9/29 TOTD: Looking back on page 7, what do you think was the biggest weakness with the AoC? Explain your reasoning! Turn in AoC Weakness Chart Notes p 8: Constitutional Convention Page 7: AoC Quiz Tuesday “This AoC is not good for our country…let’s write a new constitution and name it something original, like the US Constitution!”

CONVENTION -May 1787 Philadelphia Purpose- amend (fix/change) the Aoc -12 of 13 states Rhode Island absent Refused to participate ** EC -55 Delegates George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton Revolutionary War veterans, farmers, merchants, lawyers and bankers. primarily motivated by their own economic and civic interests

DECISIONS MADE -rewrite gov’t: Stronger written plan was needed… -1 vote per state -keep meeting a secret So delegates can speak freely If 13 states knew that they were throwing out old gov’t and creating a new one… chaos! -majority rules

Now what… Many opinions were heard Realized they needed a BALANCED gov’t Arguments broke out So, compromise!  Way of resolving something where each side gives up something, but gains something else.

ISSUES AT DEBATE -representation How many representatives would each state get in the new Legislative branch? large states- since they were bigger, felt they should have more power small states- said it wasn’t fair and that large states would get more power b/c they were larger… -slavery North wanted nat’l gov’t to outlaw slavery South wanted to keep slavery b/c their plantations depended on them. - -Economics $$ North- wanted national gov’t to control trade South-wanted more state control b/c they depended on the trading for revenue (gov’t income)

PLANS PROPOSED -Virginia Plan - James Madison -3 branches -bicameral Congress -population based Representation would be based on how many ppl in state. BIG states (MA, PA, NY, VA) -New Jersey Plan -small state plan -equal voting- unicameral congress (each state 1 vote) **equal representation -group executive -promoted state’s rights

COMPROMISES -Great Compromise aka Connecticut Compromise -Agreement made at the Convention of 1787 that created a two house (bicameral) legislature with one house based on population and the other based on state equality - House based on population Made big states -Senate equal representation Made small states Roger Sherman **called Great Compromise b/c it set up how our L branch (Congress) is… way it is TODAY!!!

COMPROMISES -3/5 Compromise -Agreement made at the convention of 1787 that slaves would count as 3/5 a person for the census to determine the population of each state -Slave Trade Compromise -Agreement at the convention of 1787 that Congress would not tax exports and slave trading could be banned in 20 years North- didn’t want the South to bring in more slaves to add to population South-what if Congress taxed is on exports?? (rice, tobacco) “The Convention is in a dilemma. By agreeing to the clause it will revolt [many] in the States having no slaves. On the other hand, two states might be lost to the Union.” —Edmund Randolph, Virginia delegate to the Convention 3/5 Compromise- South-“ please count slaves as part of pop so our voting power in the HoR can increase!” GA and SC says they will leave if they can’t keep importing slaves… North- “no, not fair, slaves aren’t seen as full citizens.” Compromise- Every 5 slaves

NEW GOV’T -much stronger -power to tax -regulate trade -strong executive -needed 9 of 13 to ratify “It appears to me…little short of a miracle, that the Delegates from so many different States…in their manners, circumstances, and prejudices, should unite in forming a system of national Government.” —George Washington

These Compromises begin the basis for the United States Constitution!

NEW GOV’T -much stronger -power to tax -regulate trade -strong executive -needed 9 of 13 to ratify

2 more compromises: How will we elect a President? Some delegates thought members of Congress should Others wanted the people to be able to vote Compromise=  Electoral College: group of ppl who select the president and VP  We vote and electors follow our votes! 2 different groups of people are forming Federalists the Constitution the way it is. To win support, they remind ppl of the flaws of the Aoc! Anti-Federalists felt the new constitution gave too much power to the national gov’t and too little to states and PEOPLE…

RATIFICATION -Federalists (Madison/Hamilton) -Political group who supported the passage of the new Constitution and its stronger government – thought it was great the way it was! -Anti-Federalist (Patrick Henry, Sam Adams, John Hancock) -Political group who opposed the new Constitution and thought it lacked a specific list of people’s rights -Federalist Papers -support the new government -written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay

 Bill of Rights promised if Feds would agree that more rights were needed for the PEOPLE!  Federalists finally agreed with Anti-Feds that a bill of rights was a good idea  Feds promised that if the new Constitution was adopted (come on NC and RI) the new government would add a BILL OF RIGHTS  By 1790, the 13 INDEPENDENT STATES are now…  ONE NATION:  THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!