User:Wabash Canoe/History of the United States Constitution

Actual article: History of the United States Constitution

Note to self: Background is a poor title for that section, uncertain of section title from current version of Move toward a Constitution

Mount Vernon Conference
After resigning his commission as commander of the Continental Army in 1883, George Washington focused his attention on improving the commercial and transportation ties between the Eastern Seaboard and the region west of the Appalachian Mountains. His primary work concerned extending the navigation of the Potomac River farther inland. In order to achieve this objective, the states of Virginia and Maryland needed to work together. Representatives from both states met at Washington's home at Mount Vernon in 1785 to discuss issues related to connecting the Potomac and Ohio Rivers with a canal. The representatives at the meeting also took the opportunity to discuss standardizing trade and commercial regulations between the two states, and sent these proposals to each of their state legislatures. After the two states adopted the proposal, Maryland suggested that Pennsylvania and Delaware should be included to look into connecting the Delaware River with the Chesapeake Bay and extending the uniform commercial regulations to those two states. Furthermore, Maryland's message suggested that if the four states were to meet, all thirteen of the states might as well be invited to informally discuss interstate trade. On January 21, 1786, the Virginia legislature passed a proposal, written by James Madison, to invite all the states to a meeting in Annapolis, Maryland in September, 1786.

Annapolis Convention
When the Annapolis Convention began on September 11, 1786 only five states were represented: Virginia, Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and New York. The states of Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Rhode Island had appointed commissioners who did not attend. Maryland, despite its instigation of the meeting, did not appoint any representatives and neither did Connecticut, Georgia, or South Carolina. With so few states represented at the meeting, the delegates decided not to conduct any business. However, before convening they adopted a proposal, written by Alexander Hamilton, inviting all thirteen states to appoint delegates, "to meet at Philadelphia on the second Monday in May next, to take into consideration the situation of the United States, to devise such further provisions as shall appear to them necessary to render the constitution of the Federal Government adequate to the exigencies of the Union."

Winter of 1786–1787
Shays' Rebellion

New York's conflict with congress and neighboring states, especially New Jersey

Madison's preparation for the convention