Constitutional Convention ( May 25, 1787)

How was the United States Government formed?

Chapter 7 lesson 4

Purpose of the Constitutional

What was The purpose of the Constitutional Convention?

The goal was to revise the Articles of Confederation. It was quickly decided to replace them.

Articles of ConfederationArticles of Confederation

What to do about the Articles government?

• Planned to revise (or fix) the Articles of Confederation

• DECISION 1: They decided to make a new government.

• This would lead to problems later because colonists would accuse them of doing something extra-legal (beyond the law)!

55 delegates met at the Convention. 8 had signed the Declaration and George Washington was elected as president of the convention. Most delegates were young like James Madison and Alexander Hamilton who believed the nation was sick and “needed a powerful remedy.”

How could the problems be fixed?

• Delegates disagreed on how much power to give the new government.

• Edmund Randolph and James Madison proposed the Virginia Plan – Called for a strong national government with three branches (legislative, judicial, and executive).

• The legislature would have two houses (bicameral) with representation based on a state’s population.

James Madison was nicknamed the “Father of the Constitution” because of his ideas about how to structure a government (VA Plan).

…How could the problems be fixed?

• Delegates from the small states did not like the VA Plan – They would lose all power!

• Proposed the New Jersey Plan – had three branches but had only one house that (like the Articles) would have only one vote for each state (equal representation).

• It was really a slightly more powerful version of the Articles.

Patterson’s plan was an attempt to keep power for the small states but it had little chance of passing because it was too much like the Articles.

1) Compare and contrast the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan

2) Create a diagram to show your answer

• PLEASE answer on your 4 LEFT page – DO LATER

3 min.

What did they decide to do? (the solution to the big argument)

• The Great (or Connecticut) Compromise

• Keep the Virginia Plan but have two houses with one (the House of Representatives) based on population and the other (the Senate) based on equal representation (two per state).

• This way both sides were happy (or at least satisfied)

Most of Madison’s VA Plan was accepted – making it the basis of the new government.

The Great (or Connecticut) Compromise

THE GREAT COMPROMISE!How does great compromise look today?

• TWO House Legislative:

• The House of Representatives would have representatives based on Population (435 today)

• The Senate would have equal representation for all states. Each state will have two Senators (100 total for the U.S. Today)

• Big and small states were satisfied

What to do about slavery?

• Many northerners wanted to end slavery – they thought counting slaves for representation was unfair because they could not vote. Southerners refused to give in – they threatened to walk out.

• 3/5ths Compromise: slaves would be counted for population and taxes in the South but they would only count for 3/5’s of a white southerner. (5,000 slaves would count as 3,000). Neither side was really happy with this.

3/5 th Compromise

How should trade be controlled?• The slave trade could only

be made illegal after 20 years.

• Result: The slave trade remained untouched leading to the expansion of slavery into new states which created bigger problem!

• National government would control trade between states (interstate commerce) and the states would control trade within their borders.

Trade Compromises

What to do about an executive?• Had many options: King,

prime minister, or a President

• Had to decide how to choose the president: • Combined different

ideas to form the Electoral College (indirect election).

• Also decided the president would have a 4 year term with no limit to the amount of terms.

TOOK Office:April 30, 1789

LEFT office:March 4, 1797

Executive Compromises

FOR UNDERSTANDING

Assessment on 4 Left page

Why was a convention called?

a. To make a new governmentb. To solve the arguments of

representation and slaveryc. To revise or fix the Articles of

Confederationd. To solve the arguments between the

Federalists and Anti-Federalists.

What was the Virginia Plan?

a. A plan to give small states equal representation

b. A plan with a strong executive chosen by the Electoral College

c. A plan with three branches that gave one vote to each state

d. A plan with representation based on population.

What was the New Jersey Plan?

a. A plan with three branches that gave each state one vote.

b. A plan that gave power to big states.c. A plan with three branches based on

population.d. A plan for a new government that was very

different from the Articles of Confederation.

What solved the argument between the big and small states?

a. The 3/5’s Compromiseb. The Virginia Plan was acceptedc. The plan to have a president.d. The Great Compromise.

What was the Great Compromise?

a. A plan that gave power to all states because it gave each state equal power.

b. A plan that created two houses, one based on population and the other was equal.

c. An agreement to count 3/5’s of the slaves for population.

d. The agreement to end the slave trade after 20 years.

What decisions were made about slavery at the Constitutional

Convention?a. The 3/5’s Compromiseb. The Virginia Planc. The slave trade was outlawedd. The Great Compromise

What decision was made about the Executive Branch?

a. They would not have one.b. They would have a president chosen by the

peoplec. They would have a president chosen by the

Electoral College.d. The president would be chosen by Congress.

What decision was made about trade?

a. The government could control interstate commerce.

b. Slavery would be allowed in all states for 20 years.

c. Each state could control traded. The president could control trade with the

Electoral College.

What was the biggest argument at the Constitutional Convention?

a. Slaveryb. Representation in Congressc. The Executive Branchd. The decision to start a new government.

a) Constitutional Convention b) Great Compromisec) Virginia Plan d) New Jersey Plan

___1. Madison’s Plan for the new government provided for a two-house legislature. Seats in both houses would be awarded to each state on the basis of population. Thus, large states would have more representatives than smaller states.

___2. Paterson presented a plan that had the support of the small states. It provided for a legislature that had only one house. Each state, no matter what the size of its population, would have one vote in the legislature.

___3. The two sizes were deadlocked. Finally, Sherman worked out a compromise. His plan called for a two-house legislature. Seats in one house would be based on a state’s population. In the other house, each state would have two members.

___4. Washington was elected president of the assembly, which included eight signers of the Declaration of Independence. The oldest of the delegates was Ben Franklin. Newer leaders included Hamilton and Madison.