Miracle At Philadelphia

On July 16, the Convention approved a version of Sherman’s compromise, whereby the lower house would base representation on the population of the states, and the higher house would have equal representation for all states. It was viewed as a tremendous victory for the smaller states, who “felt safe, no longer threatened by those towering bullies” (186). Yet suspicions remained that the advocates for the Constitution really wanted a king, rendering the balance of power between large and small states moot. Some delegates did suggest that something like a king would be necessary to put a check on excessive democracy. Within the Convention, this debate took shape over the method of electing the president, with some calling for a direct popular vote and others for an election by Congress. They also debated the possibility of impeachment and the number and duration of presidential terms. Even as fears circulated of a plot to install the son of George III as the king of the United States, the Convention gave a surprising amount of power to the president, perhaps in the expectation that Washington would be the first person to hold the office and could be trusted to exercise those powers prudently.