Ski l l Dev el o pm en t /G u i ded P ra cti c e
The Constitution of the United States of America is the highest law of the government of the
United States.
Evaluate the major debates that occurred during the development of the Constitution.
Step #1: Scan the graphic organizer to determine what information is needed.
Step #2: Read the text carefully.
a. Underline the information needed.
Step #3: Fill in the graphic organizer.
Issue
The Slave
Trade
Slaves as
Population
National and
State Powers
Structure of
the
Government
Bill of Rights
Sides of the Debate
Side A
Side B
Compromise/Solution
Directions: Underline the information needed to
complete the graphic organizer.
The Constitutional Convention
1. The American Revolution ended in
September 1783, with the signing of two peace
treaties. 2. After the war was over, colonists were
charged with the overwhelming task of building a
new nation. 3. Until this point, the colonists were
wary of a central government, after what they had
just been through with the government of England.
4. The country was currently being run by a series
of laws known as the Articles of Confederation. 5.
Time was proving, however, that the Articles of
Confederation were not enough. 6. At the time,
there were thirteen American colonies which would
each become a state. 7. It was determined that the
new country needed to draft a Constitution. 8.
Delegates1 from all states were called to
Philadelphia in May of 1787, for a constitutional
convention, where they would write the Constitution
of the United States of America.
9. Unfortunately, it was not easy to write the
Constitution. 10. Twelve of the thirteen states sent
delegates, and many of them differed in opinion as
to the development of the Constitution. 11. One
major debate was about how the government would
be organized. 12. Two different plans gained
popularity during the convention.
Slavery
13. As early as 1619, colonists were
purchasing people from other countries, mostly in
Africa. 14. These people were brought to America
for the purpose of being slaves. 15. They traveled
from Africa to America on large ships where they
were chained to the walls and to each other. 16.
When they arrived, they were sold at auctions2 to
colonists. 17. This practice was called the Slave
Trade.18. Not all colonists believed in, or
participated in, the Slave Trade. 19. Most colonists
from Northern states believed the Slave Trade was
inhumane3 and not acceptable. 20. Most colonists
from Southern states thought of the Slave Trade as
their way of life. 21. Without slaves, they thought
that their economic wealth and success would
suffer.
22. When the delegates met for the
Constitutional Convention, the Slave Trade was a
major issue. 23. Delegates from Southern states
wanted to make sure the new Constitution did not
abolish4 slavery itself or interfere in the Slave
1
someone elected to speak for a group
a public meeting where items are sold
3 extremely cruel
4 to officially end something
2
Trade. 24. Delegates from Northern states knew that
they would not be able to get slavery abolished but
they did want some limits on the Slave Trade. 25.
Their compromise was to agree to not make any laws
pertaining to slavery or the slave trade for the next
twenty years. 26. After that, the issue could be
revisited.
27. Another major issue relating to slavery that
the writers of the Constitution faced was population.
28. Throughout the discussions of the Constitutional
Convention, the issue of a government based on the
population of the states was brought up. 29. Northern
states, who were mostly free of slaves, believed that
since a slave could not vote, they should not count as
part of the population. 30. Southern states, however,
believed that since slaves were a part of their daily
lives and economic welfare, they should be counted
as part of the population.
31. Roger Sherman, a
delegate from Connecticut, proposed a compromise
that was eventually agreed upon by both the Northern
and Southern states.
32. Each slave would count
as 3/5 of a person when population was counted to
determine the number of representatives each state
would receive in the government.
National and State Powers
33. During the American Revolution, colonists
were fighting a country that was run by a strong and
severe central government. 34. When it came time to
build their own nation, many colonists feared this form
of government, believing it would ultimately become
corrupt or dishonest. 35. However, there were other
colonists who believed that the United States could
not run without a strong central government. 36. The
debate over states’ rights and the federal
government’s rights was one that lasted throughout
the Constitutional Convention and is, in some cases,
still being discussed today. 37. The writers of the
Constitution dealt with this issue by adding the tenth
amendment to the Constitution. 38. The tenth
amendment states that all the powers not given to the
federal government in the Constitution belonged to the
states or to individual people.
Structure of Government
The Virginia Plan
39. The Virginia Plan was written by James
Madison. 40. It was written to replace the Articles of
Confederation instead of revising them. 41. It
proposed three branches of government (executive,
judicial, and legislative) with a ‘checks and balances’
system to prevent abuses of power. 42. Madison
believed that, although a stronger central government
was necessary to defend against foreign invaders and
to control the power of the states, it was also important
to make sure that no one entity5 of government
ever had too much power. 43. Edmund Randolph
presented the plan to the Convention on May 29,
1787. 44. In the Virginia Plan, the judicial branch
would have the power to strike down laws that were
deemed6 unconstitutional, use armed forces to
enforce the laws, and regulate interstate trade7. 45.
The legislative branch would have two different
chambers. 46. One chamber would have elected
officials serve for three years, while the other
chamber would have elected officials serve for
seven years. 47. Both chambers would use the
population of the state to determine the amount of
seats in each chamber. 48. Larger states, like
Virginia, strongly supported this plan. 49. Smaller
states, like New Jersey, did not support this plan
and instead came up with their own plan.
The New Jersey Plan
50. The New Jersey Plan was presented by
William Patterson to the convention on June 15,
1787. 51. It also proposed three branches of
government (executive, judicial, and legislative).
52. The difference, however, was in the legislative
branch. 53. In this plan, the legislative branch
would consist of only one chamber where every
state was represented equally. 54. Also included in
this plan, the legislative branch would choose
officials to serve in the executive branch. 55. The
officials in the executive branch would select the
justices of the Supreme Court, who are in the
judicial branch. 56. This plan also stated that the
national government could levy8 taxes and regulate
trade. 57. Federal law would override state law.
The Great Compromise
58. The Great Compromise was presented
to the convention by Roger Sherman, a delegate
from Connecticut, on June 29, 1787. 59. This plan
combined pieces of the Virginia Plan and the New
Jersey Plan. 60. It called for two chambers of the
legislative branch, just as the Virginia Plan did. 61.
However, the size of both chambers being decided
by population, as the Virginia Plan called for, was
not instituted. 62. The Great Compromise instead
called for one chamber where its size was based
on population, and one chamber that had a fixed
number of representatives per state, regardless of
population. 63. A census9 would be taken every ten
5
something that exists as one complete unit
to think of something in a particular way or of having a
particular quality
7 (interstate trade) the activity of exchanging goods and
services between states
8 charge
9 official process of counting a nation’s population
6
years to determine the number of seats in the
population-based chamber. 64. Two seats were given
in the fixed chamber to every state.
65. This plan
would also include the three branches of government
(executive, judicial, and legislative) that were called for
in both the Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan. 66.
The Great Compromise was passed by one vote on
July 16, 1787.
67. The Great Compromise is still in effect
today. 68. Our government currently consists of three
branches (executive, judicial, and legislative). 69.
Our legislative branch consists of two chambers: the
House of Representatives and the Senate.
70.
The size of the House of Representatives is still based
on population. 71. The Senate still gives two elected
seats to each state.
The Bill of Rights
72. After the Constitution was written, some
colonists, called Anti-Federalists, believed it was
missing something. 73. They felt that the Constitution
allowed future generations the opportunity to take
advantage of its citizens. 74. They wanted to ensure
that specific rights and freedoms were kept in the
hands of individuals. 75. In order to accomplish this,
they proposed a bill of rights to be added to the
Constitution.
76. Federalists, however, did not see the need
for such a document. 77. They believed that since
the Constitution did not expressly take away the rights
and freedoms of individuals, it was not necessary to
have a bill of rights. 78. They believed the specific
rights and freedoms of individuals were implied in the
Constitution, and that an explicit list was not needed.
79. Eventually, the Bill of Rights was added to
the Constitution as the first ten amendments. 80. It
gives individual citizens very specific rights and
freedoms, such as the freedom of speech and the
right to a speedy trial. 81. The rights and freedoms
listed in the Bill of Rights are still extremely important
to the American way of life.