Name_________________________________________________________
Period______
From the Articles of Confederation to the US Constitution
Review: What was the main issue with the Articles of Confederation?
What similar characteristics do you notice about the 55 delegates?
I. Delegates to the Constitution
A) Most were young men in their ________, most from w________________ families
B) M____________________ came prepared with many ideas on how to structure the new government
*He believed it was important to have a strong F___________________ government
II. Debates over how to structure the government
A) Most agreed with Enlightenment philosopher M________________________ ideas on separation of
P____________________
What three branches did the founders decide to divide the government? What is the main job of each?
III. How should the people be represented? (BIG STATES v SMALL STATES)
A) N__________ J____________________ plan – “small state” plan – wanted all states to be E_____________
represented, regardless of population
B) V___________________________ plan – “big state” plan – wanted states represented according to
P______________________ (so more people living in your state equals more representation in government)
C) The G________________ Compromise – (a compromise is a settlement in which each side gives up
something in order to reach agreement) – they created a bi-cameral or ______ house legislature
1 – Congress (Legislative branch – they make the nation’s laws)
a) Today’s Senate is a result of the _________________plan_, each states has _____ Senators
b) Today’s House of Representatives is a result of the ___________________plan_, the number of
seat’s each states has is based on its population (there are 435 seats total today that are reallocated
each census
D) Slaves as people or property?
1 – slaves could not v_________, so Northerners argued against counting them as part of the
population when assigning representatives in the House
2 – Southerners wanted slaves counted as part of their population – why?
3 – The __________ Compromise settled the issue – 3/5ths of the s__________ population of each
state would be counted as part of the total population when assigning representation to the House
IV. Slavery
A) Some delegates wanted to ban slavery, but southerners warned this would ruin their E_____________ so it
remained L_____________ in the US, but many delegates thought it would fade over time
B) Delegates agreed not to outlaw the slave trade (the buying and selling of new slaves from A___________)
for at least ________ years, then Congress could vote on it
C) Delegates agreed that f_____________ slaves, like any property, must be returned to the owner
V. The Constitution is signed
A) According to the rules of the Constitution, it had to be approved by the states
1 - ______ of the 13 states had to ratify, or a______________, the Constitution for it to be law
2 – States will hold conventions to debate the new Constitution and vote on it
VI. Issues and Compromise – Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists
A) Federalists – support the new Constitution (H_________________, M________________)
B) Anti-Federalists – oppose the new Constitution because they feel it gives too much power to a
F___________________ or national authority (H__________________, A____________________)
C) Compromise – B___________ of R______________ - guarantees rights of the people, these are the first 10
amendments to the Constitution (amendment = a C__________ or A____________ to the Constitution)
BILL OF RIGHTS
1
2
3
4
5
6
7
8
9
10