The Constitutional Convention
Northwest Ordinance, 1787
• Laws passed by the Confederation
Congress
• Allowed slavery in the area south
of the Ohio River
• Prohibited slavery north of the
river
Annapolis Convention, 1786
• 5 states sent representatives
• Adopted a report urging all
states to send delegates to
Philadelphia to amend the
Articles of Confederation
Constitutional Convention
• 55 delegates met in Philadelphia beginning
in May, 1787
• All meetings that summer were held in
secrecy
• Purpose was to revise the Articles of
Confederation
Key People at the Constitutional
Convention
George Washington
• Chairman of the Convention
• Seldom participated, but
• Lent his enormous prestige to the
proceedings
James Madison
• “Father of the Constitution”
• A Virginian and brilliant
political philosopher
• Keep the only notes of the
proceedings
• Authored the “Virginia Plan”
which proposed a federal
government of three separate
branches
• Later authored the US Bill of
Rights
Issue of Representation in the
new government
• Two plans were introduced
• They demonstrated the basic
conflict between large and
small states
Virginia Plan
• Virginia was a “large” state
• Base representation on
population
• Larger states would get more
representatives
(Virginia Plan)
• A bicameral (2-house) legislature,
both based on population
• Legislature would choose the
executive and judiciary
• Legislature would have the power
to veto state legislation
New Jersey Plan
• Introduced by William Paterson
and represented the small state
view
• Each state should get an equal
number of representatives
(New Jersey Plan)
• A unicameral legislature
• Increase the power of Congress to
levy import duties and regulate
trade
• Each state would have one vote
The Great Compromise
• Bicameral legislature
• Membership in the lower house
(House of Representatives) should
be based on population
• Upper house (Senate) based on
equal representation
Three-fifth’s Compromise
• The problem was: should slaves be counted
as population in determining representation
• Northerners were opposed
• Southerners supported it
• Agreed to count 3/5 of the slaves in
determining representation
Slave Trade Compromise
• Congress would not be allowed to pass any
trade regulations pertaining to slave trade
for 20 years.