By May 14th, only delegates from VA and PA were present.
When George Mason completed the VA delegation on the 17th, they went to work on a plan to present to the Convention. It incorporated much of Madison’s ideas, but the product was the work of the delegation. It would become the Virginia/Randolph Plan which would emerge in recognizable form four months later as our Constitution.
In a strange quirk of good fortune, had enough delegates arrived on time, the 14th, the VA delegation would not have had a plan to present. The Convention would likely have approached piecemeal corrections to the Articles of Confederation which had already been considered and rejected in the years prior. By offering something concrete at the opening, the VA delegation seized the high ground and commanded the direction of debate.
A quorum was had on the 25th. Check out the names. About thirty had served in Congress; several signed the Declaration of Independence; twenty served in the revolutionary army. Thomas Jefferson called the list of delegates, “an assembly of demi-gods.”
Robert Morris (PA), with whom General Washington would stay during the Convention, motioned to elect General Washington Executive of the Convention. It carried without opposition.
James Wilson (PA) motioned to appoint Mr. Temple Franklin as Secretary.
Alexander Hamilton (NY) nominated Major Jackson. Major Jackson carried by a 5-2 vote. Nobody could know if Temple Franklin would have done a better job than Major Jackson, but I doubt he could have done worse. Major Jackson did little more than record votes.
The credentials of DE delegates prohibited them from changing the equality of state suffrage in the Articles of Confederation. This decision by the legislature of the smallest state, of maybe 50,000 inhabitants would nearly wreck the convention. It would also end up largely responsible for securing rights in a vast republic
A committee was formed to recommend rules for the Convention.
The last thing Geo. Washington wished after leading the Continental Army to victory six years earlier, was to spend a summer in Philadelphia. His lands had suffered during the war, and were only beginning to reclaim their previous productivity. There was another reason to avoid Philadelphia, the Society of the Cincinnati, of which he was Executive, would meet at the same time as the Convention. Our national self confidence was so sickly, there were fears of the Cincinnati as possibly a nascent Cromwellian military government.
The awful condition of the little republics under the Articles of Confederation in general, and his beloved Virginia in particular convinced him of the dire necessity to convene the states.
Do not discount the need once again for George Washington to step up and serve his country. Without his publicized attendance, I doubt that only three states would blow off some or all participation at the Convention. RI never showed up. NH waited until mid July, and NY delegates left early to return home to muster opponents.
Constitution Ping!
Thanks!
Thanks for your work!
Oh, to have heard the tavern gossip at that time!