1. Recreate and complete this chart in your notebook. Include at least 3 conflicts and their
compromises.
Conflicts
 How many representatives does each
state get in congress? Virginia Plan vs
New Jersey Plan (big states wanted to
have representation in government
based on population, small states
wanted the same number of
representatives per state)
 Should slaves count as part of state
population? (northern states- no, but
it should count for taxes; southern
states- yes, because we have a lot of
slaves
 Should there be a foreign slave trade?
(southern states- yes, we need slaves
for plantations; northern states- no,
slavery is wrong)
Compromises
 Great Compromise (bicameral
legislature- senate = 2 reps, house of
representatives = reps vary by
population)

Three-fifths Compromise (three fifths
of a state’s slave population would
count when determining population

Commerce Compromise (congress
taxed on imported slaves, not exported
as incentive to stop trading slaves.
They did not include slaves or slavery
in the Constitution)
2. What was the Great Compromise?
 Agreement to create a 2 house legislature called congress. Upper house is called
senate; each state gets 2 senators. Lower house is called House of Representatives;
number of representatives varies based on state population.
3. Explain how the Virginia Plan differed from the New Jersey Plan?
 Virginia Plan- central government sovereign (has supreme power); bicameral (2
houses) legislature based on population
 New Jersey Plan- unicameral (1 house) legislature with equal representation per
state; federal government could tax the state and regulate commerce
4. Explain the debate between Northern and Southern states over counting slave
populations. What were the arguments of each side?
 Southern delegates wanted slaves to be counted as part of state populations
because they had so many of them (it would increase their representation)

Northern delegates disagreed (northern states had less slaves, so it would impact
them less)
5. What are the 3 branches of government, who is included in each branch, and what are
the roles of each?
 Legislative- Congress (Senate and House of Representatives)- proposes and passes
laws
 Executive- President and departments- makes sure law is carried out
 Judicial- national courts—interpreting laws, punishing criminals, settling disputes
between states.
6. Recreate and complete the following chart in your notebook.
Federalists believed:
1. Supported Constitution
2. constitution offered a good balance
between various political views
3. Stronger central government than
set forth in Articles of
Confederation
4. Diversity of US prevents any single
group from dominating
vs.
Antifederalists believed:
1. Opposed constitution
2. Constitutional Convention should not
have created a new government
3. Too much power to central
government
4. No section that guaranteed
individual rights
7. Why were Virginia and New York important to the ratification of the Constitution?
 Virginia had the largest population in the nation, and New York was an important center
for business and trade; political leaders needed the two states’ support to maintain
national unity and support for the Constitution.
8. Why is being able to amend the constitution so important?
 Amendments give political leaders the opportunity to change the Constitution as the
nation and Americans’ needs change.