query: who was placed in charge of the philadelphia constitutional meeting in 1787

pos: Constitutional Convention (United States) York, was to create a new government rather than fix the existing one. The delegates elected George Washington of Virginia, former commanding general of the Continental Army in the late American Revolutionary War (1775-1783) and proponent of a stronger national government, to preside over the Convention. The result of the Convention was the creation of the Constitution of the United States, placing the Convention among the most significant events in American history. At the time, the convention was not referred to as a "Constitutional" convention, nor did most of the delegates arrive intending to draft a new constitution. Many assumed

pos: Gouverneur Morris York City, a forerunner of the modern New York Guard. In Philadelphia, he was appointed assistant superintendent of finance of the United States, serving under Robert Morris. He was selected as a Pennsylvania delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. During the Convention, he was a friend and ally of George Washington and others who favored a strong central government. Morris was elected to serve on a committee of five (chaired by William Samuel Johnson) who drafted the final language of the proposed constitution. Catherine Drinker Bowen, in "Miracle at Philadelphia", called Morris the committee's "amanuensis," meaning that it was

pos: Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer 1785, Jenifer drew on his experiences as a landholder to help the state survive the critical postwar economic depression. Along with James Madison, John Dickinson, George Mason and his good friend George Washington, Jenifer began to explore ways to solve the economic and political problems that had arisen under the weak Articles of Confederation. Consequently, he attended the Mount Vernon Conference, a meeting that would lead eventually to the Constitutional Convention. Like his old friend Benjamin Franklin, Jenifer enjoyed the status of elder statesman at the Convention, which took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.

pos: Francis Hopkinson ratify the Constitution during the constitutional convention in 1787. On September 24, 1789, President George Washington nominated Hopkinson to the newly created position of judge of the United States District Court for the Eastern District of Pennsylvania. He was confirmed by the United States Senate, and received his commission, on September 26, 1789. Only a few years into his service as a federal judge, Hopkinson died in Philadelphia at the age of 53 from a sudden apoplectic seizure. He was buried in Christ Church Burial Ground in Philadelphia. He was the father of Joseph Hopkinson, who was a member of

pos: Syng inkstand is now on display in a special case in Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, along with copies of the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. Syng inkstand The Syng inkstand is a silver inkstand used during the signing of the United States Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the United States Constitution in 1787. It is one of four objects (besides paper documents) still existing that were present during the Constitutional Convention, along with Independence Hall itself, the Liberty Bell, and the chair that George Washington sat in as the Constitutional Convention's presiding officer. The inkstand was made by

pos: History of Virginia younger veterans of the war had developed a national identity. Led by George Washington and James Madison, Virginia played a major role in the Constitutional Convention of 1787 in Philadelphia. Madison proposed the Virginia Plan, which would give representation in Congress according to total population, including a proportion of slaves. Virginia was the most populous state, and it was allowed to count all of its white residents and 3/5 of the enslaved African Americans for its congressional representation and its electoral vote. (Only white men who owned a certain amount of property could vote.) Ratification was bitterly contested; the pro-Constitution

pos: Signing of the United States Constitution recommendation of the Constitutional Convention be received by Congress and distributed to the states, for their approval or disapproval. The other was written by George Washington, on behalf of the delegates, to the President of the Continental Congress, Arthur St. Clair, regarding the proposed Constitution. Signing of the United States Constitution The Signing of the United States Constitution occurred on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, representing 12 states (all but Rhode Island, which declined to send delegates), endorsed the Constitution created during the four-month-long convention. In addition to signatures,

pos: Congress of the Confederation enough problems to bear further discussion and deliberation that the Convention called for a wider meeting to recommend changes and meet the next year in the late Spring of 1787 in Philadelphia. The Confederation Congress itself endorsed the Call and issued one on its own further inviting the states to send delegates. After meeting in secret all summer in the Old Pennsylvania State House now having acquired the nickname and new title of Independence Hall, from the famous action here eleven years earlier. The Philadelphia Convention, under the presidency of former General George Washington instead of a series of amendments,

pos: President of the United States delegates in a call for a convention to offer revisions to the Articles, to be held the next spring in Philadelphia. Prospects for the next convention appeared bleak until James Madison and Edmund Randolph succeeded in securing George Washington's attendance to Philadelphia as a delegate for Virginia. When the Constitutional Convention convened in May 1787, the 12 state delegations in attendance (Rhode Island did not send delegates) brought with them an accumulated experience over a diverse set of institutional arrangements between legislative and executive branches from within their respective state governments. Most states maintained a weak executive without veto or

neg: Washington and Lee University at the Federal Constitutional Convention meeting in Philadelphia (summer of 1787), framer of the American Constitution (1787-1788), and the first President of the United States (1789-1797). In 1865, shortly after his April 9 surrender to Lt. Gen. Ulysses S. Grant commander of the Union Armies, former Confederate States Army General-in-Chief Robert E. Lee (1807-1870), was called and served as president of the college for five years until his death in 1870, when the college was thereafter renamed the "Washington and Lee University". One of the oldest institutions of higher education in the American South, W&L is the second-oldest in the

neg: Jonas Phillips of items he wanted to import for sale in America. Thrilled with the Revolution, Phillips enclosed a copy of the Declaration of Independence. Phillips' use of Yiddish prevented most British from being able to read the letter (although they also had German Jewish immigrants in their culture). The British who intercepted the letter did not recognize the language and thought the letter was in code. In a petition dated September 7, 1787, Phillips addressed the Constitutional Convention, which was meeting in Philadelphia. To support religious freedom, he asked them to avoid making a Christian religious test in the constitution for

neg: Constitutional Convention (United States) planned to strengthen the existing Articles of Confederation, not to write a constitution for a completely new national government. The 1989 film "A More Perfect Union", which portrays the events and discussions of the Constitutional Convention, was largely filmed in Independence Hall. Constitutional Convention (United States) The Constitutional Convention (also known as the Philadelphia Convention, the Federal Convention, or the Grand Convention at Philadelphia) took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787, in the old Pennsylvania State House (later known as Independence Hall because of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence there eleven years before) in Philadelphia. Although

neg: Independence Hall Independence Hall Independence Hall is the building where both the United States Declaration of Independence and the United States Constitution were debated and adopted. It is now the centerpiece of the Independence National Historical Park in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The building was completed in 1753 as the Pennsylvania State House, and served as the capitol for the Province and Commonwealth of Pennsylvania until the state capital moved to Lancaster in 1799. It became the principal meeting place of the Second Continental Congress from 1775 to 1783 and was the site of the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787. A convention

neg: Constitutional Convention (United States) Constitutional Convention (United States) The Constitutional Convention (also known as the Philadelphia Convention, the Federal Convention, or the Grand Convention at Philadelphia) took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787, in the old Pennsylvania State House (later known as Independence Hall because of the adoption of the Declaration of Independence there eleven years before) in Philadelphia. Although the Convention was intended to revise the league of states and first system of government under the Articles of Confederation, the intention from the outset of many of its proponents, chief among them James Madison of Virginia and Alexander Hamilton of New

neg: David Shepard (surgeon) 13, 1787, Shepard was chosen as Chester's delegate to the State Convention to meet at Boston in January. And, in January 1788, Shepard was recorded at Boston, Massachusetts where he served as representative of the town of Chester at a Constitutional Convention to consider a constitution reported in the summer of 1787 by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. On February 6 they formally ratified the U.S. Constitution, proceeding to the Boston State House for a reception. Shepard was reimbursed for his time and travel to a total of £14.14.0. In 1802 Shepard purchased a farm near Amsterdam, N.Y., and resided

neg: George Mason did not come to Richmond during the initial session, though he sent a petition, as a private citizen, to the legislature. The Port Act survived, though additional harbors were added as legal entry points. Although the Annapolis Convention saw only about a dozen delegates attend, representing only five states, it called for a meeting to be held in Philadelphia in May 1787, to devise amendments to the Articles of Confederation which would result in a more durable constitutional arrangement. Accordingly, in December 1786, the Virginia General Assembly elected seven men as the commonwealth's delegation: Washington, Mason, Henry, Randolph, Madison, Wythe,

neg: William Houston appointed to a commission to study the defects in the Articles of Confederation which joined the states. He went to the Annapolis Convention to discuss the problem. Instead of proposing changes to the articles, this Convention called for a full Constitutional Convention. When the United States Constitutional Convention assembled in 1787, he went to Philadelphia as a delegate. Houston only remained at the convention for a week before his failing health caused him to withdraw. He died of tuberculosis the following year in Frankford, Pennsylvania (now part of Philadelphia) and was buried at the Second Presbyterian Church Cemetery in Philadelphia.

neg: Luther Martin of the Province of Maryland in Annapolis, which had been called to consider the recommendations of the American Congress. In 1785, he was elected to the Confederation Congress by the Maryland General Assembly, but his numerous public and private duties prevented him from traveling to Philadelphia. Martin was elected as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 in Philadelphia. When he arrived on June 9, 1787, he expressed suspicion of the secrecy rule imposed on the proceedings. He also opposed the creation of a government in which the large states would dominate the small ones, he consistently sided with

neg: Congress Hall then to Trenton, New Jersey in November 1784 before finally moving to New York City in January 1785. State delegates did not return to Independence Hall in Philadelphia until the United States Constitutional Convention in 1787; however, remained the official capital even during the convention. Designed by architect Samuel Lewis, Congress Hall was originally built to serve as the Philadelphia County Courthouse; construction began in 1787 and was completed two years later. Article One, Section Eight, of the United States Constitution granted Congress the authority to create a federal district to serve as the national capital. Following the ratification of

neg: Steamboat 1818 she was the first steamboat to travel round the North of Scotland to the East Coast. The era of the steamboat began in Philadelphia in 1787 when John Fitch (1743–1798) made the first successful trial of a 45-foot (14-meter) steamboat on the Delaware River on August 22, 1787, in the presence of members of the United States Constitutional Convention. Fitch later (1790) built a larger vessel that carried passengers and freight between Philadelphia and Burlington, New Jersey on the Delaware. His steamboat was not a financial success and was shut down after a few months service, however this marks

neg: History of Philadelphia of Philadelphia and settled in New York City, designated as the temporary capital. Besides the Constitutional Convention in May 1787, United States politics was no longer centered in Philadelphia. Due to political compromise, Congress chose a permanent capital to be built along the Potomac River. Philadelphia was selected as the temporary United States capital for ten years starting in 1790. Congress occupied the Philadelphia County Courthouse, which became known as Congress Hall, and the Supreme Court worked at City Hall. Robert Morris donated his home at 6th and Market Street as a residence for President Washington, known as the President's

neg: Philadelphia and the Constitutional Convention (1787) after the war. Several battles were fought in and near Philadelphia as well. Philadelphia served as the temporary capital of the United States while the new capital was under construction in the District of Columbia from 1790 to 1800. In 1793, the largest yellow fever epidemic in U.S. history killed approximately 4,000 to 5,000 people in Philadelphia, or about 10% of the city's population. The state capital was moved to Lancaster in 1799, then Harrisburg in 1812, while the federal government was moved to Washington, D.C. in 1800 upon completion of the White House and

neg: Philadelphia combined statistical area in the United States. William Penn, an English Quaker, founded the city in 1682 to serve as capital of the Pennsylvania Colony. Philadelphia played an instrumental role in the American Revolution as a meeting place for the Founding Fathers of the United States, who signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 at the Second Continental Congress, and the Constitution at the Philadelphia Convention of 1787. Several other key events occurred in Philadelphia during the Revolutionary War including the First Continental Congress, the preservation of the Liberty Bell, the Battle of Germantown, and the Siege of Fort Mifflin.

neg: Circular Congregational Church then to Philadelphia. Their families were left destitute in an occupied city. The Meeting House, vacant since the cannonball episode, was used as a British hospital and left a shell. In 1782 the church-in-exile held a congregational meeting in Philadelphia where they made arrangements to call a minister to Charleston "as soon as may be feasible." (Tennent had died in 1777.) Members remaining in Charleston began the week of British evacuation to rebuild the Meeting House. By 1787, the congregation had built a second meeting house on Archdale Street to accommodate their growing number. For 25 years, Drs. Hollinshead and

neg: Confederation Period the goal of promoting interstate trade. Only five state delegations attended the convention, but the delegates that did attend largely agreed on the need to reform the federal government. The delegates called for a second convention to take place in 1787 in Philadelphia to consider constitutional reform. In the months after the Annapolis Convention, reformers took steps to ensure better turnout at the next convention. They secured the blessing of Congress to consider constitutional reform and made sure to invite Washington, the most prominent national leader. The nationalist call for a constitutional convention was bolstered by the outbreak of Shays'

neg: William Blount arrived too late, and the treaty was ratified. Disappointed, he went home, but with anger rising over his handling of the Hopewell treaty, he returned to the Continental Congress in November 1786. In 1787, he was a candidate for president of the Congress, but Arthur St. Clair was chosen instead. In March 1787, Blount was chosen as one of five delegates to represent North Carolina at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Blount arrived at the convention on June 20, after debates had already begun. He sent Caswell a copy of the Virginia Plan (in violation of Convention rules), and, expressing

neg: Rufus King volunteered for militia duty in the American Revolutionary War. Appointed a major, he served as an aide to General Sullivan After the campaign, King returned to his apprenticeship under Parsons. He was admitted to the bar in 1780 and began a legal practice in Newburyport, Massachusetts. King was first elected to the Massachusetts General Court in 1783, and returned there each year until 1785. Massachusetts sent him to the Confederation Congress from 1784 to 1787. He was one of the youngest at the conference. In 1787, King was sent to the Constitutional Convention held at Philadelphia. King held a significant

neg: Constitutional Convention (United States) army that would be able to put down such insurrections. These and other issues greatly worried many of the Founders that the Union as it existed up to that point was in danger of breaking apart, and being subject to the persuasion of foreign powers. In September 1786, at the Annapolis Convention, delegates from five states called for a Constitutional Convention in order to discuss possible improvements to the Articles of Confederation. The subsequent Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia, convening in the Old Pennsylvania State House (then becoming known as Independence Hall) on May 14, 1787. Rhode Island, fearing

neg: Horace Binney Manlius Sargent (1786–1867), an author and temperance advocate, he was the uncle of well-known author and Horace Binney Sargent (1821–1908), a Civil war veteran. He then studied law in the office of Jared Ingersoll (1749–1822), who had been a member of the Constitutional convention of 1787, and who, from 1791 to 1800 and again from 1811 to 1816, was the attorney-general of Pennsylvania. In 1800, Binney was admitted to the bar in Philadelphia and practiced there with great success for half a century, and was recognized as one of the leaders of the bar in Pennsylvania and the United States.

neg: President's House (Philadelphia) the house; he lived there while Superintendent of Finance. Washington lodged here with Morris during the 1787 Constitutional Convention. In 1790, Morris gave up the house for his friend to use as the Executive Mansion, and moved to the house next door. President Washington occupied the President's House from November 1790 to March 1797, and President Adams from March 1797 to May 1800. Adams oversaw the transfer of the federal government from the temporary capital of Philadelphia to the District of Columbia, and first occupied the White House there on November 1, 1800. The main Morris house in Philadelphia was

neg: Federalist No. 14 at the Continental Congress on September 5, 1774 to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, representatives have been meeting without issue. Over the past thirteen years, Madison explains, the representatives have met without agents from the further States beings absent more than those agents from the States closer to the meeting point. Madison continues to address the concern regarding the size of the Union by going through the "actual dimensions of the Union." An anti-Federalist labeled "Federal Farmer" published an essay, "Federal Farmer II," on October 9, 1787 exclaiming that "it would be impossible to collect a representation of the parts

neg: Benjamin Franklin again in the fall of 1786 and on October 31, 1787. In that capacity he served as host to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 in Philadelphia. Like the other advocates of republicanism, Franklin emphasized that the new republic could survive only if the people were virtuous. All his life he explored the role of civic and personal virtue, as expressed in "Poor Richard's" aphorisms. Franklin felt that organized religion was necessary to keep men good to their fellow men, but rarely attended religious services himself. When Franklin met Voltaire in Paris and asked his fellow member of the Enlightenment vanguard

neg: History of South Carolina ground swell of such Calvin Protestant leadership, South Carolina moved from a back seat to the front in the war against tyranny. Patriots went on to regain control of Charleston and South Carolina with untrained militiamen by trapping Colonel Banastre "No Quarter" Tarleton's troops along a river. In 1787, John Rutledge, Charles Pinckney, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and Pierce Butler went to Philadelphia where the Constitutional Convention was being held and constructed what served as a detailed outline for the U.S. Constitution. The federal Constitution was ratified by the state in 1787. The new state constitution was ratified in 1790 without

neg: History of Springfield, Massachusetts Founding Fathers to craft the U.S. Constitution. On May 25, 1787, General Henry Knox, the Secretary of War, addressed the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia: “The commotion of Massachusetts have wrought prodigious changes in the minds of men in the State respecting the Powers of Government... They must be strengthened, there is no security of liberty or property.” Shay's Rebellion was led, in part, by American Revolutionary War soldier Daniel Shays. In January 1787, Shays and the "Regulators" as they were then called, tried to seize the Arsenal at Springfield. The Arsenal at Springfield was not yet an Armory; however, it

neg: 1788 United States House of Representatives election in Pennsylvania 1788 United States House of Representatives election in Pennsylvania An Election to the United States House of Representatives in Pennsylvania were held on November 26, 1788 for the 1st Congress. The United States Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787, by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, and then ratified by the States. Pennsylvania's legislature ratified the Constitution on December 12, 1787 by a vote of 46-23. On July 8, 1788, the Congress of the Confederation passed a resolution calling the first session of the 1st United States Congress for March 4, 1789, to convene at New York City and the

neg: Constitution of Alaska material, make studies and provide recommendations in a timely manner" preparatory to drafting a constitution. On November 8, 1955, 55 elected delegates from across Alaska (a number chosen to echo the 55 in attendance at the Philadelphia Convention of 1787) met at the brand new student union building at the University of Alaska. The building, quickly christened Constitution Hall by the Board of Regents, was temporarily handed over to the delegates who assembled to create the new document at a constitutional convention. Fairbanks (technically, in this instance, College) was selected as the site instead of Juneau, the territorial capital, to

neg: Timeline of drafting and ratification of the United States Constitution Timeline of drafting and ratification of the United States Constitution The drafting of the Constitution of the United States began on May 25, 1787, when the Constitutional Convention met for the first time with a quorum at the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to revise the Articles of Confederation, and ended on September 17, 1787, the day the Constitution drafted by the convention's delegates to replace the Articles was adopted and signed. The ratification process for the Constitution began that day, and ended when the final state, Rhode Island, ratified it on May 29, 1790. In

neg: History of the United States (1776–1789) idea of a convention to revise the Articles of Confederation grew in favor. Alexander Hamilton realized while serving as Washington's top aide that a strong central government was necessary to avoid foreign intervention and allay the frustrations due to an ineffectual Congress. Hamilton led a group of like-minded nationalists, won Washington's endorsement, and convened the Annapolis Convention in 1786 to petition Congress to call a constitutional convention to meet in Philadelphia to remedy the long-term crisis. Congress, meeting in New York, called on each state to send delegates to a Constitutional Convention, meeting in Philadelphia. While the stated purpose of

neg: First Church in Roxbury and in 1787, a group of men who lived near the meeting house presented the church with a clock, which was placed on the bell tower. It was also around this time that the church began officially referring to itself as a parish, rather than a precinct. On May 27, 1799, the church voted against building a new meeting house. However, in 1802, another vote was taken and it was decided that measures should be taken to start building a new meeting house for the congregation. Three different plans were submitted, and after one was chose, it was decided that

neg: George Clymer seat in the Pennsylvania Legislature. In 1782, he was sent on a tour of the southern states in a vain attempt to get the legislatures to pay up on subscriptions due to the central government. He was reelected to the Pennsylvania legislature in 1784, and represented his state at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. He was elected to the first U.S. Congress in 1789. He was the first president of the Philadelphia Bank and the Pennsylvania Academy of Fine Arts and vice-president of the Philadelphia Agricultural Society. When Congress passed a bill imposing a duty on spirits distilled in the

neg: George Wythe new nation. In 1787, Wythe became one of Virginia's delegates to the Constitutional Convention. Fellow delegate William Pierce considered Wythe "one of the most learned legal Characters of the present age" and known for his "exemplary life," but "no great politician" because he had "too favorable opinion of Men." In any event, Wythe, Alexander Hamilton and Charles Pinckney, served on the committee which established the Convention's rules and procedures. However, Wythe left Philadelphia in early June to tend to Elizabeth, who was dying. The following year, York County neighbors elected Wythe and John Blair to represent them at the Virginia

neg: George Mason powerful House of Delegates of the Virginia General Assembly but, to the irritation of Washington and others, he refused to serve in the Continental Congress in Philadelphia, citing health and family commitments. Mason was in 1787 named one of his state's delegates to the Constitutional Convention and traveled to Philadelphia, his only lengthy trip outside Virginia. Many clauses in the Constitution bear his stamp, as he was active in the convention for months before deciding that he could not sign it. He cited the lack of a bill of rights most prominently in his "Objections", but also wanted an immediate

neg: Free African Society and the South; it was a growing center of free black society. In addition, their numbers were increased by free people of color who were refugees from the Haitian Revolution in Saint-Domingue, as well as fugitive slaves escaping from the South. The FAS was founded in the spring of 1787 in Philadelphia, shortly before the Constitutional Convention was held in the city. Richard Allen, a Methodist preacher, and Absalom Jones rejected the second-class status blacks were forced into at their white-dominated Methodist church. As their numbers had increased, the church congregation had built a gallery where it asked them to

neg: Virginia Plan Virginia Plan The Virginia Plan (also known as the Randolph Plan, after its sponsor, or the Large-State Plan) was a proposal by Virginia delegates for a bicameral legislative branch. The plan was drafted by James Madison while he waited for a quorum to assemble at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The Virginia Plan was notable for its role in setting the overall agenda for debate in the convention and, in particular, for setting forth the idea of population-weighted representation in the proposed national legislature. The Constitutional Convention gathered in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation. The Virginia delegation took

neg: John Dickinson House Historic Landmark in 1961. John Dickinson (1732–1808) was a lawyer and politician who spent most of the time in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and Wilmington, Delaware. He was at various times a Continental Congressman from Pennsylvania and Delaware, a delegate to the U.S. Constitutional Convention of 1787, President of Delaware, and President of Pennsylvania. Among the wealthiest men in the American colonies, he became known as the "Penman of the Revolution", for his "Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania", where he eloquently argued the cause of American liberty. Although refusing to vote in favor of the Declaration of Independence in 1776, he

neg: William Widgery William Widgery William Widgery (1753July 31, 1822) was a U.S. Representative from Massachusetts. Born in Devonshire, England, Widgery immigrated to America with his parents, who settled in Philadelphia. He attended the common schools. He engaged in shipbuilding. He served in the Revolutionary War as a lieutenant on a privateer. He studied law. He was admitted to the bar and commenced practice in Portland, Maine (until 1820 a district of Massachusetts), about 1790. He served as member of the Massachusetts House of Representatives 1787-1793 and 1795-1797. He served as delegate to the State constitutional convention in 1788. He served in the

neg: South Carolina in the American Revolution majority. During the war, pardons were offered to Loyalists who switched sides and joined the Patriot forces. Others were required to pay a 10% fine of the value of their property. The legislature named 232 Loyalists liable for confiscation of their property, but most appealed and were forgiven. In 1787, John Rutledge, Charles Pinckney, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and Pierce Butler went to Philadelphia where the Constitutional Convention was piecing together the Constitution. At thirty years old, Charles Pinckney had long been a critic of the weak Articles of Confederation. Although he was wealthy by birth and quite the epicurean, Pinckney

neg: Benjamin Chew of the Tammany Society, to honor Tamanend, the Lenni-Lenape chief who first negotiated peace agreements with William Penn. "Although Benjamin Chew was not a participant in the Constitutional Convention of 1787…he and his family were part of the city's new social circle that included the Washingtons, the John Adams, the William Binghams, and the Robert Morrises…In large measure this was because Chew's legal perspicacity offered expertise needed by the new government." After an extended illness, Chew died at Cliveden on January 20, 1810, and is buried at St. Peter's Churchyard, Philadelphia. Benjamin Chew Benjamin Chew (November 19, 1722 – January

neg: Alexander Martin except for North Carolina's more infamous Tories. After Martin's gubernatorial term ended, he returned to the General Assembly, where he soon became speaker of the Senate. In 1787, the General Assembly elected him delegate to the Federal Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, where the difficulties of the U.S. government under the Articles of Confederation would be weighed. Martin arrived in Philadelphia before the start of the convention and stayed until late August, a few weeks before the convention's close. He played little public role in the debates there, and he was not appointed to any of the convention's committees. He seconded

neg: George Mason Memorial Basin. The memorial commemorates the contributions of Mason, a Founding Father who wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights, served as a delegate to the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, and created much of the language, inspiration, and groundwork for what became the United States Bill of Rights. Mason, an Anti-Federalist, did not sign the United States Constitution because it did not abolish the slave trade and because he did not think it had necessary protection for the individual from the federal government. He was sometimes known as the "reluctant statesman", which was also the title of a biography written about

neg: Robert Fulton Delaware River on August 22, 1787. Attendees included delegates from the Constitutional Convention, who were observing while taking a break from their summer-long sessions at Independence Hall. The steamboat was propelled by a bank of oars on either side of the boat. The following year Fitch launched a boat powered by a steam engine driving several stern-mounted oars. These oars paddled in a manner similar to the motion of a swimming duck's feet. With this boat he carried up to thirty passengers for hire on numerous round-trip voyages on the Delaware River between Philadelphia and Burlington, New Jersey. Fitch was

neg: History of the Southern United States inability of the Confederation to maintain economic viability eventually forced the creation of the United States Constitution in Philadelphia in 1787. Importantly, Southerners of 1861 often believed their secessionist efforts and the Civil War paralleled the American Revolution, as a military and ideological "replay" of the latter. Southern leaders were able to protect their sectional interests during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, preventing the insertion of any explicit anti-slavery position in the Constitution. Moreover, they were able to force the inclusion of the "fugitive slave clause" and the "Three-Fifths Compromise". Nevertheless, Congress retained the power to regulate the slave trade.

neg: Constitution Day (United States) Constitution Day (United States) Constitution Day (or Citizenship Day) is an American federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. It is normally observed on September 17, the day in 1787 that delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the document in Philadelphia. When Constitution Day falls on a weekend or on another holiday, schools and other institutions observe the holiday on an adjacent weekday. The law establishing the present holiday was created in 2004 with the passage of an amendment by Senator Robert Byrd to the Omnibus spending bill of

neg: Third Amendment to the United States Constitution troops was cited as one of the colonists' grievances in the United States Declaration of Independence. After several years of comparatively weak government under the Articles of Confederation, a Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia proposed a new constitution on September 17, 1787, featuring a stronger chief executive and other changes. George Mason, a Constitutional Convention delegate and the drafter of Virginia's Declaration of Rights, proposed that a bill of rights listing and guaranteeing civil liberties be included. Other delegates—including future Bill of Rights drafter James Madison—disagreed, arguing that existing state guarantees of civil liberties were sufficient and that any attempt to

neg: Constitution Day (United States) September 17, 2017, as "Constitution Day" and "Citizenship Day". Online Lessons for K-12 Teachers to Use on Constitution Day Constitution Day (United States) Constitution Day (or Citizenship Day) is an American federal observance that recognizes the adoption of the United States Constitution and those who have become U.S. citizens. It is normally observed on September 17, the day in 1787 that delegates to the Constitutional Convention signed the document in Philadelphia. When Constitution Day falls on a weekend or on another holiday, schools and other institutions observe the holiday on an adjacent weekday. The law establishing the present holiday was

neg: Founding Fathers of the United States active clergyman to sign the Declaration. He also signed the Articles of Confederation and attended the New Jersey (1787) convention that ratified the Federal Constitution. The newly founded country of the United States had to create a new government to replace the British Parliament. The U.S. adopted the Articles of Confederation, a declaration that established a national government with a one-house legislature. Its ratification by all thirteen colonies gave the second Congress a new name: the Congress of the Confederation, which met from 1781 to 1789. The Constitutional Convention took place during the summer of 1787, in Philadelphia. Although the

neg: William Overton Callis prisoners of war and innocent civilians. Callis' Revolutionary War service was a total of 7 years and 10 months. In early May 1783, Callis became a charter member of the Society of Cincinnati, along with Gen. Washington. In 1787, the Society held its meeting a week before the Constitutional Convention when the Articles of Confederation was replaced by the Constitution. 21 of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention were members of the Society. William Overton Callis was one of the 21. On December 7, 1785, he bought Cool Springs plantation, comprising , from Thomas and Lucy Poindexter for 120

neg: George Turner (judge) secretary of their second general meeting, held in Philadelphia in May 1787. Turner was the likely author of a set of "strictures on the proposed Constitution" which were published anonymously in the "Freeman's Journal" on September 26, 1787. The article was the first criticism of the proposed Constitution to be distributed publicly in the United States. Turner became a member of the American Philosophical Society in January 1790. He wrote several works on various subjects. As a prominent land speculator, Turner had a vested interest in seeing a stable government established in the newly acquired Northwest Territory. In 1789, he

neg: Supreme Executive Council of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania uncertain whether the seat technically became vacant after "exactly" three years or if the incumbent's term extended to the start of his successor's, even if this meant exceeding the three-year term limit imposed by the 1776 Constitution. City of Philadelphia Philadelphia County Chester County Bucks County Lancaster County York County Cumberland County Berks County Northampton County Bedford County Northumberland County Westmoreland County Washington County (erected 1781) Fayette County (erected 1783) Franklin County (erected 1784) Montgomery County (erected 1784) Dauphin County (erected 1785) Luzerne County (erected 1786) Huntingdon County (erected 1787) Allegheny County (erected 1788) A constitutional convention was called in

neg: Camp Hill, Montgomery County, Pennsylvania Washington, Pennsylvania. The December 5–8, 1777 Battle of White Marsh took place on the plain below the hills. Despite three days of fighting, General Sir William Howe was unable to overcome the strategic advantage that the topography gave Washington, and withdrew back to Philadelphia. The name "Camp Hill" comes from the thousands of Continental soldiers' tents that once covered it. Ten years later, Washington returned to Philadelphia as a delegate to the 1787 Constitutional Convention. He toured the White Marsh battlefield with his friend, Robert Morris. Camp Hill was the site of the Great Train Wreck of 1856, the worst

neg: Confederation Period their control of the Mississippi River to stymie Western settlement. In 1787, Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance, which set an important precedent by establishing the first organized territory under the control of the national government. After Congressional efforts to amend the Articles failed, numerous national leaders met in Philadelphia in 1787 to establish a new constitution. The new constitution was ratified in 1788, and the new Federal government of the United States began meeting in 1789, marking the end of the Critical Period. Some historians believe that the 1780s were a bleak, terrible time for Americans, while others have argued

neg: Thomas Cooper (U.S. politician) by Dissenters for greater religious tolerance. His approach was considered too extreme by some, and he shed much moderate support after a meeting in Cheshire. Edmund Burke mentioned Cooper in the House of Commons in March of that year. In October 1790 the Manchester Constitutional Society was set up, with Cooper, author of "Letters on the Slave Trade" (1787), and other members such as Thomas Walker, noted as radicals and abolitionists. The Constitutional Society had members in common with the Manchester Literary and Philosophical Society. But in July 1791 the Priestley Riots took place, driving Joseph Priestley from his home.

neg: Annapolis Convention (1786) all over the country. While most of them were easily suppressed, Shays' Rebellion lasted from August 1786 until February 1787. The rebellion called attention to both popular discontent and government weakness. The direct result of the Annapolis Convention report and the ensuing events was the Philadelphia Convention of 1787, during which the United States Constitution was drafted. The states represented, and their delegates, were: Annapolis Convention (1786) The Annapolis Convention, formally titled as a Meeting of Commissioners to Remedy Defects of the Federal Government, was a national political convention held September 11–14, 1786 at Mann's Tavern in Annapolis, Maryland, in

neg: St. George's United Methodist Church (Philadelphia) Great Gathering”: Mother Bethel AME and St. George's congregations gather for Sunday worship at St. George's for the first time since the historic walkout (1787/92); the Rev. Dr. Mark Kelly Tyler preaching. Notes St. George's United Methodist Church (Philadelphia) St. George's United Methodist Church, located at the corner of 4th and New Streets, in the Old City neighborhood of Philadelphia, is the oldest Methodist church in continuous use in the United States, beginning in 1769. The congregation was founded in 1767, meeting initially in a sail loft on Dock Street, and in 1769 it purchased the shell of a building

neg: Seventh Amendment to the United States Constitution remains applicable despite the inflation that has occurred since the 18th century. The amendment as proposed by Congress in 1789 reads as follows: After several years of comparatively weak government under the Articles of Confederation, a Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia proposed a new constitution on September 17, 1787, featuring a stronger chief executive and other changes. George Mason, a Constitutional Convention delegate and the drafter of Virginia's Declaration of Rights, proposed that a bill of rights listing and guaranteeing civil liberties be included. Other delegates—including future Bill of Rights drafter James Madison—disagreed, arguing that existing state guarantees of civil liberties

neg: First Amendment to the United States Constitution restrained but by despotic Governments." Eight of the other twelve states made similar pledges. However, these declarations were generally considered "mere admonitions to state legislatures", rather than enforceable provisions. After several years of comparatively weak government under the Articles of Confederation, a Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia proposed a new constitution on September 17, 1787, featuring among other changes a stronger chief executive. George Mason, a Constitutional Convention delegate and the drafter of Virginia's Declaration of Rights, proposed that the Constitution include a bill of rights listing and guaranteeing civil liberties. Other delegates—including future Bill of Rights drafter James Madison—disagreed, arguing

neg: Fourth Amendment to the United States Constitution a provision against general warrants. After several years of comparatively weak government under the Articles of Confederation, a Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia proposed a new constitution on September 17, 1787, featuring a stronger chief executive and other changes. George Mason, a Constitutional Convention delegate and the drafter of Virginia's Declaration of Rights, proposed that a bill of rights listing and guaranteeing civil liberties be included. Other delegates—including future Bill of Rights drafter James Madison—disagreed, arguing that existing state guarantees of civil liberties were sufficient and that any attempt to enumerate individual rights risked the implication that other, unnamed rights were

neg: College of Physicians of Philadelphia public water supply in the 1790s. By 1783 Benjamin Rush, a signer of the Declaration of Independence, proposed a society similar to Royal College of Physicians in London. The first meeting was held on January 2, 1787. Within weeks the fellows were organizing a library and starting to produce a pharmacopoeia; within a year a series of scientific papers were being presented, which were collected in the "Transactions of the College of Physicians" starting in 1793. The College's public health activism began in 1787 with statement on temperance sent to the Pennsylvania Legislature. In 1793, a yellow fever epidemic broke

neg: Articles of Confederation to discuss ways to reduce interstate conflict. At what came to be known as the Annapolis Convention, the few state delegates in attendance endorsed a motion that called for all states to meet in Philadelphia in May 1787 to discuss ways to improve the Articles of Confederation in a "Grand Convention." Although the states' representatives to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia were only authorized to amend the Articles, the representatives held secret, closed-door sessions and wrote a new constitution. The new Constitution gave much more power to the central government, but characterization of the result is disputed. The general goal

neg: George Mason that the likelihood that the legislature would consider land legislation would attract Mason to Richmond. The legislature nevertheless appointed Mason a commissioner to negotiate with Maryland over navigation of the Potomac. Mason spent much time on this issue, and reached agreement with Maryland delegates at the meeting in March 1785 known as the Mount Vernon Conference. Although the meeting at Washington's home came later to be seen as a first step towards the 1787 Constitutional Convention, Mason saw it simply as efforts by two states to resolve differences between them. Mason was appointed to the Annapolis Convention of 1786, at

neg: Frederick Gutekunst follows: Louis Gutekunst was placed in charge of developing the print and described the process at a meeting of the Photographic Society of Philadelphia in January 1877. The work was met with praise from all over the world. Frederick Gutekunst was recognized for the monumental work with the Cross of the Knights of the Austrian Order from Emperor Franz Joseph I of the Austro-Hungarian Empire. Queen Victoria of Great Britain, and King Victor Emmanuel of Italy also sent similar honors, and the Emperor of Japan rewarded him with two gold-lined bronze vases. Gutekunst was as much artist as businessman and

neg: Prussian scheme or some combination thereof. The protracted disturbances created by the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation as the United States' constitution, which culminated in Shays' Rebellion, reportedly gave rise to a "class of men in the community who gave very serious apprehensions to the advocates for a Republican form of government". Prior to, and following, the May 1787 convening of the Philadelphia Convention, widely circulated rumors reported that the conclave was meeting for the purpose of offering to enthrone Prince Frederick, Duke of York and Albany as king of the United States. So acute were the rumors that the convention

neg: Christ Church, Philadelphia of Common Prayer (published 1789), which were to be submitted to Church of England authorities. At the convention of the Diocese of Pennsylvania in 1786, he was elected its first bishop and sailed for England with Dr. Samuel Provoost of New York, seeking consecration. After passage of a special enabling act by Parliament, White and Provoost were consecrated in early 1787 by the archbishops of Canterbury and York. Bishop White returned to Philadelphia that Easter Sunday. In 1789, under White's direction, the first meeting of the House of Bishops was held at Christ Church, marking the first true General Convention

neg: Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church (Terre Haute, Indiana) Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church (Terre Haute, Indiana) Allen Chapel African Methodist Episcopal Church is a church in Terre Haute, Indiana. The church is named for Richard Allen, who founded the African Methodist Episcopal Church in Philadelphia in 1787. The congregation in Terre Haute began meeting in 1837 in a small white church in town. This original structure had a tunnel beneath it that led to bank of the Wabash River for escaped slaves going toward Canada on the Underground Railroad. Many of the congregation's early members were freed slaves who had been brought to the area by Quakers.

neg: Woodbury, New Jersey 300 school children and college students, local dignitaries and local residents from Bury took part in sporting and cultural events held in and around Woodbury with local people. During the week there was a symbolic meeting and reconciliation of the Vicar of Henry Wood's former church in Tottington and the Quaker meeting house in Woodbury and an ecumenical service attended by many of the residents and visitors. In 1787, a fossil bone recovered in Woodbury from local Cretaceous strata was discussed by the American Philosophical Society in Philadelphia. The remains were only retrospectively identified as dinosaurian, as dinosaurs would not

neg: Congress of the Confederation days before the new Constitutional government took over; only one member was present at said meeting, Philip Pell, an ardent Anti-Federalist and opponent of the Constitution, who was accompanied by the Congressional secretary. Pell oversaw the meeting and adjourned the Congress "sine die". Rather than having a fixed capital, the Congress of the Confederation met in numerous locations which may be considered United States capitals. The Congress of the Confederation initially met at the Old Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall), in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (March 1, 1781 to June 21, 1783). – It then met at Nassau Hall, in Princeton, New

neg: San Nicolás Agreement set the gathering for a General Constitutional Congress in the city of Santa Fe. On the was signed after a meeting between the governors of Buenos Aires and Corrientes, and the representatives of Santa Fe and Entre Ríos. The protocol named Justo José de Urquiza in charge of the foreign relationships of the republic as long as the National Congress did not decide who would take the position. Two days after, Urquiza invited the governor of the provinces to a meeting that would take place on May 20 in San Nicolás de los Arroyos, Buenos Aires. On May 29 began

neg: Nathaniel Gorham Nathaniel Gorham Nathaniel Gorham (May 27, 1738 – June 11, 1796, his first name is sometimes spelled "Nathanial") was a politician and merchant from Massachusetts. He was a delegate from Massachusetts to the Continental Congress, and for six months served as the presiding officer of that body. He also attended the Constitutional Convention and was one of the signers of the United States Constitution on September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Gorham was born in Charlestown, Boston, Massachusetts, and was the son of Captain Nathaniel Gorham and his father's wife Mary Soley. His 3rd great grandfather was John Howland (c.

neg: John Richards (Pennsylvania) John Richards (Pennsylvania) John Richards (April 18, 1753 – November 13, 1822) was a United States Representative from Pennsylvania. Born in New Hanover, he was educated under private tutors. Richards was appointed as a magistrate during the Revolutionary War. He was appointed justice of the peace for Philadelphia County, Pennsylvania on June 6, 1777, a position he held until his death. He also served as judge of the Montgomery County Court of Common Pleas in 1784, and was a delegate to the Federal Constitutional Convention of 1787. Richards was elected as a Democratic-Republican Party to the Fourth Congress, serving from

neg: The Speaker's House formed a partnership with Jacob Lawersyler which lasted until 1800. In 1787, Frederick was president of the Pennsylvania Constitutional Convention. The following year, he was elected to the House of Representatives in the First United States Congress. When the Congress convened the following spring, he was elected the first Speaker of the House, a role which required a significant amount of entertaining and thus merited a salary twice that of other congressmen. While Speaker, Frederick Muhlenberg was the first Signer of the Bill of Rights. After the federal government relocated from New York to Philadelphia in 1790, Frederick sold the

neg: Establishment Clause adding a Bill of Rights to the Constitution was proposed by George Mason five days before the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia in 1787. His proposal was rejected by the other delegates. Alexander Hamilton later argued in "The Federalist Papers" that a Bill of Rights was unnecessary, claiming that since the Constitution granted limited powers to the federal government, it did not grant the new government the power to abuse the rights that would be secured by a Bill of Rights. Nevertheless, the supporters of the Constitution (known as Federalists) in order to secure its ratification in

neg: Mount Vernon Conference could be discussed. The desired convention took place in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787. The meetings at Annapolis and Mount Vernon together paved the way for the Philadelphia convention, which further strengthened the concept of interstate cooperation and resulted in a new federal Constitution. There, Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania made oblique reference to the success of the Mount Vernon Conference. In 1908, a government commission associated these related events more closely. Mount Vernon Conference The Mount Vernon Conference was a meeting of delegates from Virginia and Maryland held March 21–28, 1785, to discuss navigational rights in the states' common

neg: Samuel Vaughan a sketch-plan for Philosophical Hall. As Vaughan explained to Humphry Marshall, he planned to plant the State House Yard with a representative collection of American trees and shrubs. The ambition was a political statement, on the unity of the newly United States, and was shared by Washington and Thomas Jefferson as gardeners. In Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention during the summer of 1787, Vaughan paid a visit in July to William Bartram's nursery, from which he ordered 55 species of plants. The State House project's greater scope was abandoned, but Vaughan saw to the publication of Marshall's "Arbustum Americanum", in

neg: William Livingston One attempt to kidnap him took place in mid-June 1779. False information about Livingston visiting his second home in Parsippany resulted in a raid by Loyalists and their subsequent capture. The Loyalist mayor of New York City (and a distant cousin through the Schuyler family), David Mathews, was suspected by being behind the attempted capture of Livingston. The family returned to Liberty Hall in 1779 to begin restoring their looted home. He was elected a Fellow of the American Academy of Arts and Sciences in 1782. Livingston joined the New Jersey Delegation to the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

neg: Independence Hall and bisecting Independence Square, a plan that met with opposition from Philadelphia city officials, Pennsylvania Governor Ed Rendell, and Senator Arlen Specter. As of January 2007, the National Park Service plan was revised to eliminate the fence in favor of movable bollards and chains, and also to remove at least some of the temporary barriers to pedestrians and visitors. The 1989 film "A More Perfect Union", which portrays the events of the 1787 Constitutional Convention, was largely filmed in Independence Hall. Independence Hall has been used in more recent times as the staging ground for protests because of its symbolic

neg: George Wythe of Burgesses in 1754 and helped oversee defense expenditures during the French and Indian War. He opposed the Stamp Act of 1765 and other British taxes imposed on the Thirteen Colonies. He became increasingly alienated from British rule, and represented Virginia in the Second Continental Congress, where he signed the Declaration of Independence. He was also a delegate to Virginia's 1776 constitutional convention and helped design the Seal of Virginia. Wythe was a delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention and served on a committee that established the convention's rules and procedures. He left the convention before signing the United States

neg: Christopher Collier (historian) include "My Brother Sam Is Dead" (1974), which deals with the American Revolution, and was awarded a Newbery Honor, and seven historical novels written with James, including "Jump Ship to Freedom" (1981). His books for adults include "Roger Sherman's Connecticut: Yankee Politics and the American Revolution", which was nominated for a Pulitzer Prize; "Decision in Philadelphia" (with James); and "All Politics is Local", about Connecticut's role in the 1787 Constitutional Convention. Christopher Collier (historian) Christopher Collier (born January 29, 1930) is an American historian and fiction writer. Collier was born in New York City. Christopher Collier, known as Kit, is

neg: John Drinker John Drinker John Drinker (March 12, 1760 - February 16, 1826) was an American portrait artist. John Drinker was born on March 12, 1760, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. His parents were John Drinker (1716–1787) and Susanna Allen Drinker (1721–1787). His father made a number of successful real estate investments in Philadelphia, including the property known as Drinker's Court. In 1787, John Drinker, Jr., opened a drawing school at Philadelphia, where he taught "the art of Drawing and Colouring." That same year, both of his parents died and with his inheritance, he was able to buy property in Berkeley County, Virginia (now

neg: John Fitch (inventor) would be one of the first) because Britain would not allow the export of any new technology to its former colony. As a result, Fitch attempted to design his own version of a steam engine. He moved to Philadelphia and engaged the clockmaker and inventor Henry Voigt to help him build a working model and place it on a boat. The first successful trial run of his steamboat "Perseverance" was made on the Delaware River on August 22, 1787, in the presence of delegates from the Constitutional Convention. It was propelled by a bank of oars on either side of

neg: Secession in the United States they achieved ratification—and de jure status—in early 1781. In 1786 delegates of five states (the Annapolis Convention) called for a convention of delegates in Philadelphia to amend the Articles—which would require unanimous consent of the thirteen states. The delegates to the Philadelphia Convention convened and deliberated from May to September 1787. Instead of pursuing their official charge they returned a draft (new) Constitution, proposed for constructing and administering a new federal—later also known as "national"—government. They further proposed that the draft Constitution "not" be submitted to the Congress (where it would require unanimous approval of the states); instead that it

neg: Federalist No. 14 this essay. When the thirteen colonies separated from their motherland, Great Britain, they instated a national government under the framework outlined by the Articles of Confederation. Under this administration, the national government had very limited powers, allowing the States to function independently, as the Article reads: "each state retain[ed] its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right." However, the Articles of Confederation did not prove to be effective, so in 1786, leaders called a meeting dubbed the Annapolis Convention to discuss the issues of the government. This meeting led to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 to discuss

neg: History of the University of Pittsburgh began as a preparatory school, presumably in a log cabin, in Western Pennsylvania, then a frontier. The academy possibly grew out of a school that was active before the charter was granted, perhaps as early as 1770. Brackenridge obtained a charter for the school from the state legislature of the Commonwealth of Pennsylvania that was passed by the assembly on February 28, 1787, just ten weeks before the opening of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. The school was soon teaching the rudiments of the "sacred six" of the Scottish universities, as founder Brackenridge was Scottish. A brick building was erected

neg: Elbridge Gerry prompting some political opponents to characterize him as an owner of vast tracts of western lands. Gerry played a major role in the U.S. Constitutional Convention, held in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787. In its deliberations he consistently advocated for a strong delineation between state and federal government powers, with state legislatures shaping the membership of federal government positions. Gerry's opposition to popular election of representatives was rooted in part by the events of Shays' Rebellion, a populist uprising in western Massachusetts in the year preceding the convention. Despite this position, he also sought to maintain individual liberties by

neg: Independence (1976 film) nation's founding. These include the signing of the "Declaration of Independence" (1776), the Constitutional Convention (1787), and the inauguration of President John Adams (1797). Independence (1976 film) Independence is a 1976 docudrama film directed by John Huston and starring Eli Wallach, Pat Hingle and Anne Jackson. E.G. Marshall narrates. "Independence" was produced for the U.S. National Park Service on the occasion of the Bicentennial of the United States in 1976. In less than 30 minutes, visitors to Independence National Historical Park get a quick and dramatic overview of the political events that took place in Philadelphia between 1774 and 1800.

neg: Nicholas Gilman emergence as a nationalist spokesman since the convention had been called specifically to address the country's serious economic problems and the inability of the separate states or Congress to solve them. The outbreak of unrest and latent insurrection in western Massachusetts in late 1786 further strengthened Gilman's commitment to changing the Articles of Confederation. That same year, he helped to suppress the Paper Money Riot. He was pleased to serve his state as a representative at the Constitutional Convention that met in July 1787. Although he and fellow New Hampshire delegate John Langdon, his father's former commanding officer, reached Philadelphia

neg: Library Company of Philadelphia spring, and again when the delegates to the Constitutional Convention met in 1787. Nine signers of the Declaration of Independence — Benjamin Franklin, Benjamin Rush, Francis Hopkinson, Robert Morris, George Clymer, John Morton, James Wilson, Thomas McKean, and George Ross — owned shares, some of them serving as directors. The Library Company served virtually as the Library of Congress until the national capital was established in 1800. Virtually every significant work on political theory, history, law, and statecraft (and much else besides) could be found on the Library Company's shelves, as well as numerous tracts and polemical writings by American

neg: John Langdon (politician) elected to the U.S. Senate and served from March 4, 1789 to March 3, 1801. He was elected the first President pro tempore of the Senate on April 6, 1789, and also served as president pro tempore during the second Congress. During the 1787 constitutional debates in Philadelphia, Langdon spoke out against James Madison's proposed "negative" on state laws simply because he felt that should the Senate be granted this power and not the House of Representatives, it would "hurt the feelings" of House members. In 1798, Langdon assisted Oney Judge to evade Burwell Bassett, the nephew of George and

neg: Pennsylvania Mutiny of 1783 a few members of Congress. After Congress completed its business at Princeton in early November 1783, the capital was moved later that month to Annapolis, Maryland, then to Trenton, New Jersey in November 1784, and finally to New York City in January 1785. It was not until the Constitutional Convention in 1787 that delegates decided to meet again in Philadelphia. Pennsylvania's failure to protect United States institutions, was a primary reason why the framers of the Constitution decided to create a federal district, distinct from the states, where Congress could provide for its own security. The delegates therefore agreed in

neg: 1789 United States Senate elections in New York 1789 United States Senate elections in New York The 1789 United States Senate election in New York was held in July 1789 to elect two U.S. Senators to represent the State of New York in the United States Senate. It was the first such election, and before the actual election the New York State Legislature had to establish the proceedings how to elect the senators. The United States Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787, by the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, and then ratified by the States. On July 8, 1788, the Congress of the Confederation passed a resolution calling

neg: Tariff in United States history generated only 30.1% of revenues. Since 1935 tariff income has continued to be a declining percentage of Federal tax income. After the United States achieved independence in 1783, under the Articles of Confederation, the U.S. federal government, could not collect taxes directly but had to "request" money from each state--an almost fatal flaw for a federal government. Lack of ability to tax directly was one of several major flaws in the Articles of Confederation. The ability to tax directly was addressed in the drafting of the United States Constitution in May to September 1787 Constitutional Convention (United States) in Philadelphia.

neg: History of the United States dollar US dollar. However, runaway inflation and the collapse of the Continental currency prompted delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 to include the gold and silver clause in the United States Constitution, preventing individual States from issuing their own bills of credit. Article One states they were prohibited to "make any Thing but gold and silver Coin a Tender in Payment of Debts." Some people use this clause to argue that federal paper money is unconstitutional. The United States Mint was created by Congress following the passing of the Coinage Act of 1792. It was primarily tasked with