1 CONSTITUTIONAL COMPROMISES 1.What major problems faced the delegates at the Constitutional Convention? 2.How were they settled?

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CONSTITUTIONAL COMPROMISES

1. What major problems faced the delegates at the Constitutional Convention?

2. How were they settled?

Issue # 1: Congressional Representation

Question

How should representation in Congress be chosen?

1. Should representation be based on a state’ s population?

2. Should all states be represented equally?

Population of states in 1790

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CN GA MA NJ NC RI VA

States

Population of States in 1790

Total State population inThousands

Proposal # 1: Virginia Plan (Large State)

• Presented by Edmund Randolph 1.Bicameral legislature: Two

House Legislature = House of Reps & Senate

2.Proportional representation in Congress by state population

Gives Large States more power in Congress

Proposal # 2: New Jersey Plan (Small States

• Presented by William Patterson1.Unicameral legislature:

Congress meets in one house

2.Equal representation of states

Issue # 1 Result: The Great

Compromise/Connecticut

• Proposed by Roger Sherman

• Created a Bicameral Legislature – Two House

1. The House of Representatives – representation in Congress based on a state’s population

2. The Senate – representation in Congress based on equally –each state would be represented by two members

• Federalism – sharing of government power between the federal and state governments… became the basic principle of the new government

• The county would be a Republic – government by the consent of the governed

Issue # 2: Slave population in South States

Question

How should slaves be counted in a States’ population when

determining representation in Congress?

Why is slavery such a big issue?

Under the new Constitution. Population will determine two things:

1. The # of representatives that each state will receive in the House of Reps

2. The amount of direct taxes each state would owe to the federal government

Comparison of population counts in the South

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Total Population

in Thousands

Ga MD NC SC VA

States

Comparative Population Counts of Southern States in 1790

Total Population OfStates (includingslaves)

Population notcounting slaves

View’s of North

• Since they had little to no slaves, thought slaves should not be counted in a state’s population when determining representation = they could not vote

• Since slaves were considered as “property”, they should be counted for purposes of taxes

View’s of South

• Had large amounts of slaves, and in most cases, they made up at least half of their population = count slaves when determining representation

• They rejected the idea that slave population should have any bearing on taxes

Compromise: Three Fifths Compromise

• For every 5 slaves that a state has 3 of them will be counted when determining:

1. The amount of representatives each state would receive

2. The amount of taxes each state would pay

Issue # 3 Has Two Issues

Issue A: Interstate and Foreign trade /

Slave Trade

Question

Should Congress be allowed to regulate Interstate and Foreign Trade?

Issue # 3:Continued

Issue B: Runaway Slaves

Questions

Should Congress mandate that run away slaves be returned to their owners?

View of North: Issue A• Wanted Congress to regulate

interstate and foreign trade.

• Under the Articles of Confederation there was nothing but chaos when dealing with trade because Congress had no power

View of South: Issue A• They exported huge amounts of agricultural

products = feared if Congress could regulate trade, they may tax exports

• Thought they might use power to stop slave trade = South thought they could not survive without slaves

View of North: Issue B

• Slaves should be able to gain their freedom if they made it to a free state

• Should not be returned to owner

View of South: Issue B

• Wanted runaway slaves to be returned

• They felt, as citizens, that they paid for them, they were property, they should be returned

Compromise: The Commerce Compromise

• Gave Congress the power to regulate interstate and foreign trade

• Could levy (pass) taxes on imports

• Could not tax exports

• Congress could not restrict the importation of slaves for at least 20 years (until 1808)

• Could levy a tax as high as 10 cent per slave brought into the U.S.

• Runaway slaves had to be returned to owners

The Struggle for Adoption• In September 1787 – Constitution was sent to states for

ratification… must have 9/13

Two groups that debated Ratification

1. Federalist 2. Anti-Federalist

• Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison wrote letters to newspapers in which they analyzed the Constitution

• They answered critics and urged people to ratify the Constitution

• Letters were later published in a book called the Federalist

• Played an important role in the ratification of the Constitution

Dispute over Ratification of Constitution

Two Groups Debate:

1. Federalist

2. Anti – Federalist

• In 1788 the Constitution was ratified

Federalist Anti-Federalist

•Supported the Constitution as is

•Merchants, large landholders, professionals, manufacturers

•Published the “Federalist Papers” to persuade states to adopt the Constitution Federalist

•Opposed Constitution as is

•Small farmers, frontier settlers, laborers

•Wanted a Bill of Rights