Continental Congress Essay

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Pages: 4

The Constitution was written by the 55 delegates that made up the Continental Congress. These delegates traveled from their home states to all meet in Philadelphia to make slight amendments to the Articles of Confederation. However, the convention turned into a drafting of a brand new document that changed the future of the United States entirely. The Continental Congress was made up of American heroes such as Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, George Washington, and Alexander Hamilton. This epic coalition of minds came together that day, June 21st, 1788, to make a document that marks the start of The United States of America as a representative democracy. Why exactly was The Constitution so necessary? The 11 years previous to the ratification …show more content…
They did not want to make a central government that was as powerful as the tyranny that was ended with the revolution, but could accomplish more than the Articles of Confederation. It was a constant game of not too much or too little of one thing. The minds that conducted this conversation were individuals like Alexander Hamilton and James Madison. Each of these men took their personal strong-suits and contributed them to the Constitution. For instance, Alexander Hamilton had a strong interpretation of what the Constitution needed to accomplish. He said “Congress should have complete sovereignty in all that relates to war, peace, trade, finance, and to the management of foreign affairs” (Brands 25.) What made Hamilton so fitting for the Continental Congress was his ability to see the bigger picture and see how important the financial side of the Constitution was. He goes on to say “Easy collection of a land tax, poll tax or the like, which together with the duties on trade and the unlocated lands would give Congress a substantial existence and stable foundation for their schemes of finance” (Brands 26.) What makes Hamilton and Madison’s ideas so noteworthy is how they contrasted with the Articles on a substantial level. These men are what made this new document so accepted. Alexander Hamilton was so devoted to make the Constitution a success that John Jay and himself create the Federalist Papers: a series of essays used to persuade Americans of the benefits of the new Constitution. Afterall, Hamilton believed “A nation without a national government is, in my view, an awful spectacle” (Brands