The US Constitution replaced the weak Articles of Confederation from 1781. The Constitution was adopted in 1788 and effectively in place by 1789. It was written by fifty-five delegates, all property owners. There were many varied concerns and pressures when writing the Constitution. It had to ensure John Lockes idea of "Government by Consent", Montesqueus idea of the "Separation of Powers", other factors including taxation and slavery, however the most important to these men was to protect their individual wealth. They didn't want the people to have too much power and this is reflected in the overriding practicalities of the Constitution compared to ideas.
The founding fathers were realists who knew the dismal record of human liberty in the past and understood that while free government was possible, it was hardly inevitable. John Adams, Ambassador to Great Britain defended the constitution of government for the United States. He argued for a system of checks and balances, a government combining monarchy, aristocracy and democracy. He posed a solution to an old dilemma, how to establish a Government strong enough to act but not strong enough to turn into a tyranny reminding the delegates their own experiences in constitution making was a valid guide into the future. Another great influence was that of George Washington who brought prestige and respect to the Constitution. Although the fathers were well read in the writers of the Enlightenment period they were also wealthy landowners. They saw the practical need of writing a Constitution to work successfully and easily, and this was more important than giving the people freedom, however Democracy was needed to get states to agree with each other.
Democracy was seen in most of the Constitution as the Congress was elected, two from each state for the Senate, and the House of Representatives by size of state which were chosen every two years making it very democratic, but weak as it would have been very difficult to get things done.
