Drafting, Ratification And Implementation Of The USA Constitution Essay Examples

The constitution of the United States is the fundamental law of the U.S.A that provides guidelines for government. The constitution provides a set of principles through statutes and laws that anchor the government of the day in constitutionality. The constitution was drafted in Philadelphia from May to September 1787 making it the oldest constitution in the world.
The Constitutional Convention that took place in Pennsylvania Philadelphia began on 25 May and ended four months later on 17 September 1987. The convention was initially intended to address the problems of governance of the USA under the Articles of Confederation, which had been in use since the states acquired independence from Great Britain. From the onset, certain individuals such as Alexander Hamilton and James Madison intended to create a new constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation instead of amending them. At the end of the convention, the United States of America had a new constitution.
The most contentious issues during deliberations were the election and composition of the senate, the nature of executive power, the presidency, how he would be elected, the length of his term, the extent of his power, the possibility of reelection and conditions for impeachment. The slave issue was also debated with participants deliberating on the problem of fugitive slaves and whether slave trade should be abolished. Great compromises were made especially with regard to the conflicting interests of large and small states.
Once the convention delegates had agreed on the principles of the convention and later the Virginia Plan, they assembled a committee on Detail to draft a rough copy for debate after which the Committee on Style prepared the final version that was sent to the thirteen states for ratification. Delaware was the first state to ratify the new constitution on December 7, 1787 while Rhode Island was the last on May 29th 1790.
The American constitution has stood for over two hundred years because its framers designed it to adapt to the changing needs of the growing nation. To date there have been only twenty-seven amendments to the constitution. The key to the longevity of the constitution is its simplicity and ease of implementation in various situations.