James Madison's Contribution To The Constitutional Convention

Decision in Philadelphia: the constitutional convention of 1787 primarily revolved around analyzing the vast array of ideals brought to the convention in the attempts to create a free and prosperous United States of America. Being one of the more active members, a great majority of the book concerns itself with James Madison from Virginia but also examines the ideals of Hamilton, Paterson, Pinckney among a handful of others. Other ideals brought about by the other 54 members concerned problems of small vs large states, rights of its citizens, and the powers that the government possessed. Of all the members sent to the convention, easily the strongest and most outspoken was James Madison of Virginia. Well spoken and intelligent, James Madison worked from the minute he arrived.. Prior to the convention even starting, James drafted up a document eventually known as the Virginia Plan with served as a platform for which the convention to work off of. Although the Virginia plan was more of an outline than a hard copy, this was a benchmark for the convention and the constitution, leading to James being called by many the “Father of the Constitution”. One major contribution and idea brought forward from the Virginia plan was that of a populous based legislature. This idea of his came about …show more content…
George Mason and Elbridge Gerry did not sign for similar reasons. They both thought that the document needed a Bill of Rights. Additionally, Elbridge Gerry didn’t sign because of the military power that the executive branch possessed. He believed in no standing army, which at the time was not common practice, and that the states should keep their militia. Luther Martin of Maryland also did not sign but for a different reason. When it came down to it, Martin just believed that the national government would be too powerful and end up controlling the states and therefore the