Miracle at Philadelphia
The Constitutional Convention
SOL: VUS.5b
Objective: The student will demonstrate knowledge of the issues involved in the creation and ratification of the Constitution of the United States of
America and how the principles of limited government, consent of the governed, and the social contract are embodied in it by identifying the major
compromises necessary to produce the Constitution, and the roles of James Madison and George Washington.
Essential Question # 1: Why was the Constitution written?
A)
Tough Times under the Articles of Confederation
a. weak central government
i. one branch
ii. no judicial or executive branch
iii. each state = 1 vote
iv. no national currency
b. Continental Congress had no power to
i. tax
ii. settle disputes between the states
c. domestic and foreign problems
i. Shays’s Rebellion
ii. Conflict with Spain and England
iii. Lots of debt (can’t pay it back)
B)
How can we solve these problems?
a. amend (change) the Articles of Confederation
b. write new Articles
C)
The Constitutional Convention
a. Meeting of delegates from all states (except Rhode Island) to create a new plan for the United States government
b. began May 25, 1787 in Philadelphia, PA
c. 55 delegates attended, including James Madison & George Washington
Essential Understanding: The Constitution was written to solve the problems of the weak central government under the Articles of Confederation.
Essential Question # 2: How did the delegates to the Constitutional Convention balance competing interests?
Issues
Representation

Large states -- all representation should be
proportional -- based on the population of
each state -- Therefore states with larger
populations would have more representatives in
Congress

Small states -- all representation should be
equal -- each state has the same number of
delegates
Slavery

How should slaves be counted? As property or
as Population?

How should they be taxed?
Who was more authority (power)?

the States -- or-
the National Government
How Solved
New Jersey Plan (small states)

Revise articles of Confederation - give Congress power to tax
& regulate commerce
Virginia Plan (large states)

Create a new form of government with 3 branches &
proportional representation

creates a system of checks and balances
Great (Connecticut) Compromise

Two houses of Legislature

Senate: equal representation -- 2 votes for each state

House of Representatives: votes based on population
Three-fifths Compromise
Each slave counts as 3/5 of a white man for purposes of taxation and
representation
Federalism (division of power) see diagram
Made federal law the supreme law of the land, but otherwise gave the
states considerable leeway to govern themselves
Limited the powers of the federal government to those identified in the
Constitution
Free Flow of Commerce among the States

Tariff Issue
Commerce Clause

gave Congress the power to regulate trade between the states
as well as with foreign nations (Interstate Commerce)
Avoided a too-powerful central government by establishing three co-equal branches—legislative, executive, and judicial—with numerous checks and
balances among them
Key Leaders
A. George Washington, Chairman of the Convention
o
Washington presided at the Convention and, although seldom participating in the debates, lent his enormous prestige to the
proceedings.
B.
James Madison, “Father of the Constitution”
o
Madison, a Virginian and a brilliant political philosopher, often led the debate and kept copious notes of the proceedings—the best
record historians have of what transpired at the Constitutional Convention.
o
At the Convention, Madison authored the “Virginia Plan,” which proposed a federal government of three separate branches
(legislative, executive, judicial) and became the foundation for the structure of the new government.
o
He later authored much of the Bill of Rights.
Essential Understanding: The Constitution of the United States of America established a government that shared power between the national
government and state governments, protected the rights of states, and provided a system for orderly change through amendments to the
Constitution itself.
RatificationBefore the Constitution can be put into practice, it must be ratified, or approved by the states.
–
Debate over Constitution -- (Federalists and Anti-federalists)
–
Each state sets up a convention to approve or reject the Constitution
–
Nine states must accept the Constitution for it to be ratified
Federalists -v- Anti-Federalists
Federalists (In favor of the Constitution)
–
Favor a strong national government that shares power with the states
–
Believed that separation of powers created checks and balances
–
Believed that the individual rights of citizens were implied in the Constitution and that there was no need for a Bill of
Rights
Anti-Federalists (Against the Constitution)
–
Believed that a federal Government would favor the interests of the rich and powerful and ignore the rights of the poor
–
Believed that one central government would be too powerful and would threaten individual rights and liberties
–
And therefore believed that individual rights must be protected in a Bill of Rights
Federalists -v- Anti-Federalists
Federalists write a series of papers called the “Federalist Papers”
–
actually written by: Alexander Hamilton, John Jay and James Madison
–
present arguments for the Constitution
Anti-Federalists also write papers, but are not as organized
–
Presented arguments against the Constitution
The Constitution is Born
•
•
After promising a Bill of Rights will be added, states begin to ratify the Constitution. (Delaware is 1 st)
In December 1791, the Bill of Rights (the first 10 Amendments), written by James Madison are added to the Constitution
– guaranteed the rights of individual citizens
– these rights can not be taken away by the Federal government
– without the Bill of Rights, the Constitution could not have been ratified
The Essential Understanding
•
The Constitution of the United States of America established a government that shared power between the national government
and state governments, protected the rights of states, and provided a system for orderly change through amendments to the
Constitution itself.