The Framers of the Constitution agreed agreed that certain basic ideas about government should be included in the new constitution they were writing.

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The Framers of the Constitution feared that if their discussions were made public, the delegates would not express their opinions freely.

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The Philadelphia Convention was held in the summer of 1787 to amend the Articles of Confederation, but delegates quickly decided to scrap the Articles altogether and write a new constitution. But they had to walk a delicate tightrope: the small states and the large states united against against each other, afraid of losing their power.

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At the Philadelphia Convention, the Framers of the Constitution created several rules to ensure civil discourse during what were sometimes contentious discussions. For example, when a delegate was speaking, other members could not pass notes, hold conversations with each other, or read a book, pamphlet, or paper.

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Why did the entire state or Rhode Island refuse to send a delegation to the Philadelphia Convention? And why didn't Thomas Jefferson and John Adams attend? Find out on this episode of 60-Second Civics.

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Benjamin Franklin and Gouverneur Morris played important roles at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. Franklin was by then 81 years old. As the senior statesman, he encouraged the delegates to cooperate with each other. Gouverneur Morris helped write the Constitution and prepared the document's final draft.

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James Madison is known as the "father of the Constitution" for creating the Virginia Plan, which was the basis for discussion at the Constitutional Convention about the structure of government. George Washington was probably the most respected man in the United States. He attended the convention to show Americans that he had not lost faith in republican government.

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By 1787, it was obvious that the Articles of Confederation would need to be reformed. So, Congress called for a meeting in Philadelphia to improve the Articles. Instead, the delegates drafted a new Constitution.

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Many Revolutionary War veterans had never been paid their wages. They had problems paying their debts in the late 1780s, and some lost their homes and farms and were sent to prison. This caused a rebellion and a crisis for the early republic.

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The United States suffered through serious economic turmoil in 1786. Businesses failed, trade suffered, and many people were in debt. A dramatic series of events that became known as Shays' Rebellion finally convinced many Americans that it was time for a change.

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