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53-694: The Virginia Ratifying Convention (also historically referred to as the " Virginia Federal Convention ") was a convention of 168 delegates from Virginia who met in 1788 to ratify or reject the United States Constitution , which had been drafted at the Philadelphia Convention the previous year. The Convention met and deliberated from June 2 through June 27 in Richmond at the Richmond Theatre , presently

106-498: A British Bill of Rights and the UK Parliament debated a Bill of Rights Bill but it was not passed into legislation. Australia is the only common law country with neither a constitutional nor federal legislative bill of rights to protect its citizens, although there is ongoing debate in many of Australia's states. In 1973, Federal Attorney-General Lionel Murphy introduced a human rights Bill into parliament, although it

159-504: A convention center dedicated to hosting such events. The term MICE (Meetings, Incentives, Conferencing, Exhibitions) is widely used in Asia as a description of the industry. The Convention ("C") is one of the most dynamic elements in the M.I.C.E. segment. The industry is generally regulated under the tourism sector . In the technical sense, a convention is a meeting of delegates or representatives. The 1947 Newfoundland National Convention

212-512: A confederation's constituent states. The proposed Constitution creates a republic with each branch of government grounded in the people without hereditary offices. Its mixed nature was both federated and consolidated, but in all cases was based on "the superior power of the people". The states would remain important because the House of Representatives were chosen by people in each state, and the Senate

265-587: A convention to propose amendments to the Constitution. Bill of rights Bills of rights may be entrenched or unentrenched . An entrenched bill of rights cannot be amended or repealed by a country's legislature through regular procedure, instead requiring a supermajority or referendum; often it is part of a country's constitution, and therefore subject to special procedures applicable to constitutional amendments. The history of legal charters asserting certain rights for particular groups goes back to

318-624: A factor in state ratification conventions outside New York in Virginia. Although a majority of Virginians were said to be against adoption of the Constitution, and the Anti-federalists had the oratorical advantage with Patrick Henry, the Federalists were better organized under the leadership of judges who had been trained by George Wythe, and former Continental Army officers who aligned with George Washington. Patrick Henry questioned

371-653: A justice of the United States Supreme Court . His control of the Virginia legislature enabled his partisans to elect the only two Anti-Federalist U.S. Senators in the First Congress . The following list is of the delegates to the Virginia ratifying convention and their vote on ratification. A total of 170 delegates were elected. Of these, 168 voted on ratification: 89 for, 79 against. The delegates included representatives from modern-day Kentucky and West Virginia , which were part of Virginia at

424-826: A proposal for a new Constitution for the union. With the guarantee of deliberative assemblies as a mechanism of redress under the First Amendment to the United States Constitution , conventions have proven fundamental in civic actions meant to secure fundamental rights and civil liberties; such as, the Seneca Falls Convention , the Rochester Women's Rights Convention of 1848 , and the National Women's Rights Conventions . Collectively, these conventions directly led to

477-488: A state's constitution, are limited to addressing the constitutional matters of that particular state alone. Nearly all of the sovereign states do not yet have statutory provisions for conventions beyond their permanent legislature, state amendatory conventions , and conventions for ratification of proposals to amend the Constitution . There are no state laws explicitly providing for the election of delegates for

530-566: A vehicle to secure public rights through constitutions, or as a mechanism of redress to amend them. In fact, they have been instrumental to the nation's continued development into the representative democracy it is today. During the Confederation period under the Articles of Confederation , the former British colonies of North America had united to form a wartime confederation of states. One characterized by state representation in

583-539: A weak and decentralized central government headed by the unicameral Congress of the Confederation , the precursor to the modern-day United States Senate . One convention of particular note during this time was held between September 11–14, 1786 in Annapolis, Maryland . The Annapolis Convention , was convened primarily to address issues of commerce between the states, but the agenda quickly became focused upon

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636-615: A wide range of deficiencies posed by the current frame of government. The convention ended with a resolution by Alexander Hamilton calling for a convention to amend the Articles of Confederation. Following Hamilton's suggestion, the Confederate Congress called a convention “to render the constitution … adequate to the exigencies of the Union.” The Philadelphia Convention begin on May 14, 1787, and ended on September 17, with

689-403: Is a classic example of a state-sponsored political convention. More often, organizations made up of smaller units, chapters, or lodges, such as labor unions , honorary societies , and fraternities and sororities , meet as a whole in convention by sending delegates of the units to deliberate on the organization's common issues. This also applies to a political convention , though in modern times

742-583: The Federal Government of the United States formally recognizes conventions , wherever they may arise in constitutional law , as short-term deliberative assemblies . As such, they are subject to the rights of the People to enjoy free of governmental interference of any kind. Throughout the history of the United States, conventions have served as a mechanism of self-governance , providing

795-692: The General Convention of the Episcopal Church USA and the Southern Baptist Convention . Conventions in general enjoy a long history and rich tradition within the United States due in part to their epistemic, moral, and transformative nature. So much so that they have been stitched into the fabric of American government. There is an abundance of case law , historical precedent, examples of congressional intent , and Constitutional language, that demonstrate that

848-733: The Habeas Corpus Act 1679 and the Bill of Rights 1689 (English Bill of Rights) established certain rights in statute. In the Thirteen Colonies , the English Bill of Rights was one of the influences on the 1776 Virginia Declaration of Rights , which in turn influenced the United States Declaration of Independence later that year. After the Constitution of the United States was adopted in 1789,

901-601: The Middle Ages and earlier. An example is Magna Carta , an English legal charter agreed between the King and his barons in 1215. In the early modern period , there was renewed interest in Magna Carta . English common law judge Sir Edward Coke revived the idea of rights based on citizenship (see history of citizenship ) by arguing that Englishmen had historically enjoyed such rights . The Petition of Right 1628 ,

954-597: The Nineteenth Amendment to the United States Constitution securing a woman's right to vote . The Colored Conventions Movement was a series of national, regional, and state conventions held irregularly during the decades preceding and following the American Civil War . These conventions offered opportunities for free-born and formerly enslaved African Americans to organize and strategize for racial justice . These early conventions argued for

1007-855: The United States Bill of Rights was ratified in 1791. The U.S. Constitution and Bill of Rights were influenced by British constitutional history . Inspired by the Age of Enlightenment , the Declaration of the Rights of Man and of the Citizen asserted the universality of rights. It was adopted in 1789 by France's National Constituent Assembly , during the period of the French Revolution . The 20th century saw different groups draw on these earlier documents for influence when drafting

1060-894: The Universal Declaration of Human Rights , the European Convention on Human Rights and the United Nations Convention on the Rights of the Child . The constitution of the United Kingdom remains uncodified. However, the Bill of Rights 1689 is part of UK law. The Human Rights Act 1998 also incorporates the rights contained in the European Convention on Human Rights into UK law. In the 21st century, there were proposals for

1113-709: The Yellowstone River Compact Commission , Red River Compact Commission , Colorado River Compact , and the Delaware River Basin Commission . Interstate conventions, otherwise known as conventions of states , may be called by the Governor as well, such was the case with a series of meetings from December 15, 1814, to January 5, 1815, collectively known as the Hartford Convention . The convention

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1166-595: The Civil War, Congress passed the Reconstruction Acts , resulting in the states that once comprised the Confederate States of America being divided into military districts . These Acts of Congress mandated that the rebel states revise their constitutions by means of conventions of elected delegates, to include the ratification of the thirteenth , fourteenth , and fifteenth amendments to

1219-569: The Constitution in the Philadelphia Convention, chose Virginia's Ratifying Convention to support adoption. George Mason had refused to sign due to the lack of a Bill of Rights in Philadelphia and would continue in his opposition. The Virginia ratification included a recommendation for a Bill of Rights , and Madison subsequently led the First Congress to send the Bill of Rights to the states for ratification. On receiving

1272-532: The Constitution. Under Article Five, Congress is obligated to call such a convention when thirty-four states have formally submitted to Congress, a joint resolution known as a state application . To date, the Clerk of the United States House of Representatives has identified nearly two hundred of these applications. Yet, this method of proposal remains elusive and has never occurred in the history of

1325-787: The Convention. Conventions are ubiquitous in the corporate sector and include the State Conventions of the National Association of Realtors and the Annual Convention for the Cleaning Equipment Trade Association for just two of countless examples. Presidential nominating conventions are called by political parties in the United States. They have been a permanent feature of the government since its founding. After

1378-740: The Convention; 149 of the 170 delegates were silent. An early estimate gave the Federalists seeking ratification a slim margin of 86 to Anti-Federalists rejecting at 80, with four unknowns. Federalists came from the Tidewater and Northern Neck, the Shenandoah Valley, and western counties, although the Kentucky counties along the Ohio River feared being abandoned to the Spanish under the new government. The Anti-federalists found strength in

1431-478: The Federalists railroaded the Anti-federalists in an all or nothing choice, in the Virginia Convention the Federalists had made efforts to reconcile with the Anti-federalists by recommending amendments like that of Virginia's Bill of Rights preamble to its 1776 Constitution. The American experiment was imagined to become one of successive constitutional changes to meet changing circumstances. Virginia

1484-493: The Philadelphia Convention to now supporting adoption for the sake of preserving the Union. He noted that the Confederation was "totally inadequate" and leading to American downfall. The new Constitution would repair the inadequacies of the Articles. If something were not done, the Union would be lost. The new government should be based on the people who would be governed by it, not the intermediary states. The Constitution should be ratified, along with any "practical" amendments, after

1537-651: The Richmond Theatre and now the site of Monumental Church where it continued to meet until June 27.) The Virginia Ratifying Convention narrowly approved joining the proposed United States under a Constitution of supreme national law as authorized by " We, the People " of the United States. James Madison led those in favor, Patrick Henry , delegate to the First Continental Convention and Revolutionary wartime governor, led those opposed. Governor Edmund Randolph , who had refused to sign

1590-408: The United States Constitution. Congress has also frequently employed conventions for the admission of new states to the Union under Article Four of the United States Constitution . In all, a total of thirty-one states were admitted to the union in this manner. In each and every case, under the authority derived directly from the federal constitution, Congress mandated an election of delegates with

1643-410: The United States dating back well before the ratification of the Constitution, confusion and controversy has emerged in recent decades. Perhaps, most prominent among them is the distinction between what constitutes a state convention and what constitutes a federal convention. Fortunately this can be determined by identification of the convening authority. A federal convention is one called and convened for

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1696-486: The United States. Article Five also provides that Congress may choose among two modes of ratification, either by means of state legislatures or by state conventions. To date the state convention ratification mode was used by Congress just once, to ratify the Twenty-first Amendment to the United States Constitution which ended prohibition . As a result, many states have statutory provisions providing for

1749-504: The abolition of slavery, equal educational opportunities, land reform, and the merits of emigration out of the United States. Prior to the ratification of the United States Constitution, a convention of independent states would hold sovereign power over the Confederate Congress. However, most of these conventions were called by state legislatures to resolve boundary disputes; others were called for economic purposes; such as

1802-457: The authority of the Philadelphia Convention to presume to speak for "We, the people" instead of "We, the states". In his view, delegates should have only recommended amendments to the Articles of Confederation. Consolidated government would put an end to Virginia's liberties and state government. Nine states making a new nation without the rest would abrogate treaties and place Virginia in great peril. Edmund Randolph had changed from his opposition in

1855-605: The central Piedmont, Southside, and southwest counties.≥ Unlike the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention, the Virginia Ratifying Convention was open to the public and crowds filled the galleries along with the press. Delegates changed sides over the debates, demonstrators paraded in the streets, and the press churned out accounts of the proceedings along with commentary pamphlets. The Federalist Papers first became

1908-599: The common issues are limited to selecting a party candidate or party chairman. In this technical sense , a congress , when it consists of representatives, is a convention. The British House of Commons is a convention, as are most other houses of a modern representative legislature . The National Convention or just "Convention" in France comprised the constitutional and legislative assembly which sat from September 20, 1792, to October 26, 1795. The governing bodies of religious groups may also be called conventions, such as

1961-660: The convention mode of ratification became enshrined within Article Seven of the United States Constitution . The Constitution was eventually adopted per the provisions of Article Seven as the Supreme Law of the Land through a series of Ratification Conventions that ultimately culminated on May 29, 1790, with the final ratification which was provided by the State of Rhode Island. Despite this long history of conventions in

2014-437: The elections of delegates for future ratification conventions. The Delegates of the Philadelphia Convention chose state conventions instead of state legislatures as the bodies to consider ratification of the Constitution. They broadly believed that ratification by means of conventions would better represent the will of the People and this process "would make the new federal Constitution superior to any specific legislature." Thus

2067-420: The event organizers and attendees. Professional conventions focus on issues of concern along with advancements related to the profession. Such conventions are generally organized by societies or communities dedicated to promotion of the topic of interest. Fan conventions usually feature displays, shows, and sales based on pop culture and guest celebrities. Science fiction conventions traditionally partake of

2120-516: The judiciary, because he feared the shared powers would lead to "the destruction of one or the other." Madison pointed out that the history of Confederations like that provided in the Articles of Confederation government were inadequate in the long run, both with the ancient and with the modern (1700s) Germans, Dutch and Swiss. They brought "anarchy and confusion", disharmony and foreign invasion. Efficient government can only come from direct operation on individuals, it can never flow from negotiations among

2173-426: The nature of both professional conventions and fan conventions, with the balance varying from one to another. Conventions also exist for various hobbies, such as gaming or model railroads . Conventions are often planned and coordinated, often in exacting detail, by professional meeting and convention planners , either by staff of the convention's hosting company or by outside specialists. Most large cities will have

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2226-416: The new nation was begun. George Mason countered that a national, consolidated government would overburden Virginians with direct taxes in addition to state taxes, and that government of an extensive territory must necessarily destroy liberty. Although he conceded that the Confederation government was "inefficient", he wanted a clear line between the jurisdictions of the federal and state governments, including

2279-486: The passage of an enabling act ; such as these notable examples: Among the most enigmatic of all conventions, Article Five of the United States Constitution provides for the calling of a constitutional convention , more commonly known as a Convention to propose amendments , whereby delegates are elected in equal fashion to Members of the United States Congress , to deliberate and propose amendments to

2332-411: The proposed Constitution from the Philadelphia Convention, Congress initiated a ratification procedure for the proposed Constitution which by-passed the sitting state legislatures, going directly to the people of the country, state by state. Four delegates, James Madison with Edmund Randolph for the Federalists and Patrick Henry with George Mason for the Anti-federalists made most of the speeches of

2385-426: The purpose of exercising a federal function under authority deriving directly from the United States Constitution. Conversely, state legislatures only exercise federal functions when they apply to Congress for a convention to propose amendments or when they call a convention to ratify a proposed amendment submitted to the states by Congress. Otherwise conventions called and convened under authority deriving directly from

2438-551: The site of Monumental Church . Judge Edmund Pendleton , Virginia delegate to the Constitutional Convention, served as the convention's president by unanimous consent . The Convention convened "in the temporary capital at Cary and Fourteenth streets" on June 2, 1788, and elected Edmund Pendleton its presiding officer. The next day the Convention relocated to the Richmond Academy (later the site of

2491-490: The time. Convention (meeting) A convention (or event ), in the sense of a meeting, is a gathering of individuals who meet at an arranged place and time in order to discuss or engage in some common interest. The most common conventions are based upon industry , profession , and fandom . Trade conventions typically focus on a particular industry or industry segment, and feature keynote speakers, vendor displays, and other information and activities of interest to

2544-469: Was a floor leader in the first session of the First Congress . Madison rewrote the various state proposals into twelve proposals from Congress as amended, sent to the States for ratification by three-fourths of them. Patrick Henry's hostility to the government under the Constitution was so strong that he subsequently refused to join it, turning down offers to serve as United States Secretary of State and as

2597-531: Was called to address the ongoing War of 1812 , as well as, an array of problems arising from the growth of the federal government. Single state conventions may be called due to a provision of the state's constitution, by referendum, or in response to amendment proposal from Congress. To date, there have been 233 state-level conventions in the history of the United States, all of which convened to revise or even entirely rewrite their state constitutions. In each and everyone of these convention, delegates were elected to

2650-498: Was chosen by the state legislatures. The Constitution limited the national government to enumerated powers. The Virginia Ratification (Federal) Convention made a final vote on George Wythe's motion to ratify, passing it 89 to 79. Virginians reserved the right to withdraw from the new government. The remedy for federal “injury or oppression” included amending the Constitution. Unlike the Pennsylvania Convention where

2703-610: Was never passed. In 1984, Senator Gareth Evans drafted a Bill of Rights, but it was never introduced into parliament, and in 1985, Senator Lionel Bowen introduced a bill of rights, which was passed by the House of Representatives , but failed to pass the Senate . Former Australian Prime Minister John Howard has argued against a bill of rights for Australia on the grounds it would transfer power from elected politicians to unelected judges and bureaucrats . Victoria , Queensland and

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2756-584: Was the case with the Annapolis Convention that ultimately led to the framing of the Constitution. Since ratification however, it has become widely understood that the Constitution recognizes the authority of states and state legislatures to appoint commissioners to these type of conventions,. Although any agreements they may reach are subject to Congressional approval under the Commerce Clause . Examples of this form of convention include

2809-463: Was the tenth state to ratify the new Constitution. New York followed a month later on July 26, 1788. The new government began operating with eleven states on March 4, 1789. The convention recommended the addition of a bill of rights but did not make ratification contingent upon it. Many of the ideas presented during this convention were later incorporated into the United States Bill of Rights . James Madison, elected to Congress from his home district

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