Creating the Constitution Chapter 2:4 A New Constitution U.S. Constitution

To revise the Articles of Confederation! Why did delegates from twelve colonies meet in Philadelphia in May 1787?

How many colonies sent delegates?

Which colony stayed home? Rhode Island the “Ocean State.”

It was a very sultry spring and they kept the windows closed!

Secrecy! Shhhhhh! Why keep the windows closed?

How many delegates attended the convention? 55

Convention Statistics about half were college grads 39 had served in Congress 8 had served in state constitutional conventions 7 had served as state governors

Convention Statistics (continued) 8 had signed the Declaration of Independence 2 had signed the Articles of Confederation

Occupations of the Delegates 33 were lawyers 8 owned businesses six owned plantations 3 were doctors

There were no Women, African-Americans, Indians. or

What form of government will best serve the nation’s needs? Who will make the laws? How much say will the people have in choosing their representatives?

Is this a government of thirteen independent states, or is it a government of united states?

strong central government Competing plans for a new constitution weak central government Virginia Plan New Jersey Plan

Virginia Plan New Jersey Plan Both plans provided for a separation of powers: legislative executive judiciary

Executive Branch single executive executive committee Virginia Plan New Jersey Plan

bicameral lower house popularly elected upper house elected by lower unicameral elected by state legislatures Virginia Plan New Jersey Plan Legislative Branch

Representation number of seats held in either house determined by population representation to be equal Virginia Plan New Jersey Plan

What is a compromise? a settlement of differences reached by consent of mutual concessions

The Great Compromise Congress to have two houses: House of Representatives to be based on population Senate representation to be equal

Northern states wanted slaves counted only for taxation. Southern states wanted slaves counted only for the purpose of representation. But what about slaves?

The Three-fifths Compromise slaves would be counted as three-fifths of a person for purposes of taxation slaves would be counted as three-fifths a person for purposes of representation

Other compromises: Congress could not ban the slave trade until 1808 Congress could regulate trade an electoral college would choose the president

Now that we have a new constitution, what do we do next? We have to get it ratified!

What does it mean “to ratify?” Ratify means “to approve!”

Did you know that there were many criticisms of the new Constitution? No way, dude!

Criticisms of the Constitution lacked a bill of rights listing people’s civil rights took power away from the states limited the importance of the voting public

Which was the first state to ratify the new constitution? Delaware.

How many states needed to ratify the constitution in order for it to go into effect? Nine.

What condition did the state of Virginia require before they agreed to ratify the Constitution? They wanted a bill of rights to be added.

New York! The debate in which state produced the letters known as the Federalist Papers?

Can you name the two states that originally did not ratify the Constitution? North Carolina and Rhode Island.

And we were united as one people!