The Franklin Mint History Of The United States, 1776-1973
Manufacturer
The Franklin Mint
CultureAmerican
DateNo Date
MediumSilver
DimensionsOverall: 1 3/4 in. (45 mm.)
Credit LineGift of Dr. Eugene F. Poutasse
Object number76.81.12
Not on view
DescriptionOne of collection of 200 silver medals.The 1787 medal: The Constitution Approved
The 55 delegates that came to Constituational Convention in Philadelphia's Independence Hall on May 25, 1787 or during the following weeks, had been instructed to revise the Articles of Confederation which precariously held the states together as a nation; but they had not deliberated long before they determined there must be a centralized government having the power to tax and regualte commerce even though this was one of the causes of the American Revolution. To assure that acrimonious public discussions did not disrupt the Convention, the delegates were bound to secrecy.
The delegates were not aged patriarchs - only four were over 60, and most were in their thirties. Yet they were men of practical experience, among the ablest in America, and over a third had attended college. George Washington was selected president; he and Benjamin Franklin, the oldest delegate, exerted a calming influence during the debates. William Jackson was made secretay, but his notes are so fragmentary as to be of slight value. Fortunately, James Madison, the intellectual leader of the Convention and "Father of the Consitiution," kept private records that were published after his death.
After long debates and many compromises, the Constitution was finally completed. Although there were many things that the framers did not forsee, the U.S Consitution is the oldest written constitution in effect in the world today. It has been helped by its flexibility and ambiguity which have allowed interpretation to change as times have changed. Although this has meant argument over the years and did not even satisfy the delegates completely, the result is no doubt best summed up in the words of Franklin when the Constitution was signed by 39 of the delegates on September 17, 1787: "Thus I consent, Sir, to this Constitution, because I expect no better, and because I am not sure that it is not the best."
