781, but it had many downfalls. The main problem with the Articles was the weak government it provided. The government could not tax the states, so they could not pay debt to other countries whatsoever, or pay the individuals in the army, so they started to simply leave. The government could not regulate trade, make citizens abide to certain laws, and other crucial things needed by the government. Anti-Federalists wanted to keep the Articles of Confederation, as they favored self-governing and were scared from past experiences from Great Britain, and thought a strong government would essentially not be ideal. As the Articles of Confederation went on for a course of numerous years, as things I stated above worsened, delegates from a few states called the Constitutional Convention in hopes of creating a new Constitution.