The Commissioning of the First Constitutional Convention

Between 1774 and 1789 at the State House in Philadelphia, representatives from the 13 colonies banded together to form the USA. In 1774, they joined forces against the wrongs they felt England had done to them. In 1787, 55 representatives took four months to work on a new constitution. In 1789, they completed the task forming the new constitution for the new nation.

There were representatives from each colony. Later, these colonies became states. The Continental Congress started with a new organized efforts against England, resulting in in the Revolutionary War. They had new problems to deal with the independence they were fighting for. One problem was that each state needed to govern them selves. They also needed to figure out how the Union could come together as one. The Articles of Confederation was the first self self governing step. The result of this effort was a Confederation, with representation in a Congress.

In 1783, as the Revolutionary War ended, the Congress had to decide how to handle the large debt and disband the Continental Army. As time went on, they felt they needed one powerful person to lead the country. In 1786, a special session to review the Constructional Convention ordered. The Constitutional Convention of 1787 proposed a new constitution with a strong national government; it was ratified after a time, replacing the Articles of Confederation. Everything that went on during this time is included in the 267 documents of the Continental Congress and the Continental Congress Broadside Collections.