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Rhode Island sent no delegates, for a couple of reasons:
- Rhode Island feared the increase in federal tariffs that a new Constitution would entail. As a maritime state, they would have been hit especially hard by a tariff. (In fact, a few years earlier, Rhode Island's lone veto of such a tariff by Congress had kept one from being implemented.)
- Rhode Island's government had just recently (1786) been taken over by the "Country Party". This "populist" group, devoted to the concerns of the state's debtors & farmers, had used the heavy printing of paper currency to help their constituency. (Hard currency & low inflation helps creditors; soft money and high inflation generally helps creditors.)
Such struggles were, in fact, going on in several states (Shays' Rebellion in Massachusetts was one example), and concern over them was a significant factor prompting leaders (many of them also investors) to push for a Constitutional Convention by which they might strengthen the central government, giving it powers to limit these excesses in the individual states (and the ability of local groups to agitate for them), including the ability to print their own money.
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Why did Virginia call for a constitutional convention in 1829?
Virginia called for a constitutional convention in 1829 to revise the state's framework of government.
The number of votes each state had at the constitutional convention?
one
What state sent the least delegates to the constitutional convention?
During the American Constitutional Convention that formally began its proceedings in 1787, the smallest state (in terms of land-area) represented was Delaware. Rhode Island, the smallest state of the 'Original 13,' declined to send delegates to the Convention.
What was the most important compromise of the constitutional convention?
That state representation at the national level be divided into a two house legislation. The upper house being the place where all states, no matter how large or small the population is, have equal representation. Whereas the in the lower house each state would be represented according to the amount of people in there state.
What was the the name of the states that did not attend the constitution?
Rhode Island was the only state that didn't send delegates to the Constitutional Convention. It was also the last state to ratify the Constitution.
