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"Federal Convention" redirects here. For other uses, see Federal Convention (disambiguation).

The Second Constitutional Convention, also called the Great Northern Convention or the Abolitionist's Convention, took place in Rochester, New York from June 19 to October 12, 1869. The convention's main goal was to create a new constitution to succeed the Provisional Constitution that had been in place in the North since 1866 and to create a new, national Frame of Government to replace the Constitution of 1787, which many viewed as being "tainted with the ghost of slavery". Reflecting the structure of the First Constitutional Convention, the delegates elected Ulysses S. Grant of Ohio, former commanding general of the Army of the Free Republic in the American Civil War and a moderate supporter of abolitionism, to become President of the convention. The result of the convention was the creation of the Constitution of 1869.

The convention took place in the First Unitarian Church of Rochester, which had previously hosted the Rochester Women's Rights Convention of 1848 and had a large congregation of abolitionist Quakers. Most delegates who arrived were intent on drafting a new constitution which would establish a strong central government, having been elected by Northern state legislatures that had become radicalized by the Civil War. However, unanimous agreement on any single issue save the abolition of slavery was all but impossible; disputes arose over civil rights and voting rights for black men, women's suffrage, and the powers of the executive and legislative branches of the new government. Several broad outlines were proposed and debated, most notably Henry Winter Davis's Maryland Plan and Charles Sumner's Massachussetts Plan. Sumner's plan, which was essentially an amended 1787 Constitution, was rejected by a wide margin, and the Maryland Plan was selected as the general blueprint for the new government.

Disagreement over the specific design and powers of the branches of government (legislative, executive, and judicial) under the new constitution delayed progress for weeks and almost shuttered the convention all together. The most contentious debate was over the nature of the legislative branch, specifically the conflict over a bicameral Congress or a unicameral National Assembly. The role of the executive was also a sticking point, including if its power should be vested among three people or one, its control over the military, its influence over the legislative process, the number of allowable terms, and if they should be elected via popular vote or an electoral college. The judiciary was looked at with contempt from many of the delegates, with the Supreme Court of the United States's past history of protecting and expanding the institution of slavey fresh in their minds. As a result, the judicial branch was purposely stunted at a national level, with the power of judicial review being revoked; instead, the court could only review and suggest amendments to laws passed by the national legislature. Finally, civil rights were also a contentious issue. Lines were drawn between the Liberal faction, led by Thurlow Weed of New York, who generally opposed the proposed Second Bill of Rights and the continuation of Reconstruction, and the Radical faction, led by Frederick Douglass of Washington and Horace Greeley of New York, who promoted these measures. Some Radicals, including Douglass himself, also promoted women's right to vote. Most of the time during the convention was spent on deciding these issues.

Progress ground to a halt in mid-August, when the Mississippi Rising gave concern across the North that the Civil War might be rekindled, and the convention was paused for four weeks until General William Tecumseh Sherman's Volunteer Army could pacify the region. The events in the South caused the convention to split in two: though the majority reconvened in Rochester in September, a contingent of delegates grew worried that a Radical constitution too harsh on the South would only lead to greater violence. 13 of the 78 delegates, mostly Rebel Democrats and conservative Republicans, met in New York City to design a new constitution of their own. With the Liberal faction in tatters in Rochester, the Radicals were free to proceed as they saw fit. In the Kansas Compromise, most Radical demands were acceded to; the Second Bill of Rights was allowed wholesale, and a unicameral legislature and a powerful executive were both agreed upon. Though more modifications and compromises would come during the ensuing weeks, this agreement was enough for the Committee of Detail to begin the process of writing the legal document itself. The Committee of Style produced the final version in late September. It was voted on by the delegates, inscribed on parchment by Elizabeth Jameson with engraving for printing, and signed by 63 of the 65 present delegates on October 12, 1869.

The completed proposed Constitution was printed in several copies and in newspapers for public review, which began the debates in the 26 elligible states and the ratification process. On October 26, 1869, the New York Convention released their own proposed constitution to the public, inflaming the debates and complicating the ratification process, as states now had two wildly different documents to choose from. Known colloquially as the "Kansas Constitution" and the "New York Constitution", worries arose over both plans for government; the former was unbalanced by its powerful Presidency, while the latter outspokenly denounced by many influential figures of the Civil War, including John Brown. Eventually, the Kansas Constitution was selected and ratified by three-quarters of the elligible states. After its adoption, an amendment establishing the the Advisory Panel, a council of seven individuals elected by the National Assembly who would provide a check upon the Presidency, was swiftly passed.