The main players in the organizing and writing of the Constitution are Alexander Hamilton of New York, James Madison of Virginia, and George Washington. They believed in a stronger national government and Congress" right to regulate trade. In response to Shay"s rebellion which consisted of farmers protesting taxes, a convention was called for by Madison and Hamilton to be held in Philadelphia in 1787. It was during this convention that the foundations for the Constitution were worked out. A completely new government was created and put on paper between May 25 and the final signing of the Constitution on September 17. The document was debated for sometime between Federalists and Anti-Federalists, but in December 1971 ten Bill of Rights were added to the Constitution in order to give rights to the citizens of the United States. This pleased both sides, and the Constitution was ratified (Scholastic Update, 4). The document produced from this convention has been the effective law of the land for over 200 years. ".out of the chaos of the 1780s emerged the Constitution, perhaps the most effective model of government ever devised. It was written by a small group of quarreling people under intense pressure. They knew how difficult their job was--and that what they had come up with wasn"t perfect. But they hoped they had created something that would be a living document for future generations" (Scholastic Update 2). The Constitution has been the center of many disputes as to how literally it should be read and followed.

             There is much evidence available which can point to the conclusion that the Constitution should be seen as a living document. This means that lawmakers and judges can find solutions to modern problems by taking the standards of the original framers, and translating them into modern standards.