Convention Proceedings and
Compromises
1. Defining Constitutional Terms
A. Quorum – minimum number of members that
must be present at a meeting in order for voting to
take place
B. Legislative – branch of government that makes
laws
C. Executive – branch of government that has the
power to carry out the laws
D. Judicial – the branch of government that has the
power to decide what laws mean and to decide if
they are fair
1. Defining Constitutional Terms
E. Popular Sovereignty – government based on the
will of the people, the government gains power
from its citizens
F. Compromise – settlement of differences in which
each side gives something up
G. Resolution – Statement of a group’s opinion, a final
decision
H. Clause – section of a document
2. Reviewing Social Studies Skills:
Chronological Order
1. Delegates decide to write a new constitution
2. The Virginia Plan is introduced
3. The New Jersey Plan is introduced
4. The Great Compromise is reached
5. The 3/5 Compromise is reached
6. Delegates Sign the new constitution
3. Reviewing Main Ideas
A. What important decisions did the delegates reach
in the first days of the convention?
1. to write a new constitution
2. To make George Washington President
3. Reviewing Main Ideas
B. In what ways were the Virginia and New Jersey
Plans similar and different?
Similarities
Both had 3 branches of government
Both favored a stronger national government
Differences
VA Legislature had 2 parts, NJ Legislature had 1
VA Representation based on population, NJ
Representation was equal among all states
3. Reviewing Main Ideas
C. What compromises were the most crucial to the
success of the convention?
The Great Compromise
Combined the two plans for government together in a
way that made the small states and large states happy
3/5 Compromise
Dealt with the issue of slavery and representation, and in
return the slave states wanted a guarantee that the
national government would not outlaw slavery for 20
years
3. Reviewing Main Ideas
D. What did the delegates do to complete the
process of writing the constitution?
1. They formed a Committee of Detail to organize
all of their resolutions
2. The formed a Committee of Style, headed by
Gouverneur Morris to write the Constitution in
its final form
Critical Thinking:
• How would the Constitution and system of
government it created have been different if they
had been based on the New Jersey Plan?