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The drumbeat of liberty that began at Lexington and Concord in 1775 would echo for eight long years before America secured its independence. Yet winning the war proved only the first challenge—creating a functioning nation would require even more patience, wisdom, and compromise.

Most Americans don't realize that nearly four years passed between the Treaty of Paris (1783) and the Constitutional Convention (1787). During this critical period, our young nation struggled under the weak Articles of Confederation, facing economic instability, regional tensions, and even armed rebellion. Different regions—New England with its shipping interests, the agricultural Middle States, and the plantation South—viewed each other with suspicion and competed for economic advantage.

When delegates finally gathered in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787, they faced the monumental task of strengthening the federal government without trampling the liberty they had just fought to secure. For three months and twenty-four days, they debated, compromised, and sometimes argued fiercely behind closed doors and sealed windows. The Great Compromise balanced the interests of large and small states, while the Three-Fifths Compromise attempted to address the contradiction of slavery in a nation founded on liberty—a solution that would contribute to sectional tensions for the next 75 years.

Key Points from the Episode:

• The American Revolutionary War began April 19, 1775, with the Battles of Lexington and Concord
• The Declaration of Independence was adopted July 4, 1776, a full year after fighting began
• Final major battle at Yorktown occurred in October 1781, but peace treaty wasn't signed until 1783
• Articles of Confederation (America's first constitution) proved extremely weak and ineffective
• Regional differences created intense conflicts between states over economic and political priorities
• Shays' Rebellion in 1786-1787 demonstrated the need for stronger central government
• Constitutional Convention lasted three months and twenty-four days during summer 1787
• The Great Compromise balanced representation between large and small states
• Most founders mistakenly believed slavery would naturally dissolve within a generation
• Despite the summer setting, Philadelphia's weather in 1787 was relatively mild
• Four years passed between the end of the Revolutionary War and the signing of the Constitution

Join us this whole next year as we celebrate America's 250th birthday and reflect on the exceptional nature of our national character that emerged through these challenging founding years.

Keep fighting the good fight.

Other resources: 

Lovers of Liberty--Book 5

Lovers of Liberty--Book 4

Lovers of Liberty--Book 3

Lovers of Liberty--Book 2

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