The Creation of the Constitution
To amend is "1. To improve; better. 2. To remove the faults or errors of; correct; rectify. 3. To alter formally by adding, deleting, or rephrasing." This is exactly what the delegates to the Constitutional Convention had in mind when they arrived in Philadelphia in May of 1787 - to amend the Articles of Confederation. They had come to "remedy the perceived weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation." But in reality that is the exact opposite of what happened. They in fact drafted up a whole new constitution. The Articles of Confederation had a p…
