D. Major Compromises Major disagreement arose over the question of representation in the new government Virginia Plan – James Madison –Introduced by Edmond.

D. Major Compromises

• Major disagreement arose over the question of representation in the new government

• Virginia Plan – James Madison– Introduced by Edmond Randolph– Favored large states– Representation would be based on the size

of a state’s population – Wanted national sovereignty to replace

state sovereignty

• New Jersey Plan – William Patterson– Favored small states– Each state was given equal

representation • Results in bickering, name-

calling, wig-pulling, and almost a full stop of the convention

E. Great Compromise

• Connecticut Compromise – Roger Sherman

• Created a two house lawmaking body called Congress– Senate – States had equal

representatives – House of Representative – States

represented according to its population

F. Slavery Compromises• Commerce and Slave Trade –

Congress was forbidden the power to tax exports of goods from any state

• Congress could not interfere with the slave trade for 20 years (1808)

• Three-Fifths Compromise • Proposed by James Madison • Decided the question of how slaves would be

counted for representation • Counted each slave as 3/5th of a person• Victory for the South because white men

would be overrepresented there• “Great as the evil is, a dismemberment

of the union would be worse” – James Madison

3/5th of a Man?

G. Approving the Constitution

• Needed 9 states to approve the Constitution

• Federalist – Supported ratification of the Constitution

• Favored a strong central government

• Believe the Articles were too weak to keep the states unified

• Anti-Federalist – Opposed ratification of the Constitution

• Feared strong central governments

• Believed Constitution would fail to protect individual rights

• Called for a bill of rights

Primary Source – Alexander Hamilton – Federalist Papers

#84

• “I go further and affirm that bills of

rights, in the sense and to the extent in

which they are contended for, are not only unnecessary in

the proposed Constitution but would even be

dangerous. . . . For why declare that

things shall not be done which there is no power to do?”

H. Constitution is Ratified • Federalist Papers – Written in favor of the ratification of the

Constitution– 85 Essays

• Written by Alexander Hamilton (51), James Madison (29), and John Jay (5)

• Papers provide insight into the mindset of two of the most brilliant thinkers of the day

• Regarded as the authoritative documentation of "original intent" – Reached compromise on adding a bill of rights – Critiqued the Articles – Explained how the new government would work

Ratification of the Constitution

Votes of State Ratifying Convents (1878-1790)

State Date For AgainstDelaware Dec. 1787 30 0Pennsylvania Dec. 1787 46 23New Jersey Dec. 1787 38 0Georgia Jan. 1788 26 0Connecticut Jan. 1788 128 40Massachusetts Feb. 1788 187 168Maryland Apr. 1788 63 11South Carolina May 1788 149 73New Hampshire June 1788 57 47Virginia June 1788 89 79New York July 1788 30 27North Carolina Nov. 1789 194 77Rhode Island May 1790 34 32

• April 30, 1789 – George Washington is sworn in as the 1st President under the new Constitution

• “If we get a government that lasts for 20 years were will have accomplished our mission.”

– George Washington

Primary Source – Benjamin Franklin, 1787

• “I doubt, too whether any other convention we can

obtain may be able to make a better

constitution. For when you assemble a number of men to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you

inevitably assemble with those men all their

prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion,

their local interests, and their selfish views. From such an assembly can a perfect production be

expected?”