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.