1. The Constitutional Convention: Agreements and Compromises
The delegates abandoned the Articles of Confederation, established a limited and representative government, and divided government powers among three branches.
The Virginia Plan, supported by populous states, proposed legislative representation based on state population.
The New Jersey Plan, supported by less populous states, proposed equal representation for each state.
The Connecticut Compromise had a two-part legislature with representation according to population in one part and two members from each state in the other.
The Electoral College system resolved disagreement over how the president would be elected.

2. Disputes over Slavery
Compromises over slavery enabled the delegates to create a new government but did not resolve the issue.
Under the Three-Fifths Compromise, three-fifths of the enslaved African Americans were counted for both representation and tax purposes.
A third compromise gave Congress the power to regulate foreign and interstate commerce and prevented banning of the slave trade before
The South’s exports were protected by prohibiting Congress from imposing export taxes.

3. Ratifying the Constitution
Federalists favored the Constitution while Anti- Federalists, who feared a strong national government, opposed it.
Anti-Federalists demanded a bill of rights to guarantee the citizens’ freedoms.
The Federalist Papers were written to defend the new Constitution in the ratification battle in New York.
One of the new government’s first actions was approval of the amendments which became known as the Bill of Rights.