1. The Critical Period: America in the 1780s
Constitutional Convention
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
1787

2. Essential Question(s)
What compromises enabled the Framers to create the Constitution?
Explain the four compromises that were made at the Constitutional Convention.

3. Vocabulary and Phrases
Constitution: a document that sets out the laws and principles of a government
Bicameral: two house legislature
Unicameral: one house legislature
Bills: a proposal for a law
House of Representatives: lower house of Congress
Senate: upper house of Congress
Great Compromise: an agreement to create 2 houses in the legislature for representation
3/5ths Compromise: an agreement to Count 3/5th of slaves for both representation and taxation
Commerce: trade of goods

4. Constitutional Convention
The Goal: to revise the Articles of Confederation
As the delegates began to discuss the revision they realized that they needed to focus on more sweeping changes.
The U.S.A. needed a new Constitution.

5. Constitutional Convention
Lasted from May to September 1787
The Convention convened on May 25, 1787, at the State House (now Independence Hall) in Philadelphia.
It opened several days later than planned due to the slow arrival of some delegates.

6. Constitutional Convention
All of the states were represented except for Rhode Island, which declined to attend.
George Washington, noted for his patience and fairness, was selected as the presiding officer.
In all, 55 delegates attended during the course of the meeting

8. Assembly Room, Pennsylvania State House, later named Independence Hall, meeting place of Congress. The Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution were signed in Independence Hall.

9. Constitutional Convention
In all, 55 delegates attended during the course of the meeting
The delegates were largely lawyers, merchants and planters who represented their personal and regional interests.
Eight (8) had signed the Declaration of Independence and 25 were slave owners.

10. Constitutional Convention
Representation - should the number of legislators be equal for all states or should the larger states have more representatives?

11. Constitutional Convention
Discussion turned to two competing concepts of how a new government should be formed:
The Virginia Plan
vs.
The New Jersey Plan

12. Constitutional Convention
Virginia Plan: The Large State Plan
The interests of the larger states were given an airing when Edmund Randolph presented to the Convention a series of proposals, which came to be known as the Virginia Plan
Representation was to be based on population of the state. Large states would be given more power in the national legislature.

13. Constitutional Convention
The New Jersey Plan: The Small State Plan
Representation was to be based equally amongst the states. All states would have an equal number of votes in the national legislature.

14. Constitutional Convention
“The Great Compromise”
Created a bicameral legislature consisting of a Senate (representation is equal = 2 per State) and a House of Representatives (representation is based on population = 1 per/40,000)
(bicameral means: “two houses”)

16. Constitutional Convention
“The 3/5th’s Compromise”
Slavery - should the number of slaves in a state be used to compute its representation?
The Great Compromise angered some Southerners because these states had small populations of whites.
The South asks that slaves count as people for census purposes, though they have no rights or ability to vote. 

17. Constitutional Convention
“The 3/5th’s Compromise”
A possible break up of the Union is avoided by 3/5ths Compromise, which said that each slave is to be counted as 3/5ths of a person (for population counting purposes only.)
Every five slaves would count as 3 whites
for census purposes only.

18. 3/5ths of slaves counted as population for representation and taxation
Census every 10 years
Congress would allow the importation of slaves for 20 years. Slave imports were made illegal in 1808
Fugitive Slave Clause: if a slave from a slave state escaped to a non-slave state they would be returned to their owners

19. The Slave Trade and Commerce Compromise
Again a regional disagreement arose, in this case over the issue of trade and its regulation.
The northern states, more industrial states saw the regulation of trade by the federal government as essential to the smooth working of a national economy.
*** Behind the Northern States argument was the true fact they wanted the institution of slavery ended
The southern states feared regulation of trade would not only threaten the sale of slaves, but also the essential export of their agricultural products (chiefly cotton and tobacco).

21. Constitutional Convention
“The Presidency Compromise”
Nearly all agreed on the need for a president to serve as a central figure.
The disagreement arose over the power and service of such an office.
Some delegates, fearing the rise of king-like president advocated for a weak official, who would be limited to a single one-year term.

22. Constitutional Convention
“The Presidency Compromise”
Others argued the need for a powerful figure who would be elected, but serve for life.
Debates also raged about how best to elect the president and what role the people of the nation should serve in his selection.

24. Ratification Debate General
Immediately following the Constitutional Convention the delegates to Philadelphia brought the newly crafted Constitution to their home states for ratification (or approval). Most states held special ratification conventions, with elected officials representing counties or regions throughout the state.
While many of the smaller states quickly ratified the new Constitution, the debate in the two largest and most important states, New York and Virginia, raged on for months.

25. Ratification Debate in General
In the almost combative arguments to ratify the new government, the original “Founding Fathers” and the “Framers” of the Constitution divided into two factions; the FEDERALISTS and the ANTI-FEDERALISTS.
The Anti-Federalists opposed the ratification in fear of a strong government that could lead to tyranny. They also supported States’ Rights. Many also demanded a Bill of Rights be added to the Constitution.
The Federalists supported the new government, especially a strong government that could establish an ordered and control over the States, as well as reminding people the Articles of Confederation was a miserable failure.

26. NEXT TIME ON “Government is boring”….
What George Washington feared comes true! The dreaded Factions or also known as the “birth of the two party system” and how we’ve been screwed ever since!!
The battle over ratification of the Constitution of the United States.
9/13 States ratify the Constitution! What do we do with the 3 States that did not ratify or even number 4, Rhode Island, who never showed up for the Convention!!!