In 1787 55 delegates including George Washington Benjamin Franklin Alexander Hamilton and James Madison gathered in Philadelphia at the constitutional convention The Articles of Confederation had proven to have many weaknesses as division among the states and local rebellions now threatened all that had been achieved in the Revolution It was here that they would devise a plan to create a stronger national government and alleviate the concerns of states rights They met at Independence Hall then known as the Pennsylvania State House and swore an oath of secrecy Behind closed doors and covered windows they began the task of creating our Constitution The challenges they faced were emphasized by conflicting opinions strong egos and many demands Balancing states rights with the power of the national government created difficulty in reaching a solution In May of 1787 Virginia delegates submitted the Virginia Plan Designed to protect the larger states this plan offered the proportioned representation of states in a bicameral legislature with the national government having veto power over state laws This would mean that the larger states would have more representatives than the smaller ones
