Constitutional Compromises

Problem: How to Give Representation in Congress •Large states wanted representation to be based on population so they would have more power…As in the Virginia Plan. •Small states wanted each to be represented by statehood, so they wouldn’t be overshadowed…As in the New Jersey Plan.

Solution: The Great Compromise •Roger Sherman of Connecticut suggested the nation use both ideas in a bicameral legislature. •Madison’s Virginia Plan would be used to make a lower House of Representatives based on population and Paterson’s New Jersey Plan would be used in the Senate to give each state two votes. •New laws would have to go through both houses.

Problem: Whether or Not Slaves Should Be Counted for Representation in Congress •Southern states wanted slaves counted to get more representation and power. •Free states in the north disagreed because slaves were not citizens and could not vote.

Solution: The 3/5 Compromise •Slaves would be counted at a rate of three-fifths, or 60%. •This number was to be used in population totals for representation in Congress and for taxation. •Southern states would have more representation, but would have to pay more taxes to get that power.

Problem: The Issue of Allowing Slave Trade to Continue •Southern slave states wanted to continue to import slaves from Africa. •The free states of the north disagreed, partly because southern power in Congress could continue to grow.

Solution: The Slave Trade Compromise •Slave trade was allowed to continue for another 20 years, until 1808, when the issue would be re-examined. •Also, all runaway slaves must be returned to legal owners. •This decision favored southern slave owners like Madison, Washington, and Jefferson, but not forever.

Problem: Ratifying the Constitution •The Constitution was written and approved by delegates in 1787, but states still had to accept or ratify it. •Anti-Federalists feared a strong central government and thought that the Constitution did not adequately protect individual rights and freedoms. •Federalists gave in and promised to guarantee these rights because some states were unwilling to accept the new government until personal liberty was secured. James Madison: Writer of Virginia Plan, Bill of Rights, and Federalist Papers.

Solution: The Promise of a Bill of Rights •Ten Amendments written by James Madison in 1789 to satisfy Anti- Federalists. •Guaranteed basic rights to all Americans, such as speech, religion, and jury trials. •In 1791, the Bill of Rights was ratified, even though the rest of the Constitution had been in use under President Washington since 1789.