Objective:
SWBAT explain the compromises reached at the
Constitutional Convention.
Essential Question:
To what extent were the compromises made during the
Constitutional Convention necessary and appropriate?
Warm Up:
Read the Flow Chart and answer the questions that follow.

Although the states had common goals and enemies, they were not one nation.
They needed to organize, but no state wanted to loose the power they already had.
How many votes would each state get in a national legislature?
The articles of Confederation is what they created!!

Ordinance of 1785-set up a process for surveying and selling land in the territory past the Appalachians
Northwest Ordinance of 1787- set up a process to allow new states to enter the nation, outlawed slavery in the new territories

America’s 1 st Constitution 1781-1789
The first system of government designed by the Founding Fathers was a Confederation. Under a Confederate system, the National or Central
Government is given only a few powers, while most of the power is reserved for the States.

The Articles of Confederation
Congress could
Borrow Money
Congress had
NO Power to Collect
Taxes from the States

The Articles of Confederation

The Articles of Confederation

DECLARE WAR but
NOT DRAFT SOLDIERS??
CONGRESS WILL SEE
THIS IS A BIG
PROBLEM WHEN
DANIEL SHAY REBELS

Daniel Shay was a farmer who had fallen into debt because of heavy state taxes
The Courts threatened to take his farm for payment
He said the state had “NO RIGHT” because the taxes were outrageous
Led an army of 1,200 farmers towards an attack on the federal arsenal

– Showed weakness of the government
– Government couldn’t even get an army together to put down a simple rebellion
– Would influence many get rid of the
Articles of Confederation and ratify the
Constitution in 1788

NOT MANY
STRENGTHS
No one person in charge
No Executive or Judicial
Branch
No Power to Regulate
Interstate Commerce
No National Currency
One vote per state – regardless of size or population

THE MOST DIFFICULT
WEAKNESS OF THE
ARTICLES OF THE
CONFEDERATION.
The Articles were
NEARLY impossible to
Amend
(a unanimous vote was needed to amend the articles)

1. What powers did the Articles of Confederation give the government?
2. What powers did the Articles of Confederation deny to the government?
3. The Articles of Confederation did not allow the government the power to tax. Why do you think that was?
4. Why do you think the Articles did not have an executive? An executive is one person who is in charge and makes major decisions, like a president or a governor.

Delegates from 12 states met in
Philadelphia to discuss problems with the Articles of Confederation
Rhode Island refused to attend
Feared a stronger national government would take away states’ rights
Washington was chosen to preside over the meeting
Met in Secret…Public was not allowed in

GEORGE
WASHINGTON
(CHAIRMEN)
ALEXANDER
HAMILTON
JAMES
MADISON
“FATHER
OF THE
CONSTITUTION” BEN FRANKLIN

Do we fix the
Articles of
Confederation?
OR. . .
Do we throw out the Articles & write a whole new plan for a national government?

They decided to throw out the
Articles of Confederation and write a new constitution.
Thus, the meeting came to be known as the
Constitutional Convention
They didn’t want it anything like the
“Rule by the British” had been!

Proposed by the bigger states
The Lawmaking body would be :
Bicameral = (2 Houses)
Based on
Population
Elected by the people
Elected by the
1st house
# of Congressmen determined by state population

Supported by the SMALLER STATES
The Lawmaking body would be:
Unicameral = (1 House)
Based on
Equality
Each state would have the same number of
Representatives or votes

This was a combination of both plans

Southern States wanted Slaves to be counted in the State Population.
(more representation in Congress.)
The dispute was resolved by the
This allowed every 5 slaves to count as 3 people when determining the
State Population.

th
SLAVES

Opposing Sides Southern States Vs.
Northern States
Each Side’s Position
Compromise
South: no taxes on tobacco exports, Congress not to interfere with slave trade
North: wanted the
Constitution to be signed
Congress could not tax exports from any state or interfere with the slave trade for 20 years.

The Constitutional Convention
Option #1 —President will be chosen by members of
Congress
Option #2 —President will be elected by the people
Compromise —delegates decided on a system called the Electoral College where each state legislature would choose a number of electors who would select the President and Vice President

Virginia Plan:
Large State Plan
Strong Central Government
3 Branches of Government
Legislature, Executive, Judicial
Bicameral Legislature (2 house Congress)
Representation based on Population
New Jersey Plan:
Small State Plan
Strong Central Government
Unicameral Legislature (1 house Congress)
Equal Representation

Great Compromise:
(Connecticut Plan)
Combined the VA Plan with the NJ Plan
Bicameral Legislature (2 house Congress)
Upper House (Senate)
Equal Representation
Lower House (House of Representation)
Members based on Population
3/5 th Compromise:
3/5ths of all the slaves would be counted in that States Population Count. 5 slaves would be counted as 3 people when figuring out the states population.
South was not in favor of this Compromise due to the heavy make up of slaves there.
(THEY WANTED ALL COUNTED!!!)

Electoral College
Compromise:
Delegates at the Constitutional
Convention decided on a system called the Electoral College where each state legislature would choose a number of electors who would select the President and
Vice President.

Delegates signed the Constitution on
September 17,1787 and decided it would take nine out of the thirteen states to ratify the document