The original reason for the delegates to meet in Philadelphia in 1787 was to revise the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, which had proven inadequate in addressing the young nation's problems. The Confederation Congress officially endorsed the convention "for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation" to create a stronger federal government capable of taxing, regulating commerce, and managing foreign policy issues
. This call for revision was prompted by economic troubles and political unrest, including Shays' Rebellion, which highlighted the weaknesses of the existing government under the Articles. Delegates initially intended only to amend the Articles, but as the convention progressed, most agreed that an entirely new constitution was necessary to establish a more effective national government
. Thus, the Philadelphia meeting, known as the Constitutional Convention, began with the goal of fixing the Articles but ultimately resulted in drafting the United States Constitution, which created a new federal system with separate legislative, executive, and judicial branches
