the constitutional convention 8.15b. background information after the revolutionary war, america...
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The Constitutional Convention
8.15B
Background Information
After the Revolutionary War, America went through a _______________, or a period where economic activity slows down and unemployment is high.
Because of the depression, American farmers began to suffer because they __________________________. As a result, farmers could not pay their ______________, and their lands were taken away by the state.
Resentment against the government grew in Massachusetts, and _________________ led 1,000 farmers to a federal arsenal in Springfield, Mass to gather ________________________. The state militia was called in and eventually the ______________________.
However, the state militia was barely able to control the rebellion. Shay’s Rebellion ______________ Americans, because they believed the new Articles of Confederation ________________________________to control unrest and prevent violence.
For this particular example, and others, American leaders began to see a weak national government was America’s main problem.
depression
could not sell their goodsdebts
Daniel Shayarms and ammunition
farmers fled
worriedwas not powerful enough
Video
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention
• When: May, 1787 and continued through summer
• Where: Philadelphia• Who: 55 delegates met • Ben Franklin• George Washington• James Madison• Alexander Hamilton• Edmund Randolph
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention
Organizing the Convention• Washington chosen to preside over the
meeting (lead the meeting)• Each state would get one vote, majority
rules• Delegates would close doors to public,
so they could talk freely
Washington presiding over
meeting
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention
Purpose of the meeting:• To revise the Articles of Confederation
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention
Purpose of the meeting:• To revise the Articles of Confederation
What actually happened?• Wrote the Constitution with a much
stronger national government
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention
Virginia Plan• Create a 2-house legislature, with a
chief executive, and a court system
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention
Virginia Plan• Create a 2-house legislature, with a
chief execute, and a court system• 2 house legislature:• Lower house members: elected by
people• Upper house members: chosen by
lower house
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention
Virginia Plan• Create a 2-house legislature, with a
chief execute, and a court system• 2 house legislature:• Lower house members: elected by
people• Upper house members: chosen by
lower house• Number of representatives would be
proportional to the population size• Greater population = more
representatives
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention
New Jersey• Create a 1-house legislature that could
elect a weak executive (president)• Each state would get 1 representative in
Congress, regardless of population
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention
Compromise• The convention selected a “grand
committee” to discuss the disagreement and try to resolve it
• This committee came up with the Great Compromise
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention
The Great Compromise• 2 house legislature:• House of Representatives – members
would be based on population• Senate – each state would have 2
members
Compromise!
New Jersey Plan
Virginia Plan
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention
Slavery/Population Issue?• Because the House of Representatives
was based on population, the North and the South could not agree on how to count slaves in the population
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention
Slavery/Population issue?• North: Did not want slaves to count in
population • South: Wanted slaves to count so they
could have more delegates
Which states would want the slave population to count more??Where
are all these states
located??
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention
Three-Fifths Compromise• Each enslaved person would count for
3/5 of a free person for both taxation and representation
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention
Bill of Rights?• George Mason proposed a Bill of Rights
to protect the freedoms of the people• However, most delegates thought the
Constitution did not need one, and left it out
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention
Ratification• The Constitution could not become law
until 9 out of 13 states approved it• The Constitution was sent to the states
for approval