Question

Why did Patrick Henry say he “smelt a rat” and refused to attend the Philadelphia Convention?

Answer 1

Why did Patrick Henry say he “smelt a rat” and refused to attend the Philadelphia Convention?

Step-by-step explanation:

In 1784, Henry was again elected governor of Virginia and served until 1786. He declined to attend the Constitutional Convention of 1787, reputedly saying that he “smelt a rat in Philadelphia, tending toward the monarchy.”

Henry sought to sway his fellow Virginians against ratifying the U.S. Constitution. He nearly succeeded, arguing that it gave too much power to the federal government. Once it passed, however, he was instrumental in attaching the Bill of Rights to the document.