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Constitutional Convention
Who?
55 Delegates from the States
What?
A meeting to discuss the new government
When?
Summer 1787
Where?
Philadelphia (Independence Hall)
Why?
Originally- to revise the Articles of Confederation
1. James Madison is considered the
Father of the Constitution
2. Who was chosen unanimously to preside, or lead, the convention?
George Washington
Washington
3. Each state would have one vote on all
decisions.
4. A majority vote of those states present
would make decisions.
5. All sessions were kept secret because it made it possible for the
delegates to talk freely.
Virginia Plan
Proposed by Edmund Randolph-work of James Madison
He proposed a two-house legislature with a chief executive chosen by the legislature and a court system.
The number of representatives for each state would be proportional to its population.
Proportional: corresponding in size
Small Population: Smaller # of Representatives
Large Population: Larger # of Representatives
Who objected to this plan?
states with smaller populations
Why?
They would have less representatives.
The New Jersey Plan
Kept the one-house legislature
Every state would get one vote and representative.
Congress could set taxes and regulate trade.
Describe the proposed executive branch: weak and consisting of more than one person
In your opinion, who do YOU think might disagree with the plan? Why?
States with high populations. State with
400,000 people who have the same amount of
representation as states with 50,000 = unfair!
8. Delegates at the Convention had to decide whether to revise the Articles
of Confederation or write a new Constitution.
9. Name at least two questions that delegates struggled to deal with.
How were slaves going to be counted for taxation and
representation?
How were members of
Congress going to be elected?
How would state representation be determined in the upper and lower
houses?
The Great Compromise
Proposed by Roger Sherman
Compromise: agreement in which both sides give something up
The Great Compromise had a two-house legislature.
In the House of Representatives the number of seats for each state would vary according to the state’s population.
In the Senate, each state would have two members.
The Three-Fifths Compromise
Why did Southern states want to include enslaved people in their population?
To gain delegates in the House of Representatives
Slaves counted in population=higher population=more representatives for the state
Northern states argued that the enslaved, as “property,” should be
counted for the purpose of taxation, but not for representation.
Slaves counted as property=property is taxed=more $ for the government
A compromise known as the Three-fifths Compromise was created.
It said that each enslaved person would be counted as 3/5 of a free person for both taxation and representation.
Every 5 enslaved persons would equal 3 free persons.
12. In order to keep the Southern States in the Nation, Northerners agreed to not interfere with slave trade until 1808.
13. True or False: The new Constitution originally included a Bill of Rights.
14. On September 17, 1787 delegates assembled in Philadelphia to sign the Constitution.
15. Three delegates refused to sign it because it did not include a Bill of Rights.
16. 9 out of 13 had to approve the Constitution for it to become official.
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