Chapter 7 Section 2
“The Constitutional Convention”
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Focus Question: What role did compromise play
in the creation of the United States Constitution?
Americans worried about the weaknesses of the
Articles of Confederation. These weaknesses
prompted the states to call a meeting in
Philadelphia to revise the Articles.
The Constitutional Convention Begins
*Convention met in summer of 1787.
Aims of the Convention
*Congress called this meeting to revise the
Articles of Confederation, not to form a new
government. Many delegates believed that
revising the Articles would not be enough.
*Delegates voted to keep debates secret.
The Delegates
*55 delegates from 12 states. Rhode Island did not
send representatives. Its politicians feared the
strong central government that the convention set
out to create.
*Washington was voted president of the
convention.
*Most delegates are younger
~Alexander Hamilton (age 32) – future
Secretary of the Treasury
~James Madison (age 36) – future 4th
President of US
*Madison took detailed notes on the meetings.
The Virginia Plan
*Day 3 – Edmund Randolph (VA) proposed a
plan for a new, strong central government.
*Madison was the principal author of this
Virginia Plan and eventually became known as the
Father of the Constitution.
Three Branches of Government
*Virginia Plan called for three branches:
~Legislative Branch – make laws
~Executive Branch – enforce/carry out laws
~Judicial Branch – interpret the laws
*Most delegates believed a strong executive was
necessary to correct the weaknesses of the
Articles.
*Although Randolph wanted three people in
charge of the executive branch (one person would
never win the people’s confidence), the delegation
eventually voted to have one person so decisions
could be made quickly. This chief executive would
be called the President.
A Two-House Legislature
*The Virginia plan would change Congress from a
one-house legislature (as under the Articles) to a
two-house legislature with an upper house and a
lower house.
*Delegates debated about whether the people
should elect the members of Congress.
The Great Compromise
*Virginia Plan called for representation based on
population. This was supported by large states
such as VA, PA, and MA because it gave them
more influence/power in Congress.
New Jersey Plan
*The smaller states strongly opposed the idea of
representation based on population. They
believed the states should have equal
representation as they had under the Articles.
*William Paterson (NJ) introduced the New
Jersey Plan which called for a single house of
Congress with equal representation for each state.
It also increased the powers of Congress to raise
money and regulate commerce (trade).
Terms of the Compromise
*Roger Sherman (CT) worked out a compromise,
which came to be known as the Great
Compromise.
*Great Compromise
~two-house Congress
~lower house, called House of
Representatives
*based on population (to please large
states)
*bigger states would have more votes
*representatives elected by the people
*representatives would serve two years
~upper house, called the Senate
*based on equal representation (to please
small states)
*each states would have two votes
*senators chosen by state legislatures
*representative would serve six-years
*Small states were now willing to support a strong
central gov’t.
Debates Over Slavery
*Issue that divided the delegates most was slavery.
Three-Fifths Compromise
*Southern delegates wanted slaves to be counted
to determine population. This would increase the
number of representatives they had in the House.
*Northern delegates said that since slaves could
not vote, they should not be counted toward the
slave’s representation.
*Congress agreed to the Three-Fifths
Compromise. Each enslaved person would count
as three-fifths of a free person. Ex. 500 slaves
would count as 300 free people. Although this was
beneficial to the South, the North agreed to this in
order to keep the South in the Union.
*Three-Fifths Compromise preserved slavery as it
distinguished between free and “all other persons”
Slave Trade
*Northern delegates wanted to ban buying and
selling of slaves anywhere in country.
*Southern delegates stated that banning slavery
would ruin the South’s economy.
*Compromise: ships could bring slaves into US
for 20 years. After 1808, Congress could ban
importation of slaves, but slaves could be
sold/traded within the US.
A New Constitution
*A Committee of Style was appointed to write the
final wording of the Constitution.
*Gouverneur Morris was largely responsible for
writing the Preamble, or introduction.
*The Preamble highlights the differences between
the Articles (a group of separate states) and the
Constitution (takes its authority from the people
instead of from the states.
Review Questions
*Why did delegates to the Constitutional Convention keep
their debates secret?
They wanted to be able to freely speak their minds.
*How was the national government organized under the
Virginia Plan?
It called for three branches of government and
representation based on state population.
*What was the main difference between the Virginia Plan
and the New Jersey Plan?
The Virginia Plan called for a two-house legislature with
more representation for larger states; the New Jersey Plan
called for a one-house legislature with equal representation
for all states.
*What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?
An agreement that for purposes of representation and
taxation, each enslaved person would count as three-fifths
of a person.
*What is the difference of the Constitution’s first phrase:
“We the People of the United States”?
It demonstrates that the government is based on the
consent of the people.