May 14 1787

Constitutional Convention Our purpose: …to consider the situation of the United States and devise such further provisions as should appear necessary to empower the federal government to adequately handle national issues.

Day 1 Get to know your character. Introduce yourself to other delegates. “Warm greetings to you, Mr. ________” “It is my pleasure to be in your company, Mr. __________.” “I am heartily glad to see you, Mr. __________.”

Day 1 Rules: If you wish to speak, stand up – I will ask the reason that you are standing – you will say your name and which state you represent and speak the reason for your standing. Oath of Secrecy 149 “Rule of Secrecy” “I solemnly swear not to divulge to the public what is discussed at this convention.”

Decisions already agreed upon: Day 1 Decisions already agreed upon: Government derives its power from the consent of the governed People must have a voice in government Government power must be limited and include a system of checks and balances Three Branches of Government

Constitutional Convention ISSUES: How many representatives/votes will each state have in the new government? Should slaves be counted as part of a state’s population? How should the Chief Executive be chosen?

A look at the country… Page 142 Answer the map questions with your state delegates

Pages 149-150 Read as a class

Day 2 Rules: If you wish to speak, stand up – I will ask the reason that you are standing – you will say your name and which state you represent and speak the reason for your standing. Oath of Secrecy 149 “Rule of Secrecy” “I solemnly swear not to divulge to the public what is discussed at this convention.”

Constitutional Convention ISSUES: How many representatives/votes will each state have in the new government? Should slaves be counted as part of a state’s population? How should the Chief Executive be chosen?

Constitutional Convention ISSUE #1: How many representatives/votes will each state have in the new government?

Virginia Plan Read p. 151 “The Virginia Plan” ISSUE #1: How many representatives/votes will each state have in the new government? Virginia Plan Read p. 151 “The Virginia Plan” James Madison and Edmund Randolph The number of representatives in Congress for each state will depend on the state’s population States with more people get more representatives = more votes

New Jersey Plan p. 151 “The New Jersey Plan” ISSUE #1: How many representatives/votes will each state have in the new government? New Jersey Plan p. 151 “The New Jersey Plan” William Paterson of New Jersey Each state will have one vote.

New Jersey Plan: every state will have one vote in Congress Constitutional Convention ISSUE #1: How many representatives/votes will each state have in the new government? Virginia Plan: states with larger populations will have more representatives and more votes in Congress New Jersey Plan: every state will have one vote in Congress

Virginia Plan vs New Jersey Plan ISSUE #1: How many representatives/votes will each state have in the new government? Virginia Plan vs New Jersey Plan Roger Sherman, Connecticut “I propose a compromise – we will create a bicameral legislature. Congress will have two chambers: a Senate and a House of Representatives. In the Senate, each state will have equal vote. In the House of Representatives, representation will be determined by population.”

BICAMERAL: “two chambers”

Virginia Plan vs New Jersey Plan ISSUE #1: How many representatives/votes will each state have in the new government? Virginia Plan vs New Jersey Plan Roger Sherman, Connecticut GREAT COMPROMISE: create a bicameral legislature Senate: states get equal representation and votes House of Representatives: Number of representatives and votes will depend on a state’s population

ISSUE #2: Should slaves be counted as part of a state’s population? Calculate what percentage of your state’s population are slaves.

Should slaves be counted as part of a state’s population? 6% 1% Should slaves be counted as part of a state’s population? 0.1% 0% 1% 1% 6% 10% 39% 32% 26% 43% 35%

ISSUE #2: Should slaves be counted as part of a state’s population? YES! South Carolina (42%) Virginia (40%) Maryland (39%) Georgia (35%) North Carolina (26%) NO! Massachusetts (0%) New Hampshire (0.1%) Pennsylvania (0.8%) Connecticut (1%) New Jersey (6%)

ISSUE #2: Should slaves be counted as part of a state’s population? Gouverneur Morris, Pennsylvania “If slaves are going to be counted as people in determining representation in Congress, then we will have to make them citizens and let them vote…”

Southern states YES! vs Northern states NO! ISSUE #2: Should slaves be counted as part of a state’s population? Southern states YES! vs Northern states NO! James Madison, Virginia Three-Fifths (3/5) COMPROMISE: “To settle this dispute, I propose a compromise: count each slave as three-fifths of a person. Southern states will benefit because they will get more representatives, but they will have to pay taxes on those counted slaves, so the Northern states will be satisfied.”

Three-Fifths (3/5) COMPROMISE

Issue #1: How many representatives/votes will each state have in the new government? GREAT COMPROMISE Issue #2: Should slaves be counted in a state’s population? THREE-FIFTHS COMPROMISE

ISSUE #3: How should the Chief Executive be chosen? Pages 155-156