What was the purpose of holding a convention of state delegates in

Philadelphia?

…the fruit of their victory would be “A multitude of Commonwealths, Crimes and Calamities, Centuries of mutual jealousies, Hatreds, Wars of Devastation; till at last the exhausted Provinces shall sink into Slavery under the yoke of some fortunate Conqueror.”

- John DickinsonLetter to William Pitt, 1765

Under the Articles of Confederation the States

developed their own set of laws

Shays Rebellion provided an example.

Economic jealousies were growing, as well as a divide between

slave and free economies

Spain was pushing us from the South and the British had not left their posts in the Northwest.

• The economy of the States was quickly declining.

• Leaders called for a meeting in Annapolis, Maryland to discuss providing the Articles of Confederation the power to regulate commerce

• Only 5 states delegates arrived, but determined to suggest a convention of all states in Philadelphia

A Meeting of Commissioners to Remedy

Defects of the Federal Government

The brain child of Alexander Hamilton who

calls for a more vigorous and

energetic government

Men like Washington, believe the Articles are inadequate for

what the nation will need

James Madison comes with plan

in hand and a caucus of

nationalists forms and is determined

to get rid of the confederation

Constitutional Convention

Reaching a Compromise

Branches Three - legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislature was more powerful, as it chose people to serve in the executive and judicial branches.

Legislature Two houses (bicameral). The House of Representatives was elected by the people and the Senate was elected by the state legislatures. Both were represented proportionally.

Other Powers The legislature could regulate interstate trade, strike down laws deemed unconstitutional and use armed forces to enforce laws.

Branches Three - legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislature appoints people to serve in the executive branch, and the executive branch selects the justices of the Supreme Court.

Legislature One house (unicameral). States would be represented equally, so all states had the same power.

Other Powers

The national government could levy taxes and import duties, regulate trade, and state laws would be subordinate to laws passed by the national legislature.

Which Plan is closer to meeting the original goal of the Convention?

Though the Convention adopted the Virginia Plan, Several Questions Still Remained

• How should the number of representatives from each state be determined?– According to population?

• Should each state have an equal vote, no matter how large or small its population?

Solving the Problem of Representation

Large States like Virginia desired Proportional Representation arguing in order for the new government to be more directly

related to the people, states with larger populations should have more

representatives.

Small States like New Jersey desired Equal Representation arguing that a government

under proportional representation would lead to domination by the more populated states.

“Where do the people fit in?”

• In the Virginia Plan the people are everywhere and the states no where

• In the New Jersey Plan the people are nowhere and the states everywhere

“We are partly federal and partly national”

The Great Compromise

Bi-Cameral or Two-House Legislature– The House of Representatives

would be elected by the people on the basis of proportional population.

– There would be equal representation of each state in the Senate. The legislatures of each state would select 2 Senators.

Oliver Ellsworth & Roger Sherman of Connecticut

What Issues Separated the Northern and Southern States?

Changing Historian’s Viewpoint

• Charles Beard wrote a groundbreaking history of the making of the Constitution

• Argued economics played a major role– Most delegates had invested in public

securities and stood to gain from strengthening public credit

– He argued that the makers of the Constitution were seeking to protect their own economic interests

ViewpointsNorth• Economy did not call for

use of slaves• Many opposed slavery• Some worked toward

abolishing slavery• Some merchants who

relied on trade with southern states were sympathetic

South• Needed slave labor to

produce crops• Viewed slaves as

personal property• Warned that their states

would not ratify a Const. that denied them the right to keep slaves

3/5 Compromise• Congress receives power to regulate commerce, but could

not tax exports• Constitution would not deal with importation of slaves until

January 1, 1808 (20 years) – Could tax imported slaves in the meantime

• Slaves would be counted as 3/5 a person when determining population

• Fugitive Slave Clause of Article IV allowed for return of escaped slaves

“Without the ‘federal ratio’

no union could possibly have been formed.”