1. The Road to the Constitution
Chapter 3 Section 1
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2. A Distinguished Gathering
By early 1787, It became clear that the national government had to be strengthened. Due to the problems with the Articles of Confederation
Each state was asked to send delegates to a convention in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation.
Rhode Island chose not to take a part in the convention because its leader opposed a stronger central government.

3. A Distinguished Gathering
Most of the 56 men present were well-educated lawyers, merchants, college presidents, physicians, generals, governs, and planters with considerable political experience
8 of the delegates had signed the Declaration of Independence.
Benjamin Franklin of Pennsylvania was the oldest delegate at 81

4. Early Decisions
The delegates agreed unanimously that George Washington should preside over the convention.
He was widely respected for his leadership during the American Revolution.
One of Washington’s first actions was to appoint a committee to set rules for the conducting the convention.

5. Operating Procedures
The meetings could not be held unless delegates from at least seven states were present
Decisions were to be made by a majority votes of the states
Each state would have one vote
Agreed to keep all discussions secret.

6. Why the Secrecy?
The secrecy rule enabled the delegates to speak freely, without worrying about the public’s reactions.
This made it easier for them to bargain with one another and to change their minds on the many issues .
Most of the details we know of the convention come from a notebook of daily events written by James Madison.

7. The Need for a New Constitution
Congress had given delegates the job of revising the Articles of Confederations, but the decided to discard the Articles and write a new constitution.
Thus the meeting in Philadelphia came to be known as the Constitutional Convention.