The book A Brilliant Solution is divided into many chapters but its best summarized in the parts starting …show more content…
Issued in 1787, by the Confederation, all the state representatives were to meet in Philadelphia. The author makes a point to continuously mention that the journey to Philadelphia was very long and dangerous. Anyone traveling would need to get all their affairs in order before they left, and a representative would need to find a replacement. This made attending the Philadelphia Conference a large commitment that not everyone could fulfill. Ms. Berkin also noted that George Washington was seen as a hero and a nationalist by the people, so he was very well liked. This contributed to the election of George Washington, as the president of the convention. James Madison, one of our founding father and who later serve as our 4th president, rafted a new form of government; That was presented by Governor Edmund Randolph, and named the Virginia Plan. It called for a strong central government, with legislative branches that had the right to tax. They were trying to create a government that would have the power to control trade, regulate commerce and the economy, and protect its citizens from harm. However this proposal was denied by the smaller states that feared and a strong central government. Slavery seemed to be an important issue when getting the approval of every state. States like South Carolina, “Carolina, wanted the convention’s assurances that the slave trade could continue, at least for a time, and that the Africans or Caribbean blacks brought to America would not be considered taxable imports”(pg. 113). After debating and enjoying the 4th of July, the Connecticut Compromise was presented that made compromises like the ⅗ compromise for slaves. This helped bring more universal support for the compromise of a stronger government. With a base set the convention continued to more pressing matters of how the president would be elected. They landed on the system known as the electoral