ABSTRACT
Any analysis of the relationship between personal economic interests and political behavior in the Convention must necessarily be tentative. Despite obstacles, certain observations may be made with respect to the connection between economic interests and political outlook. It would have little effect on the present analysis, however, since McHenry, too, was frequently absent-more than half the time the Convention was in session. One could venture to argue, speciously, and almost make a convincing case of it, that the internal conflict in the Philadelphia Convention lay between the men of considerable personalty interests, who opposed the Constitution, and men having realty-agrarian interests, a band of debtors, and a few men having modest personalty interests, who favored the Constitution. Professor Beard made no attempt at a systematic analysis of the role of economic interests inside the Philadelphia Convention.
