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[FONT=&quot]The Constitutional Convention

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[FONT=&quot]The Articles of Confederation had widely come to be regarded as a failure when the Constitutional Convention met in 1788. The one state which remained loyal to them was Rhode Island, which refused to even send delegates to Philadelphia. The union seemed to be coming apart at the seams.

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[FONT=&quot]Immediately, two plans saw fit to emerge. They were known as the Virginia plan, which included a powerful legislature, elected proportionally, and a less powerful executive; the New Jersey plan, was similar, but allowed for a multi-person executive, and for each state to have one vote in the legislature.

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[FONT=&quot]A third plan known as the South Carolina plan also came to be, a blend between the two[1]. There would be a lower house, elected proportionally, and an upper house, which consisted of four members, ‘one per region’; it also allowed for a chief executive, elected by the legislature.

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[FONT=&quot]The Convention was deadlocked between the three possibilities. Meanwhile, as it proceeded, events were also going on in foreign lands…

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[FONT=&quot]The French Revolution occurred, and a government had finally been decided. A one-house legislature, elected by the people, known as the National Assembly, was created; also existing was a King, who had few powers. As their fellow revolutionaries accepted the idea of a monarchy, slowly the Convention in Philadelphia also began to turn towards the monarchy…

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[FONT=&quot]Alexander Hamilton brought forward the so-called ‘New York Plan’. It consisted of a system similar to the French one, with a one-house legislature elected proportionally, known as the House of Commons, with a King, elected by the House of Commons for life. However, all this meant was that by October, the Convention was deadlocked four ways.

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[FONT=&quot]The main break for the New York Plan came when Edmund Randolph, a delegate from Virginia and the creator of the Virginia Plan, endorsed the New York Plan as a good idea after all. Although the Convention was still deadlocked, it was clear at this point that the New York Plan had an edge over the New Jersey and South Carolina Plans.

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[FONT=&quot]By the end of October, as the Convention was planning to adjourn, Roger Sherman, a delegate from Connecticut, proposed the so-called ‘Connecticut Compromise’. The main problem the New Jersey supporters had with the New York Plan was the fact that it’s legislature was proportional, and so the small states would have little power. Sherman brought forward the idea of an ‘upper house’ for the New York Plan; a so-called Royal Council, which would have one member from each state, elected for life by the state’s delegation. Although the vast majority of legislative duties remained with the House of Commons, the Royal Council would advise the elected King, and enter states into the union. Although some supporters of the New Jersey Plan remained, the Connecticut Compromise was good enough for most of its supporters, and by the end of October 1788, the plan had the support of over 50% of state delegations. The results were announced to the public.

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[FONT=&quot]Immediately, a Revolutionary leader, the former Governor of Virginia Patrick Henry, who had “smelt a rat in Philadelphia, tending towards the monarchy,” came out against the Constitution. In order to increase its general popularity among the American public, Alexander Hamilton, James Monroe, and John Jay wrote the Federalist Papers, a document in support of the Constitution. The papers generally advocated the Constitution that had been agreed upon in Philadelphia was, all in all, the best plan for the country.

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[FONT=&quot]In corroboration with a Pennsylvanian known as Samuel Bryan, Henry wrote the Republican Papers, which generated less publicity and were less effective than the Federalist ones. Nevertheless, the Republican Papers popularized the idea of a Bill of Rights.

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[FONT=&quot]By October of 1789, all of the states which had been present at the Convention had ratified the new Constitution. Elections were scheduled.

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[FONT=&quot][1][/FONT][FONT=&quot]This is OTL; such a plan was, in fact, created by Charles Pinckney; however, it was not seriously considered. This is the main POD; it is, so the Convention is deadlocked three ways, not two.[/FONT]​
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