The Constitution: Discord And Tension In 1850 When the Constitution of the United States was first created in 1787, its purpose was to unify our country. However, by 1850, the United States had become ‘source of sectional discord and tension and ultimately contributed to the failure of the union it had created.’ What happened during the 63 years after it was first established to ‘contribute to the failure of the union it had created?’ One must look at what the Constitution promoted to make the country unified and what it did to make it disunified. Compromises such as 3/5, the Missouri, and the tariff of 1850 all helped to unify and shape our country