1. Road
To the
Constitution

2. PROBLEMS AT THE CONVENTION Failures of the Articles of Confederation
U.S. Constitution
3/5
COMMERCE COMPROMISE
CT PLAN
NJ PLAN
VA PLAN
PROBLEMS AT THE CONVENTION
CONSTITUTIONAL
CONVENTION
Road
to the
Constitution
Failures of the Articles of Confederation

3. Failure of Articles of Confederation
State governments too powerful:
Power to tax:
Power to regulate trade:
Power to dictate policy to national government:
Power to raise militia:

4. Need For a Stronger National Government
Great Britain was waiting for the United States to fail:
Large states taking advantage of small states:
Jealousy kept states from working together:
U-N-I-T-E-D STATES was not united:

5. Government officials realized after Shays’ Rebellion that a change was needed
A convention of representatives from each state were called to Philadelphia in 1787

6. solution
“Constitutional
Convention”

7. STATEHOUSE IN PHILADELPHIA
SITE OF THE CONVENTION

8. INSIDE OF STATEHOUSE (TODAY)
SITE OF THE CONVENTION

9. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
DELEGATES TO THE
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

10. There were 74 men asked to come to Philadelphia but only delegates arrived in Philadelphia55

11. CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

12. The average age of a delegate was 44 years old

13. BEN FRANKLIN (Pennsylvania) was the oldest at age 81
JONATHAN DAYTON (New Jersey) was the youngest at age 26

14. POLITICAL EXPERIENCE:
Most had some experience as politicians in their home states

15. 40 of the delegates had been members of the Continental Congress

16. PROFESSION:
34 of the 55 were lawyers
Also included soldiers, planters, educators, ministers, physicians, financiers, and merchants

17. Most were very wealthy and many owned slaves
ECONOMIC STATUS:
Most were very wealthy and many owned slaves

18. All the delegates were white men
RACE:
All the delegates were white men

19. None of the delegates were African-Americans, Hispanic, women, poor
LEFT OUT:
None of the delegates were African-Americans, Hispanic, women, poor

20. Guidelines for the Convention
Work of the Convention would remain a secret:
White, highly educated, successful men with political experience would be sent:
A majority vote was required on an issue:
George Washington would preside over the Convention:

21. Problems at the convention
Small States and Large States cannot agree on representation;
Northern States and Southern States cannot agree on the issue of slavery and commerce;
Federalist and Anti-Federalist cannot agree on the power of the National Government:

22. Bicameral Legislature (Two – houses)
Virginia Plan:
Proposed by:
Edmund Randolf
Bicameral Legislature (Two – houses)
Both houses will base representation on population with equal number of representatives in each house
Will have a president, legislature, and court system—Three Branches of Government!
Chief executive chosen by legislature and court system

23. Unicameral Legislature (One – house)
New Jersey Plan:
Proposed by:
William Patterson
Unicameral Legislature (One – house)
Representation in legislature will be the same for all states
Congress could tax and regulate trade

24. Great Compromise AKA Connecticut Plan:
Proposed by:
Roger Sherman
Resolved Virginia and New Jersey Plans
Bicameral legislature (Two – houses)
Representation in one house (the House of Representatives) will be determined by population (representative elected by the people)
Representation in the other house (the Senate) will be the same for each state (two per state, elected by the state legislature)

25. How to deal with problems with
Commerce …

26. Commerce compromise Fixing problems with commerce and trade
Congress was allowed to regulate interstate and foreign trade.
Congress could tax imports, but not exports
Congress was forbidden to restrict the importation of slaves for 20 years, but could levy a tax, for every imported slave as much as $10.
Slaves were not considered free if they ran away to a free state, but rather had to be returned if caught.

27. How to deal with problems with
slavery…

28. Three-Fifths Compromise
Slavery compromise:
Three-Fifths Compromise
Counted every 5 slaves as 3 free persons for taxation and representation purposes in Congress.

29. How will we elect our president?
Elected by Congress??
Elected by the people??
Compromise: The Electoral College

30. Anti-Federalists disapproved wanted a Bill of Rights added
What problems did the “framers” of the Constitution face AFTER the Constitutional Convention?
Anti-Federalists disapproved
wanted a Bill of Rights added
Federalists fought against Anti-Federalists
9 out of the 13 states needed to approve the constitution before it would take affect

31. Federalists agreed to add a Bill of Rights soon after ratification
What problems did the “framers” of the Constitution face AFTER the Constitutional Convention? (continued)
Federalists wrote a series of essays “The Federalist Papers” convincing people to support the ratification of the Constitution
Federalists agreed to add a Bill of Rights soon after ratification

32. Constitution Ratified
March 4, 1789,
the government
began operations.

33. The End