12
In comparison to other books about Benjamin Franklin, The Autobiography probably gives you the best insight into
о
Franklin's descendants
о
the moral values of the time
o
Franklin's contemporaries
the historical background of the time

One of the main reasons for the Constitutional Convention was the weakness of the federal government under the Articles of Confederation. After the Revolutionary War, it became obvious that the federal government did not have enough power to sucessfully mediate between self-interested states. It also did not have the power to enforce tax collection, which left it severely underfunded. These were major reasons for the Constitutional Convention and the drafting of the Constitution.