SUCCESS IN COMPROMISE UNIT I – Foundations of American Government Day 3

Pre-Convention Questions Answer questions as a group on your own sheet of paper. Choose one person in your group to be your speaker throughout this activity. 1. What is a constitution? 2. Why is it important? 3. What is the difference between the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution? 4. What rights does the Constitution give us?

Read the excerpt given to you about who you are at the time of the convention. Answer the questions that follow on the same sheet that you answers your pre-convention questions. Your group speaker needs to be prepared to share answers with the class. Who are you?

After reading the “Burning Issues” as a class discuss with your groups your responses to these issues. Be sure to keep your role play in mind. Place an asterisk next to the two items that you find to be the most important (i.e. what you won’t budge on and what you want others to agree with you on) Burning Issues Discussion

How does each group vote on the following… Burning Issues Vote

Should slavery continue to be legal in any of the United States?  __________________ AGAINSTFOR

Should the Constitution continue to allow the slave trade?  __________________ AGAINSTFOR

Should northerners be forced to turn over runaway slaves to their owners?  __________________ AGAINSTFOR

Should the federal government continue to allow “in kind” debt payment?  __________________ AGAINSTFOR

Should bonds be paid back?  __________________ AGAINSTFOR

Who should be allowed to vote in general elections?  Southern Planter –  Farmer –  Enslaved African American –  Banker/Merchant –  Worker –

Complete worksheet while looking at the actual Constitution. Who really won?

Important facts and compromises The Constitutional Convention

Constitutional Convention  Written mostly by James Madison – known as the “Father of the Constitution”  Written in the summer of 1787 in complete secrecy – why do you think it was done in secret?  Original intention was to adjust the AoC  Needed 9 of the 13 states to ratify (approve) the new Constitution for it to become effective  June of 1788 – New Hampshire became the 9 th state to ratify

Tale of Two Plans Virginia PlanNew Jersey Plan Who created the plan? How many houses did the plan call for in the legislature? What was representation based on? Who favored the plan and why? James Madison William Paterson Bicameral (2 Houses) Unicameral (1 House) Population One vote for each state Big StatesSmall States

Constitutional Compromises CompromiseImportant Info to Know Great Compromise 3/5 Compromise Combined the VA and NJ Plans Created 3 branches of government Legislative, Executive, Judicial Solved representation problem of plans House of Representatives – based on population Senate – 2 representatives per state Solved problem of whether or not slaves should count towards a state’s population Decided that 3 out of every 5 slaves would count as a person

Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise Electoral Compromise Northern states wanted Congress to control trade Southern states felt that Congress would ban the slave trade Decided that Congress could control trade but slave trade couldn’t be banned until 1808 Didn’t know who should elect the president: the people or the legislative branches of each state. Created the Electoral College that is a separate group that elects the president based on the votes of the people

Comparison of the A.O.C. and the Constitution Articles of ConfederationU.S. Constitution Weak National Government No executive branch, no president No national court Congress only has one house (unicameral) Congress does not have tax- collecting power Confederate form of government Strong National Government Separate executive branch to enforce Congress’ laws Separate judicial branch to interpret Congress’ laws Bicameral legislature (Senate and House of Reps) Congress given power to collect taxes Federal form of government; power shared with states