The Constitutional Convention 8.15B. Background Information After the Revolutionary War, America went through a _______________, or a period where economic.

The Constitutional Convention

8.15B

Background Information

After the Revolutionary War, America went through a _______________, or a period where economic activity slows down and unemployment is high.

Because of the depression, American farmers began to suffer because they __________________________. As a result, farmers could not pay their ______________, and their lands were taken away by the state.

Resentment against the government grew in Massachusetts, and _________________ led 1,000 farmers to a federal arsenal in Springfield, Mass to gather ________________________. The state militia was called in and eventually the ______________________.

However, the state militia was barely able to control the rebellion. Shay’s Rebellion ______________ Americans, because they believed the new Articles of Confederation ________________________________to control unrest and prevent violence.

For this particular example, and others, American leaders began to see a weak national government was America’s main problem.

depression

could not sell their goodsdebts

Daniel Shayarms and ammunition

farmers fled

worriedwas not powerful enough

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The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

• When: May, 1787 and continued through summer

• Where: Philadelphia• Who: 55 delegates met • Ben Franklin• George Washington• James Madison• Alexander Hamilton• Edmund Randolph

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

Organizing the Convention• Washington chosen to preside over the

meeting (lead the meeting)• Each state would get one vote, majority

rules• Delegates would close doors to public,

so they could talk freely

Washington presiding over

meeting

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

Purpose of the meeting:• To revise the Articles of Confederation

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

Purpose of the meeting:• To revise the Articles of Confederation

What actually happened?• Wrote the Constitution with a much

stronger national government

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

Virginia Plan• Create a 2-house legislature, with a

chief executive, and a court system

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

Virginia Plan• Create a 2-house legislature, with a

chief execute, and a court system• 2 house legislature:• Lower house members: elected by

people• Upper house members: chosen by

lower house

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

Virginia Plan• Create a 2-house legislature, with a

chief execute, and a court system• 2 house legislature:• Lower house members: elected by

people• Upper house members: chosen by

lower house• Number of representatives would be

proportional to the population size• Greater population = more

representatives

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

New Jersey• Create a 1-house legislature that could

elect a weak executive (president)• Each state would get 1 representative in

Congress, regardless of population

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

Compromise• The convention selected a “grand

committee” to discuss the disagreement and try to resolve it

• This committee came up with the Great Compromise

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

The Great Compromise• 2 house legislature:• House of Representatives – members

would be based on population• Senate – each state would have 2

members

Compromise!

New Jersey Plan

Virginia Plan

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

Slavery/Population Issue?• Because the House of Representatives

was based on population, the North and the South could not agree on how to count slaves in the population

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

Slavery/Population issue?• North: Did not want slaves to count in

population • South: Wanted slaves to count so they

could have more delegates

Which states would want the slave population to count more??Where

are all these states

located??

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

Three-Fifths Compromise• Each enslaved person would count for

3/5 of a free person for both taxation and representation

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

Bill of Rights?• George Mason proposed a Bill of Rights

to protect the freedoms of the people• However, most delegates thought the

Constitution did not need one, and left it out

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

Ratification• The Constitution could not become law

until 9 out of 13 states approved it• The Constitution was sent to the states

for approval