July 4th Made Us Independent. Sept. 17 Kept Us From Collapsing
Much of what we hold dear as Americans we owe to what our Founding Fathers accomplished in the summer of 1787 and the extraordinary document they signed on Sept. 17. Constitution Day should be celebrated throughout our country but rarely is. That day comes and goes every year without ever coming up in our conversations. Local and national media rarely mention it. Perhaps a review of the circumstances surrounding the Constitution’s creation will awaken us from such neglect.
TL;DR
- The Articles of Confederation created a weak central government that led to chaos within four years of the Revolutionary War.
- A convention was held in Philadelphia in May 1787, with most states sending representatives, including George Washington.
- Delegates decided to create a new document, a national government, rather than revise the Articles of Confederation.
- James Madison is considered the 'father of the Constitution' for his role in the convention and the Virginia Plan.
- The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 39 delegates, establishing a limited but effective federal government.
- The Preamble outlines the Constitution's purpose: to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, ensure domestic tranquility, provide for common defense, promote general welfare, and secure liberty.
- James Madison believed the framers were pure in their motives and devoted to securing the country's liberty and happiness.