1. The Constitutional Convention

2. Aims of the Convention
Congress called the meeting for the purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation
Delegates voted to keep their debates secret so they could feel free to speak their minds
55 delegates from 12 states to part, Rhode Island did not send delegates

3. The Virginia Plan
Edmund Randolph called for the central government to have three branches
Legislative Branch (Congress with two houses)
Executive Branch (carry out laws)
Judicial Branch (system of courts to interpret laws)

4. The New Jersey Plan
William Patterson called for a single house of Congress with equal representation for each state
Expanded powers of Congress to raise money and regulate commerce

5. The Great Compromise
Roger Sherman of Connecticut worked out a compromise, The Great Compromise
Two house legislature
Lower House: House of Representatives which would be based on population
Upper House: Senate which would consist of 2 representatives per state

6. Three-Fifths Compromise
South- slaves should be counted as part of population to help determine amount of representatives
North- slaves could not vote so they should not be counted
Three-Fifths Compromise:
Each slave would count as 3/5 of a person
5 slaves equals 3 people

7. Slave Trade
North- wanted to ban buying and selling of people anywhere in the country
South- protested the ban, said it would ruin the nation’s economy
Compromise- ships would be allowed to bring enslaved people into the country for only 20 more years, after 1808 Congress could bar the importation of enslaved people