Topic/Objective: Describe key people and compromises that occurred during the Constitutional Convention. Essential Question: What role did compromises.

Constitutional Convention1787

Topic/Objective: Describe key people and compromises that occurred during the Constitutional Convention.

Essential Question: What role did compromises play in the Constitutional Convention (CC) ?

*A Meeting in Philadelphia

1) Alexander Hamilton was the original person to propose a meeting.

2) 55 delegates from 12 states came to meet at Philadelphia.

3) Rhode Island did not send delegates because of its strong opposition to a strong national government.

*A Meeting in Philadelphia

4) This meeting, later became known as the Constitutional Convention.5) Original purpose of the CC - to revise the Articles of Confederation, not draft a whole new document.

* Key People of the Constitutional Convention

1) George Washington

Unanimously chosen president of the convention

Seen as a dignified leader

* Key People of the Constitutional Convention

2) James Madison Took detailed notes &

contributed many ideas to the convention.

Did not miss a single meeting

Today he is called the “Father of the Constitution.”

* The Great Compromise

1) The Virginia Plan Legislative Branch -

lawmaking branch was to be made of 2 “houses”

The Congress•Upper House = Senate• Lower House = House of Representatives

* The Great Compromise Proportional Representation –

representation in both houses would be determined by state population

States with larger populations would get more representatives than states with smaller pops.

Larger states (pop) supported this plan.

* The Great Compromise

2) The New Jersey Plan Legislative Branch – lawmaking branch

would be made up of one “house”.

One vote for each state regardless of size.

Smaller states (pop) supported this plan.

*The Great Compromise

3) The Great Compromise aka The Connecticut Compromise

House of Reps – number of reps determined by each state’s pop

Senate – number of reps would be 2 per state no matter what its pop

*Three-Fifths (3/5 )Compromise

1) Major Issue: Slaves - Property vs People

2) More slaves in the South than the North.

3) South - wanted slaves to count as pop for representation purposes, but not for taxation.

4) North - wanted slaves to count for taxation, but not for representation purposes

5) Commerce = TradeSouth feared Congress would end the slave trade

*Three-Fifths (3/5) Compromise

6) 3/5 Compromise 3/5’s of the slave population would be counted

for representation in Congress and taxation. The National government would control all

trade Imports could be taxed, but not exports. The slave trade would end in 20 years (1808).

* On to Ratification . . . Sept 17, 1787 - 39 delegates signed the Constitution. Now it had to be ratified (officially approved) by each

state to become the “Supreme law of the land.”