With the original intention of revising the Articles of Confederation, delegates from twelve of the thirteen United States met at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia in the summer of 1787. Almost immediately after achieving a quorum and establishing that the Convention’s proceedings would be conducted in secret, the Virginia delegation introduced a plan to effectively restructure the government by writing a new constitution. This plan sparked much debate in the Convention about whether it was empowered to write a new constitution or simply to revise the Articles of Confederation.

Ultimately, the Convention began to negotiate a new constitution, with two major opposing forces at play: those states who, like Virginia, supported the idea of a strong central government and proportional representation in Congress and those who, like New Jersey, supported strong state governments and equal representation in Congress.

One state – Connecticut – skirted the line on these two major issues and played an important role in achieving a compromise following the weeks-long deadlock that would ensue over these issues.

After three and half months of negotiation, the remaining delegates agreed upon a version of the document,which was then signed and sent to the states for ratification. The document would not achieve the necessary ratification by nine states until June 1788, and even then, the document would not be ratified by all thirteen states until 1790.

Major Plans:

• Virginia Plan

• New Jersey Plan

• Charles Pinckey’s Plan

Major Compromises:

• Three-fifths Compromise

• Connecticut Compromise

• Slave Trade Compromise

• Electoral College Compromise

James Madison

Author of the Virginia Plan

Gouverneur Morris

Primary author of the final draft of the Constitution

William Paterson

Presenter of the New Jersey Plan

Charles Pinckney

Author of the Pinckney Plan

Edmund Randolph

Presenter of the Virginia Plan

Roger Sherman

Author of the Connecticut Compromise