2. The Constitutional Convention Delegates from the states met to revise the Articles of Confederation. However, it soon became obvious that a new constitution was needed. To maintain secrecy, the delegates met in a closed building. The delegates also did not talk to other people about their business until the new constitution was completed.

3. The Constitutional Convention Two plans of representative government emerged during the Constitutional Convention. Both of these plans created some controversy.

4. The Virginia Plan The Virginia Plan created a strong national government with three branches. The Legislative branch would create laws. The Executive branch would carry out the laws. The Judicial branch would decide if the laws were carried out correctly.

5. The Virginia Plan The legislature would be divided into two houses. Seats in the houses would be awarded based on the population of the state. Members of the lower house would be elected by voters in each state. The upper house would be chosen by the lower house from candidates nominated by state legislatures.

6. The Virginia Plan The executive was chosen by the legislature for one term. The legislature would also appoint the judges to one (or more) supreme court and lower national courts.

7. The New Jersey Plan The New Jersey Plan also called for three branches of government. But the plan called for only one house in the legislature. Members of the national legislature would be chosen by state legislatures. Each state would have one vote in the legislature.

8. The New Jersey Plan A multi-person executive would be elected by the legislature. The executives would then appoint judges to the Supreme Court. Laws passed by the legislature were to be followed by the states, and the executives would force states and individuals to obey the law.

9. The Great Compromise Roger Sherman of Connecticut is credited with proposing The Great Compromise.

10. The Great Compromise Delegates from more populous states liked the Virginia plan. They felt that larger states should have more representation in the legislature. Less populous states liked the New Jersey plan because they thought that more populous states would have too much power in the legislature. They feared the possibility that they would be outvoted in Congress.

11. The Great Compromise 1.There would be two houses in the legislature. 2.The lower house, or House of Representatives, would have members elected by popular vote. 3.Seats in this house would be awarded to states based on population. 4.The upper house, or Senate, would be chosen by state legislatures. There would be two seats in this house no matter what the size of the state was.

12. The Electoral College The Convention agreed to a one person executive, but disagreed about the term of service and the method of selection.

13. The Electoral College The legislatures in each state would choose electors equal in number to their total number of representatives in Congress. The electors would then vote for two people, one of whom could not be from their state. The person with the most votes would become the President, while the runner-up would be the vice-president. If there were a tie, the House of Representatives would decide the election, with each state having one vote.

14. The Electoral College The President would serve for a term of four years. There was no limit to the number of terms that a President could serve.

15. The Three-fifths Compromise Delegates at the Convention disagreed over slavery. They could not decide whether or not slaves counted as part of the population. Population size would determine representation in government. Southern states wanted to count slave populations as part of the regular population. This would inflate the number of representatives they could send to Congress.

16. The Three-fifths Compromise Northern states said that slave populations could not count if the slaves did not have the right to vote. The Three-Fifths Compromise stated that three fifths of the slave population would be counted. Northern states agreed that the slave trade could not be outlawed for 20 years. The Constitution recognized slavery in that it stated that run-away slaves would be returned to the owner who claimed the slave.