1. Drafting the Constitution

2. Shay’s Rebellion
Daniel Shay was a Massachusetts veteran from the Revolutionary War
Because of the debt he owed he was facing debtor’s prison and the loss of his land
He believed his financial problems was the result of the heavy taxation of the Massachusetts government

3. In 1787 Shay and other farmers protested that the courts should close
When the courts refused he & 1,200 farmers marched to Spingfield
State officials sent a militia to stop the uprising
If 1,200 men gathered to fight the issue of taxes & debt then there must be a serious problem

4. Shay’s rebellion caused panic throughout the states
The national government had no power to help the states stop the uprisings
This threatened to undermine the reputation of the new nation
“What a triumph for our enemies…to find we are incapable of governing ourselves”-George Washington

5. A Call to Order: The Constitutional Convention
There were many problems and weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
To find a solution, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton called a meeting in 1786
Only five states sent representatives to Maryland
So they tried again for the next year to meet in Philadelphia

6. May 1787, twelve of the thirteen states (not Rhode Island) sent delegates to Philadelphia
55 men locked themselves in the courthouse to discuss these issues
First they needed a presiding officer – they chose George Washington

7. The Great Compromise
In the beginning the men just wanted to revise the Articles
They quickly decided that the the foundation of the new government was too weak
Might as well start from scratch!

8. First issue to be revised was the representation from each state in the national government
Larger states wanted representation base on population
Smaller states wanted equal representation
A compromise was needed

9. James Madison drafted the Virginia Plan, favored larger states
Virginia Plan proposed a bicameral legislature
People would elect representatives to the lower house based on population
The lower house would elect representatives to the upper house

10. This plan was unacceptable to the smaller states
William Paterson drafted the New Jersey Plan
This plane proposed a unicameral legislature where states would send one representative
Different plans meant the delegates were in a deadlock and a compromise was still needed

12. Roger Sherman offered a solution to the problem and it took the name The Great Compromise
Congress should be bicameral

13. Lower house or House of Representatives, state would send representatives based on population
Upper house, or Senate each state would send two representatives
Citizens of each state would chose the members of House of Representatives, but the state legislature would choose the members of the Senate
This compromise was acceptable to both sides, and this became the structure for the national legislative branch

14. The Issue of Slaves and the Constitution
The Great Compromise created a new problem
If a legislative’s representation was based on population, they need to know how to count each state’s slaves
Delegates from the southern states wanted to include their slave population

15. The delegates from the northern states did not want them to be counted
The delegates agrees to a Three-fifths compromise
Allowed states to count only three-fifths of the states slave population
This agreement shows the attitude about the country’s slaves, states that an African slave was worth only 60% compared to a free, white male

16. Slavery was important to southern economies
Delegates from southern states did not want any power given to the national government that would threaten the shipping or use of slaves
Congress wanted the right to regulate foreign trade
Southern states worried that if congress could regulate foreign trade, they might prohibit slave trade

17. In order to compromise, the southern states agreed to regulate interstate trade if Congress agreed not to interfere with slave trade for 20 years

18. Decision Time for Delegates at the Constitutional Convention
Time to create something new!
Few concepts that would frame the government
Limited government and separation of powers
Instead of a confederation where power comes from the individual states, the delegates decided on federalism

19. Federalism is a form of government where power is shared between the national level and the state government
National government would be given power to control foreign affairs, provide national defense, regulate trade between states and coin money

20. Since these powers are specifically in the Constitution, they are called delegated or enumerated powers
Powers at the state level are called reserved powers
These include providing and supervising education, establishing marriage laws, and regulate trade within a state
Both the national and state levels of government would have the power to tax, borrow money and pay debts

21. Delegates wanted to avoid an abusive national leader
They separated the power within the national government by establishing three different branches
Legislative to make national laws
Executive branch to enforce laws
Judicial branch to interpret meaning of laws
Delegates created a system of checks and balances to prevent one branch for becoming more powerful than another

22. Electing the President of the United States of America
At the Constitutional Convention, delegates worried that the people were unable to effectively vote for the president
To smooth out these concerns, the delegates created the electoral college

23. Instead of tabulating the votes in a popular election (man with most votes wins), the Electoral College would vote for the general population
Each state would choose a number of electors (equal to number of representatives and senators) & those electors would cast their vote for president

24. The Constitution of The United States of America
After the debates, arguments and compromises were over, the Constitutional Convention adjourned September 17, 1787
Now the states had to decide if it was an effective and fair form of government
Each state legislature received a copy and it was their turn to debate the ideas of government
Country waited anxiously while the thirteen colonies decided whether or not to submit their approval