United States of America, 1786-1800

The central government's strength grew out of the Constitution created in 1787 by delegates from all of the North American British Colonies.
Nationalists had long argued for a strengthened union of the states. The nationalists were drawn from the elite circles of American life. Nationalists included merchants, former officers of the Continental Army, and conservatives who wanted to restrain what they believed to be the excessive democracy of the states.
In March 1785, a group of men from Virginia and Maryland, including James Madison, George Mason, and George Washington (see: http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=sbRom1Rz8OA), drafted an agreement to present to legislatures recommending uniform commercial regulations, duties, and currency laws.
Only five states sent strong nationalist delegates to the Annapolis Convention in September 1786. Alexander Hamilton drew up a report to call on Congress to endorse a new convention to be held in Philadelphia to discuss all matters necessary to render the constitution of the federal government adequate for the newly formed union's present and future needs.
Despite serious disagreements between localists (supporters of state autonomy) and nationalists, most Americans agreed that the Articles of Confederation needed strengthening, especially in regard to commercial regulation and the generation of revenue. Early in the year of 1787, the Confederation Congress cautiously approved the plan for a convention for the sole purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation.