The Federal Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia is…

The Federal Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia is called in summer 1787, ostensibly to amend the Articles of Confederation (1781 - 1789), the country's first written constitution.

Influenced significantly by Shays' Rebellion, the Convention works to create a stronger central government that will “establish justice and insure domestic tranquility.”

George Washington, who gives the insurrection as a reason for his own attendance at the Philadelphia convention, states “there could be no stronger evidence of the want of energy in our governments than these disorders.”

On June 19, 1787, the Virginia plan—the basis of a government that balances federal and state power, and balances the power among the states themselves—carries by a vote of seven to three.