The Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787. Although the convention … See more

During the American Revolution, the 13 American states replaced their colonial governments with republican constitutions based on the principle of separation of powers, organizing government into legislative… See more

Originally planned to begin on May 14, the convention had to be postponed when very few of the selected delegates were present on that day due to the difficulty of travel in the late 18th century. On May 14, only delegates fr… See more

James Madison of Virginia arrived in Philadelphia eleven days early and determined to set the convention's agenda. Before the convention, Madison studied republics and confederacies throughout history, suc… See more

While waiting for the convention to formally begin, Madison sketched out his initial proposal, which became known as the Virginia Plan and reflected his views as a strong nationalist. The Virginia and Pennsylvan… See more

On several occasions, the Connecticut delegation, including Roger Sherman, Oliver Ellsworth, and William Samuel Johnson, proposed a compromise that the House would have proportional representation and the Senate … See more

On July 17, the delegates worked to define the powers of Congress. The Virginia Plan asserted the supremacy of the national government, giving Congress authority "to legislate in all cases to which the separate States are i… See more