Chapter 2
Origins of American Government
Section 4
Creating the
Constitution
Creating a Constitution
 Refresher: What is a constitution?
• rules for setting up and operating a government
 A national convention was held in Philadelphia in 1787
to:
• Revise the Articles of Confederation
• Create a new form of government
 Thomas Jefferson called the convention “an assembly of
demigods” because the delegates were educated,
powerful, and wealthy citizens.
 Some colonial leaders believed that the convention was
illegal and did not attend.
Your Turn
1. If you had the opportunity to lead a group of
delegates creating a new government, where would
you start?
2. What elements would you need to include?
3. What challenges would you face in working with the
delegates?
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Federalism
 Federalism: A government in which states share power
and sovereignty with a national government and
therefore have fewer rights.
• Less power to the states, more national.
 Federalists: Those who approve federalism
• Wanted to secure government that promoted order
and security because:
• Stability was needed for America’s growth and
prosperity.
 Anti-Federalists: Those who fear the power of a central
government
• Feared the government would become too powerful.
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Large States versus Small States
The New Jersey Plan
The Virginia Plan
William Paterson, author
James Madison, author
Unicameral legislature
Bicameral legislature
One state, one vote;
Representation determined
representation not based on by population
population
Multiple executives
Single executive
National judiciary
National judiciary
State law is supreme
National law is supreme
Large states preferred the Virginia Plan because it based
representation on population.
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The Great Compromise
Also known as the Connecticut Compromise
 Was adapted from the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey
Plan
 Created a strong federal structure to manage the country
 Called for a single executive and a national
legislature with two houses:
• First house = House of Representatives,
based on population
• Second house = Senate, with two
representatives from each state
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Planning for a New
Government
 If population affects representation, what about slaves?
• Three-Fifths Compromise
• the population value of a slave compared to a
citizen.
• Each slave would count 3/5 of a person to the total
state’s population
 Three documents influenced the Constitution:
• Articles of Confederation
• Virginia Plan
• New Jersey Plan
Planning for a New
Government
 The founders focused on eight key discussion points:
• Sovereignty of state or people
• Supremacy of national or state law
• Unicameral versus bicameral legislature
• Process of passing laws
• Powers of Congress
• Kind of executive
• Kind of judiciary
• Format for changing the document
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Your Turn
Indicate the document that contributed each of the following
characteristics to the Great Compromise. Mark each
characteristic from the New Jersey Plan with the letter a
and each characteristic from the Virginia Plan with the
letter b.
1.
2.
3.
4.
5.
6.
7.
Bicameral legislature
Multiple executive
Equal representation for all states
Representation based on population
State law as supreme
National judiciary
Unicameral legislature
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The Ratification Fight…
 For approval, the Constitution needed to be signed by 9
of 13 states.
 Both Federalists and Anti-Federalists tried convincing
the public and state leaders of their beliefs regarding
ratification.
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Federalists versus
Anti-Federalists
Federalists
 Favored ratification
 Believed that people should be in charge of government
 Believed that the average person should not have too
much power
 Supported a strong central government with built-in
protections to prevent tyranny
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Federalists versus
Anti-Federalists
Anti-Federalists
 Opposed ratification
 Believed that government should be kept small and local
 Feared a strong central government with no
accountability to the people
 Supported a bill of rights to protect states and people
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The Federalist Campaign
 The Federalist Papers: Persuasive,
logical essays used to convince voters
to ratify the Constitution
 Authors:
• John Jay
• James Madison
• Alexander Hamilton
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Federalist Papers
 85 essays written to persuade the public into supporting
the Constitution. (1787)
• Argued there were safeguards against the human
tendency to abuse power.
 The Federalist No. 10
• Greatest danger to a republic is interest groups.
 The Federalist No. 51
• Proposed a system of checks and balances.
• “Ambition must be made to counteract ambition.”
• Anti-Federalists disagreed with it.
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Your Turn
“Liberty is to faction what air is to fire, an aliment without which
it instantly expires. But it could not be less folly to abolish
liberty, which is essential to political life, because it nourishes
faction, than it would be to wish the annihilation of air, which
is essential to animal life, because it imparts to fire its
destructive agency.” (James Madison, The Federalist No. 10)
1. Madison compares air and fire to what political principles?
2. What might Madison think of the role of factions in U.S.
politics today?
3. Would Madison still believe that factions can be controlled
by a large republic? Explain.
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Ratification of the
Constitution
 Before they would ratify the Constitution, several states
demanded that 10 amendments be added to it.
 Those 10 amendments are called the Bill of Rights.
 A bill of rights lists citizens’ rights under the law.
 The Bill of Rights lists limits on the power of the central
government.
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The Final Vote
State
Date of Ratification
1
Delaware
December 7, 1787
2
Pennsylvania
December 12, 1787
3
New Jersey
December 18, 1787
4
Georgia
January 2, 1788
5
Connecticut
January 9, 1788
6
Massachusetts (including
Maine)
February 7, 1788
7
Maryland
April 28, 1788
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The Final Vote
State
Date of Ratification
8
South Carolina
May 23, 1788
9
New Hampshire
June 21, 1788
10
Virginia
June 26, 1788
11
New York
July 26, 1788
12
North Carolina
November 21, 1789
13
Rhode Island
May 29, 1790
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