Watching the building of an Iraqi Constitution

As we watch the Iraq Constitutional process, I thought I would like to remind Americans of some facts regarding our own.

In 1786 commissioners from 5 states met in the Annapolis Convention to discuss adjustments to the Articles of Conferderation that would improve commerce.

They invited states to send representatives to Philadelphia to discuss improvements to the Federal Government, the result as we are all taught in school, was the US Constitution.

However, how many of us remember that 12 states sent deputies, but Rhode Island declined to participate? In addition, two of the deputies from New York left leaving only Alexander Hamilton, who when he was in attendence did not ever cast a vote, this all from the local politics out of New York. The New Hampshire deputies never arrived until July 1787, so that there was never a vote of more than 11 states.

There were 19 deputies from various states who never showed up the Constitutional Convention, some declined the job, others simply neglected their duties.

There were 56 Deputies who were at the convention. 39 signed, 14 had already returned home and 3 refused to sign at all. The signitures to the document "attest to the unanimous consent of the STATES PRESENT." Emphasis mine.

Two states never ratified the Constitution until after George Washington was inaugerated. They were North Carolina and Rhode Island.

Rhode Island having never sent a deputy was also the last state to ratify the Constitution.

Our process was not unanimous, and it was a hard fought fight to get it through. Why should we expect the Iraqi process to be any different?

Red