1. The Constitutional Convention
Unit 3 Part 1
The Constitutional Convention

2. The Constitutional Convention
May 1787, delegates meet to revise the Articles of Confederation.
All 55 delegates at the convention were white males who were the nation’s ablest (most skilled) political leaders. Many had been Patriots and helped draw up their states constitution.
New Jersey representatives were David Brearly, Jonathan Dayton, William Churchill Houston, William Livingston, and William Paterson.

3. Constitutional Convention

4. Constitutional Convention- Who is Who?

5. The Virginia Plan Influenced by Virginia delegates. (James Madison)
The Government would have three parts or branches of government:
1. Legislative Branch: (bicameral)
Would make laws.
2. Executive Branch: Carries out laws.
3. Judicial Branch: A system of courts that would interpret the laws.
Delegates from smaller states feared that larger states would always be able to outvote them, and disliked this plan.
Bicameral: A legislature made up of two houses.

6. James Madison (VA)

7. Question How many branches of government under the Virginia Plan?
What was there function?
Who was responsible for creating it?

8. The New Jersey Plan Presented by William Paterson.
Congress would have one house and each state one vote.
Representatives to congress would be elected by the state legislature.
James Madison argued that this plan would not work. The majority agreed and voted to reject The New Jersey Plan.

9. William Paterson (NJ)

10. Question Who presented the New Jersey Plan?
How did it differ from the Virginia Plan?
How come both were voted down?

11. VA Plan –NJ Plan

12. The Great Compromise
Small states wanted each state to have the same number of representatives.
Large states wanted representation based on population.
Roger Sherman’s Great Compromise:
1. A House of Representatives with the number of representatives based on the states population.
2. A Senate with two representatives from each state.

13. Roger Sherman (CT)

14. Great Compromise

15. Question Who presented the Great Compromise?
Why did the delegates compromise?
Under the Great Compromise, how many houses would the government have?
Name them
How do representatives get into either house? Explain.

16. Three-Fifths Compromise
The southern states wanted slaves to be counted as a part of their population.
Northern states objected because they had few slaves and felt slaves were treated as property and not citizens.
Northern delegates knowing that without southern support, a new plan of government could not be approved.
The Three-Fifths Compromise counted slaves as three-fifths of a person when determining a state’s population.

17. Three-Fifths Compromise

18. Question In your own words tell me what the 3/5’s Compromise was?
What was the Northern view?
What was the Southern view?
Why Compromise?

19. Northerners and southerners also disagreed on trade issues.
Compromise on trade barred congress from banning the slave trade until 1808 and from taxing exports.
Finally, the delegates agreed the people, not the state legislature, should vote to ratify the Constitution.
Ratify: to approve

20. Question
Some historians say that, “ The United States is a creature of compromise”.
Would you agree with this statement, give me evidence towards your point of view.