Libraries are places where we connect people to information that may be useful or interesting to them. Looking at some history, and connecting it to the materials we may have in our libraries, can be a good way to convince patrons to use and enjoy all the things we provide!
Politics is never easy, trying to make everyone happy is impossible, and there is no such thing as a time in history when everyone agreed and got along on every single thing. The Constitutional Convention, beginning May 25, 1787, is just another example of how hard it is to get things done well – but how important it is to keep trying! You can read our excerpt below, or get the whole thing from History.com.
“Four years after the United States won its independence from England, 55 state delegates, including George Washington, James Madison and Benjamin Franklin, convene in Philadelphia to compose a new U.S. constitution.
The Articles of Confederation, ratified several months before the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781, provided for a loose confederation of U.S. states, which were sovereign in most of their affairs. On paper, Congress—the central authority—had the power to govern foreign affairs, conduct war, and regulate currency, but in practice these powers were sharply limited because Congress was given no authority to enforce its requests to the states for money or troops. By 1786, it was apparent that the Union would soon break up if the Articles of Confederation were not amended or replaced. Five states met in Annapolis, Maryland, to discuss the issue, and all the states were invited to send delegates to a new constitutional convention to be held in Philadelphia.
On May 25, 1787, delegates representing every state except Rhode Island convened at Philadelphia’s Pennsylvania State House for the Constitutional Convention. The building, which is now known as Independence Hall, had earlier seen the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the signing of the Articles of Confederation. The assembly immediately discarded the idea of amending the Articles of Confederation and set about drawing up a new scheme of government. Revolutionary War hero George Washington, a delegate from Virginia, was elected convention president.”
Celebrate this achievement with some programming in your library! Find a copy of the Constitution and have it framed for your library. Have people read out sections of the constitution in a live performance. (It’s not very long!) Set up a book display of books about the founding of the country, and the difficulties involved there. Have an expert come in to talk about planning and teamwork in accomplishing big goals.