Name ______________________________ period_____
Compromise and the Constitutional Convention
Complete the following graphic organizers and questions using Chapter 8 in your textbook.
One of the biggest stumbling blocks that the Constitutional Convention had to overcome dealt with the issue of
representation (how states or the people would be represented in the legislature of the national government).
Virginia Plan
Right off the bat, Virginia presented a new plan for government.
Simply put, the basic structure of government would include:
Explain how the legislature would be
set up and representation decided.
What was the main argument against
the Virginia Plan?
Who proposed the Virginia Plan at
the Convention?
New Jersey Plan
How was the New Jersey Plan similar
to the Virginia Plan?
How was the New Jersey Plan
different from the Virginia Plan?
Who proposed the New Jersey Plan at
the Convention?
The art of compromise has allowed this country to work through some very difficult issues. The Constitutional Convention found compromise a very effective way of resolving conflict.
The Great Compromise
Explain the Great
Compromise and how it
resolved the primary
issue of representation in
the national government.
Representation and the Issue of Slavery
Another way that the issue of representation resulted in conflict involved slavery.
What argument did each side present on this issue?
Northern Argument
Southern Argument
What was the agreement
that solved the conflict
How did it accomplish that?
Explain the controversy that arose involving the importation of slaves?
Explain how the controversy was resolved?
Regulation of Trade
Regulating trade had been a major problem under the Articles of Confederation.
Define each term below (you may use an outside source
Interstate
Intrastate
According to the U.S. Constitution (found in the textbook), who had the power to regulate each of the following?
Foreign trade
Interstate trade
Intrastate trade