1787 Philadelphia Convention: Context

Question 1

What was the Virginia and Maryland agreement ?

Answer 1

• National govenrment was powerless to settle a dispute between the pair over owning the Pontiac river
• Delegates from the states agreed on a solution but importantly agreed for financial and custom policy cooperation
• Madison saw an opportunity for inter state cooperation and constitutional reform

Question 2

Who was James Madison?

Answer 2

• He was crucial to the Philadelphia convention as the ‘father of the constitution’

Question 3

What was the annonaplis meeting and who attended it ?

Answer 3

What ?
- a meeting to discuss commercial problems in September 1786

Who?
- five states with 12 delegates

Question 4

Why was the Annapolis meeting signifcant ?

Answer 4

• Although it couldn’t provide any reforms with credibility it brought together men from various states who all agreed on the need for constitutional change
• the meeting proposed a convention for all states to be held in Philadelphia 1787 to reform the articles of confederation

Question 5

What made the suggestions from the Annapolis meeting hold value ?

Answer 5

• Shays rebellion

Question 6

Who would go on to attend the convetion ?

Answer 6

George Washington and James Madison two key figures

Washington: lended credibility to the convention

Madison: clear idea of what needed to be achieved and outlined the need for a powerful centralized republic govenrment

Question 7

When was the convention supposed to start and when did it start ?

Answer 7

17 May 1787
- only delegates for Pennsylvania and Georgia had arrived as road works and poor conditions delayed many

25 May 1787
- 29 delegates from 7 states had arrived and it began

Question 8

Which state did not participate ?

Answer 8

Rhode Island

Question 9

Which people did not attend and why ?

Answer 9

• No black people, native Americans, women or poor
• small farmers and other such groups who had won an increased voice couldn’t afford the time to attend