Until 1787, the debts of the War of Independence accumulated and many states had retreated in the payment of their debts. States imposed tariffs on themselves and fought for borders. Britain was angry that pre-war debts were not being paid, and it refused to abide by the treaty that had ended the war (the Treaty of Paris of 1783). Congress realized that things were not going well, declared on February 21, 1787, « that there were gaps in the present Confederation, » and decided that a convention should be held in Philadelphia « for the sole explicit purpose of revising the articles of confederation. » and to make the Federal Constitution adapted to the requirements of the government and the preservation of the Union. While not all states went through the extreme of the Rhode Island affair, many of them had a little trouble deciding which side they were on. Two other questions about the president have also sparked heated debates: how long will the presidential term last? And should the number of terms the president could serve be limited? This debate was due to the fear of a monarchy or a despot who could take control of the country…
