US History
Fort Burrows
7.2 - The Constitutional Convention
READ pgs 206 - 210
Main Idea:
Delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 had to compromise on key
issues in order to complete a new constitution.
Vocabulary:
Constitutional
Convention
- gathering of state representatives on May 25, 1787, to revise
the Articles of Confederation
Virginia Plan - plan at the Constitutional Convention, favored by larger states
that called for a strong national government with three
branches and a two-chamber legislature
What is the word for two-chambers ? _______________
legislative branch – branch of government that makes laws
Who are members of the Legislative Branch ? _______________________
executive branch – branch of government that carries out laws
Who are members of the Executive Branch ?_________________________
judicial branch – branch of government that decides if laws are carried out
fairly
Who are members of the Judicial Branch ? _________________________
New Jersey Plan – plan at the Constitutional Convention, favored by smaller
states, that called for three branches of government with a
single chamber legislature
compromise – settlement in which each side gives up some of its demands in
order to reach an agreement
Great Compromise – plan at the Constitutional Convention that settled the
differences between large and small states
Three-Fifths - agreement at the Constitutional Convention that three-fifths of
Compromise
the slaves in any state be counted in its population and taxes
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Setting the Scene:
An air of mystery hung over the State House in Philadelphia. All through the
hot summer of 1787, the nation’s great leaders passed in and out of the doors. Guards
allowed only the delegates to enter. The windows remained closed, to keep passersby
from overhearing any debates.
Like other Philadelphians, Susannah Dillwyn was curious and excited. She
wrote to her father, “There is now sitting in this city a grand convention, who are to
form some new system of government or mend the old one.”
What would the convention decide? Rumors buzzed. Wrote Dillwyn, “They say
it depends entirely upon their pleasure whether we shall in the future have a
congress.” For almost four months, Americans waited to learn the fate of their infant
republic.
The Delegates to the Convention
 Constitutional Convention opened on May 25, 1787 and its goal was to revise the
Articles of Confederation
 Every state sent representatives except Rhode Island
 An Amazing Assembly
 There were 55 delegates and 8 of them signed Declaration of Independence
 Ben Franklin, age 81, was wise in the ways of government and human nature
 George Washington, Virginia, was so respected that he was elected president
of the convention
 Nearly half of the delegates were young men in the 30’s – a new generation
 Alexander Hamilton, NY, had served as Washington’s private secretary
during the revolution
 Hamilton despised the AOC and wanted a strong central government
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James Madison
 Madison, age 36 from Virginia, was the best prepared delegate
 He had read books on history, politics and commerce – tons of research
 Madison was quiet and shy but had keen intelligence about how to structure
a democratic government – very influential on others
 Madison is called the “Father of the Constitution”
¿¿ What was the goal of the delegates at the Philadelphia Constitutional Convention ?
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Secret Debates
Delegates decided to keep their talks secret at the convention
Wanted to speak minds freely and explore issues without pressures from outside
Closed windows kept the debates secret, but made room very hot
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Two Rival Plans
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Delegates realized they would have to do more than simply revise the AOC
They chose to write an entirely new constitution for the nation but disagreed on
what form the new national government would take
The Virginia Plan
 Madison and Edmund Randolph proposed the Virginia Plan which called for
a strong national government
 Virginia Plan would have 3 branches
1. Legislative Branch would make laws
2. Executive Branch would carry out laws
3. Judicial Branch (courts) would decide if laws were carried out fairly
 Legislature would have 2 houses and seats were awarded based on
population – states with larger populations would have more representatives
The New Jersey Plan
 Small states opposed the Virginia Plan fearing that large states could outvote
them in Congress
 William Paterson, from NJ, presented plan that had the support of the
smaller states
 New Jersey Plan called for 3 branches but only 1 house
 Each state would only have 1 vote regardless of population
 Plan also gave national government the power to tax and regulate trade
The Great Compromise
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For a while, no agreement could be reached and seemed Convention would fall
apart with adopting any plan
Roger Sherman, from Connecticut, worked out a compromise he hoped would
satisfy both large and small states
Sherman’s compromise called for a 2 house-legislature
Lower House, House of Representatives (HOR), would be elected by popular vote
Seats in HOR would be awarded to each state based on population
Upper House, Senate, would be chosen by state legislatures
Each state would have two senators
On July 16, Sherman’s plan was narrowly approved and became known as the
Great Compromise
¿¿ What were the provisions of the Great Compromise ?
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Northern and Southern States Compromise
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The Three-Fifths Compromise
 Southerners wanted to include slaves in the population count for
representation but not for tax assessments
 If slaves were counted, southern states would have more reps in HOR
 Northerners argued slaves should be counted for tax assessments but not
representation
 Once again, the delegates compromised
 They agreed that three-fifths (3/5) of slaves would be counted for both taxes
and representation
 If state had 5,000 slaves, 3,000 would be counted
¿¿ What was the purpose of the Three-Fifths Compromise ?
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The Slave Trade
 By 1787, some northern states had banned slave trade within their borders
 Delegates urged that slave trade be banned in the entire nation
 Southerners warned that a slave ban could ruin their economy
 Northern and southern states compromised again
 Congress could not outlaw slavery for 20 years
 No state could stop a fugitive slave from being returned to the owner
Signing the Constitution
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As the long hot summer drew to a close, delegates struggled with one difficult
question after another
On September 17, 1787, the Constitution was ready to be signed
Its opening lines, or Preamble, expressed the goals of the framers
“We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union…”
Delegates listened to Benjamin Franklin at the last meeting
“I doubt…whether any other Convention…may be able to make
a better Constitution… I cannot help expressing a wish, that every
member of the Convention who may still have objections to it, would
with me, on this occasion, doubt a little of his own infallibility, and …
put his name to this instrument.”
Benjamin Franklin, Records of the Federal Convention of 1787
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One by one, delegates came forward to sign the document
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All but 3 delegates signed – Randolph, Mason and Gerry refused stating that the
Constitution gave too much power to the national government
Constitution called for each state to hold a convention to approve or reject the plan
Once 9 states endorsed it, it would go into effect
¿¿ What was Franklin’s views regarding the signing of the Constitution ?
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1. Who were the leading delegates to the Constitutional Convention ?
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2. What were the main differences between the two rival plans for the new
Constitution ?
Virginia Plan –
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NJ Plan –
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3. What 3 compromises did the delegates have to reach before the Constitution could
be signed ?
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2.________________________________________________________________________
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3.________________________________________________________________________
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