The Compromises of the Constitution Interactive Group Activity

Pair Share Describe a time in your life when it was beneficial to compromise with someone else. Teacher: Give an example.

Common Core Standards Write informative/explanatory texts to examine and convey complex ideas and information clearly and accurately through the effective selection, organization, and analysis of content.

Objective: Students will be able to analyze the debates on the drafting of the Constitution by predicting the compromise to three conflicts. Have the students choral read aloud the objective

Essential Question What were the issues that led to the formation of the constitution and how were they resolved?

Introduction You will learn about three conflicts delegates to the Constitutional Convention had to resolve in order to create the Constitution. After you read about the background information for each conflict, discuss with your group the critical thinking question and guess which resolution was decided upon.

Directions Please have one person from your group pick up a white board, a white board pen and an eraser. Write your team number on the top right corner of your white board. When indicated to do so, you will write down your group’s choice on the white board. When I say answer, you must immediately show me your white board. Points will be given to those groups who get the correct answer. Be sure you can give your rational for the choice you made. If you don’t have white boards you can use PollEverywhere.com

Question #1 Background Information One of the hottest debates in the Constitutional Convention was deciding how many representatives each state would receive in the new Congress. Congress has a lot of power in the government because they make all the laws for the nation. The small states believed that it would be fair for all states, regardless of population, if each state had an equal number of representatives. The larger states felt that representation should be based on population. They felt the states with more people should have more representatives in Congress. This was the most difficult problem to resolve. Teacher reads aloud yellow, students read aloud white. Be sure all students are participating.

Critical Thinking Question #1 If you were delegates to the Constitutional Convention, what do you think would be the best way to resolve the problem of representation in Congress?

Discuss with your group and choose one of the following solutions: A. Have representation in Congress based on population. B. Have an equal number of congressmen from each state. C. Create a congress with two parts. One part will be based on population and the other based on an equal number of representatives per state. D. Redraw the boundaries of the state so that the population is equal in all states. Then base Representatives in Congress on an equal number of representatives per state.

The Great Compromise New Jersey Plan Each state gets an equal # of representatives Problem How should states Be represented in Congress? Compromise Representatives in Senate Based on New Jersey Plan And representatives in House Based on Virginia Plan. Proposals Virginia Plan Base it on population – Larger states get more representatives

Congress has two branches: House of Representatives based on population Senate= 2 representatives per state

Question #2 Background Information Until 1863 slavery was legal in the United States. The Southern States were mostly made up of agricultural businesses like cotton and tobacco. They relied on slavery for their prosperity. The Northern States were mostly made up of manufacturing companies. Slaves were not necessary in the North. Many northerners also disagreed with the idea of slavery. Delegates from Northern and Southern states at the Constitutional Convention disagreed on how slaves should be counted in the population. The population of a state was very important for two reasons: (1) It determined how many representatives the state would get in the House of Representatives, and (2) It determined how much tax would be paid by the state to the federal government. Thus, whether slaves were to be counted in the population would have major impact on a state’s power in Congress and on the amount of tax a state would have to pay.

Critical Thinking Question #2 If you were delegates to the Constitutional Convention, what do you think would be the best was to resolve the problem of how to count slaves in the population?

Discuss with your group and choose one of the following solutions: A. Let each state with slaves decide whether they are to be counted in the population or not. The population counts, whether they included slaves or not, would be used for both representation in Congress and tax purposes. B. Count slaves as 3/5 a person for population. C. Count slaves for taxes but not representation until 1820, after which they will be counted for both. D. Count slaves for representation but not for taxed until 1820, after which they will be counted for both.

The Three-Fifths Compromise 3 out of 5 slaves would be counted in the population of a state for the purpose of determining both House representation and direct taxes.

Question #3 Background Information Two other sources of conflicts between the Northern and Southern delegates also involved slavery. First, delegates faced a difficult decision about whether to allow slave trading in the United States. Southerners did not want Congress to be able to make laws concerning business and trade because they feared that Congress might outlaw the slave trade. Northerners, on the other hand, wanted Congress to be able to pass laws that would help business and manufacturing. In addition, Northern and Southern delegates argued over what should happen to runaway slaves. Southerners believed that since slaves were property, runaways to the North should be returned to their owners. Northerners thought that slaves who ran away to free territory ought to be allowed to remain free. These were very difficult problems for the delegates to resolve.

Critical Thinking Question #3 If you were delegates to the Constitutional Convention, what do you think would be the best was to resolve the problem of whether to permit slave trading and what to do with runaway slaves?

Discuss with your group and choose one of the following solutions: A. Do not allow Congress to stop slave trading for 20 years. Runaways to free territory are not free since they are considered by law to be property. B. Allow Congress to restrict slave trade. Runaways to free territory can be claimed by their owners, but Northern officials are not forced by law to return slaves themselves. C. Allow Congress to restrict slave trade. Runaways to free territory must be returned to their owners. D. The Constitution should make no decisions about these issues. Leave it to individual states to decide what to do about these matters.

The Commerce Compromise Congress had the power to regulate interstate and foreign commerce as well as to levy tariffs on imports. But Congress would not be able to tax exports. Congress was forbidden to restrict the importation of slaves for a period of 20 years (until 1808). Congress could, however, levy a tax as high as $10 on each slave brought into the country during the period of time. Runaway slaves had to be returned to their owners.

Wrap-Up Activity Write three questions on the left side of your notes. Be sure to include higher level questions. I will call on a random student to ask a question and another to answer the question.