11/13 Warm-Up:
This is a painting of the
Constitutional Convention by
Howard Chandler Christy
What do you think is
happening in this painting?
2. Based on your prior
knowledge about the
problems under the Articles
of Confederation, what do
you think they are trying to
do at this meeting?
3. What key figures do you
think attended this meeting?
1.
11/13 Objective:
 5. What problems did our Founding Fathers
face at the Philadelphia Convention of 1787?
 The student will discover the issues of the
Constitutional convention by listening,
discussing, and taking notes.
Constitutional Convention
Events and Economic conditions after
the Revolutionary War
Economic depression
No states south of Pennsylvania
abolished slavery
Shay’s Rebellion
Five Weaknesses of the Articles of
Confederation
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
Disagreement over status of
land west of the 13 colonies.
The country was suffering
deep financial troubles.
Congress printed of large
amounts of money to finance
the Revolution Continentalsled to inflation
Took loans from France and
Netherlands
Plan to give articles power to
tax but was stopped by one
vote from Rhode Island.
The Constitutional Convention
Where?
The Purpose?
 53 delegates met in
 The goal was to revise
absolute secrecy in
Philadelphia in
Independence hall
 30 delegates attended
every day
When?
 Summer of 1787
the Articles of
Confederation
 It was quickly decided
to replace it
Key people and their contributions to
the Constitutional Convention
George Washington
 President of Convention
 May 25 and present through signing
 Supported ratifying the Constitution
Ben Franklin
 Arrived May 28 and present through
signing
 Attendant of Pennsylvania
James Madison
 Arrived may 25 through signing of
Constitution
 Writing Virginia Plan (“Father of
Constitution”)
 Kept notes on Constitution that
public would see
Alexander Hamilton
 Presented through signing May 25
 Introduction and defense of the
Hamilton Plan-June 18, 1787
 Secretary of Treasury
James Madison
 “Father of the Constitution”
 Spent 2 years reading over 1200 books on
government
 Came with a new plan: Virginia Plan
 Virginia Plan was introduced by friend: Edmund
Randolph
Forming A New Government: What’s the best plan?
Delegates at the convention had many different ideas
about how to create a stronger central government but
agreeing on a plan that would work for everyone wasn’t
easy. First, they had to resolve a number of problems.
Problems in the Colonies
Problem # 1: How many votes a state had in Congress was a problem. The large
states wanted representation to be determined by population. The smaller states
wanted all states to be equally represented.
Problem # 2: The Southern states with large slave populations wanted slaves to
count towards representation in the House, but not for tax purposes. The Northern
states felt slaves (considered property) should be taxed but not represented.
Problem # 3: Colonists who opposed slavery wanted the slave trade abolished
(ended) but supporters of slavery wanted the slave trade to continue (business as
usual).
Problem # 4: Southerners exported many agricultural goods, especially cotton to
Britain. They did not want the federal government to be allowed to put tariffs (or
taxes) on their exports. Northern business interests wanted tariffs to protect them
from foreign competition.
Problem # 5: There was a general agreement on the need for a president but the
question of how long the term of office should be was a problem. Suggestions
ranged from three years to life. Some people wanted the president directly elected
by the people but others mistrusted the people.
Let’s see if your group came up with the same solutions as
the framers?
Read , Five Constitutional Compromises
Complete your graphic organizers based
on the text
Problem # 1: How many votes a state had in Congress was a
problem. The large states wanted representation to be
determined by population. The smaller states wanted all
states to be equally represented.
Suggested Plans
The Virginia Plan
The New Jersey Plan
The larger states favored the Virginia
Plan proposed by Sir Edmund Rudolf
which stated…
The smaller states favored the New
Jersey Plan proposed by William
Patterson which stated…
•Each state would have a different
number of representatives in Congress
based on the state's population.
•No matter how many people live in a
state the number of representatives in
Congress would be the same for each
state.
•National Government would have 3
Branches (Executive, Legislative and
Judicial).
•National Government would have 2
parts (The Senate and the House of
Representatives).
Problem # 1: How many votes a state had in Congress was a problem.
The large states wanted representation to be determined by population.
The smaller states wanted all states to be equally represented.
Compromise: Connecticut offered a compromise: a
bicamerial (two house) legislature with equal state
representation in the Senate and representation according to
state population in the House of Representatives.
The GREAT COMPROMISE
 Bicameral (2 house)
 House of Representatives
determined by population
 Senate equally represented
(each state has 2)
Bi-camerial Congress= (Two House)
Equal # of
Representatives
Each state gets
2 senators
# of
Representatives
Determined by
State Population
Problem # 2: The Southern states with large slave populations
wanted slaves to count towards representation in the House, but
not for tax purposes. The Northern states felt slaves (considered
property) should be taxed but not represented.
Compromise: It was finally agreed that each five slaves
would be counted as three persons for both taxation and
representation purposes.
=
According to the 3/5th Compromise, how many white people
are there? How many slaves?
According to the 3/5th Compromise, how many white people
are there? How many slaves?
Problem # 3: (Slavery) Colonists who opposed slavery wanted
the slave trade abolished (ended) but supporters of slavery
wanted the slave trade to continue (business as usual).
Compromise: They succeeded in having the importation of
slavery forbidden after 1808. However, slavery itself would be
aloud to exist.
PLANTATION
ABOLISHED
STILL O.K.
Problem # 4 (Tariffs): Southerners exported many
agricultural goods, especially cotton to Britain. They did not
want the federal government to be allowed to put tariffs (or
taxes) on their exports. Northern business interests wanted
tariffs to protect them from foreign competition.
Compromise: Congress was given the authority to tax
imports (goods entering the country) but forbidden to tax
exports.
Problem # 5: There was a general agreement on the need for
a president but the question of how long the term of office
should be was a problem. Suggestions ranged from three
years to life. Some people wanted the president directly
elected by the people but others mistrusted the people.
Compromise: (The Presidency) Presidents may serve a
four year term office and elections would be indirect through
the “electoral college” system.
Ratification (approval)
 On Sept 17th, 1787 the delegates gathered for a
final vote on the completed Constitution
 They had created a democratic-republic with a
federal system and popular sovereignty
 Now needed the approval of 9 of 13 states
THE DEBATE FOR THE PEOPLE’S
APPROVAL BEGINS…
Federalists…
 Supported quick ratification
 Felt that the federal government should have
supremacy –Wanted a Strong Central
Government
 James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay
Federalist Papers
 85 newspaper essays explaining all about the
Constitution
 Did a great job explaining the intention of the
document
 Most of the Federalist Papers were written
anonymously
Anti-Federalists…
 Without a Bill of Rights in the Constitution, the
individual rights of the people are limited.
 If too much power is given to one person, the
president, then they may become too powerful
and eventually dictate the country. -Feared a
strong central government
 Would not ratify Constitution without a Bill of
Rights like the English Bill of Rights
 George Mason, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry
Lee, Thomas Jefferson
Ratified!
 June 21, 1788 New Hampshire became 9th state
to ratify and it was then official
 Only because Federalists promised to add Bill of
Rights immediately
OUR CONSTITUTION
11/13 Journal:
 5. What problems did our Founding Fathers face
at the Philadelphia Convention of 1787?