The Constitution
Unit 3, Lesson 1
Essential Idea
• The Constitution was created through many
compromises and faced opposition before it
was ratified.
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The Philadelphia/Constitutional
Convention
The Convention:
Delegates met in secret to avoid public influence
Congress ordered REVISION of the Articles, but the Convention REPLEACED them
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Major Framers of the
Constitution
Framer:
George Washington
Contribution:
Presided over and led
Constitutional Convention
Framer:
James Madison
Contribution:
Wrote majority of
Constitution and Bill of
Rights, nicknamed “Father
of the Constitution”
Framer:
Alexander Hamilton
Contribution:
Pushed hardest for creating
a stronger federal
government
Major Framers of the
Constitution
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Framer:
Benjamin Franklin
Contribution:
Oldest delegate, used charm and
wisdom to smooth over the debates
Framer:
Roger Sherman
Contribution:
Came up with the Great
Compromise
The Convention
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Principles of the Constitution
1. Popular Sovereignty:
Means that the people rule, and power comes from them
2. Republicanism:
People use popular sovereignty by electing officials who
represent them in government
Principles of the Constitution
• 3. Separation of Powers:
• Government is separated into three branches, the
legislative, executive, and judicial
Principles of the Constitution
• 4. Checks and
Balances:
• Branches of
government
limit each
others’ power
through veto,
impeachment,
judicial review,
etc.
Principles of the Constitution
• 5. Limited
Government:
• The Constitution
lists certain powers
and limitations for
government
• 6. Individual Rights:
• The Constitution
lists the rights and
freedoms of
citizens
Principles of the Constitution
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7. Federalism:
Government is divided into a federal and state level
States would disagree over which level should have more power
This tension would be a factor in causing the Civil War
Conflict and Compromise
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Conflict:
Representation in Congress
Virginia Plan:
Called for state representation in
Congress based on population
This plan favored bigger states
New Jersey Plan:
Called for state representation in
Congress to be equal for all states
This plan favored smaller states
Conflict and Compromise
• Compromise:
• Great (Connecticut)
Compromise
• Details:
• This plan created a bicameral
(two house) legislature
• House of Representativesrepresentation based on state
populations
• Senate- each state had two
representatives (equal)
Conflict and Compromise
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Conflict:
Representation of slaves
Northern States:
Did not want slaves to count toward representation in House of Representatives
Southern States:
Wanted to count slaves for representation
Conflict and Compromise
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Compromise:
3/5 Compromise
Terms:
Slaves would count as 3/5 of a person for representation (even though they could not vote)
Future Impact:
Southern states had “bloated” power in Congress and elections
Tension over slavery would be a factor in causing the Civil War
Will it Pass?
• The Constitution Introduced:
• The delegates announced nine of 13 states had to agree for the new
Constitution to take effect
• The Congress of the Articles was too weak to stop itself from being
replaced
• Ratification (passage) was debated across the country
Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists
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Who?
Federalists
View on Constitution:
Supported Constitution as it was
Location of supporters:
North
Types of supporters:
Urban, wealthy, businessmen
Government Power?
Strong federal government, weak states
Interpretation of Constitution:
Wanted loose interpretation
Bill of Rights?
No need for Bill of Rights
Federalists vs. AntiFederalists
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Who?
Anti-Federalists
View on Constitution:
Opposed Constitution as it was
Location of Supporters:
South and West
Types of supporters:
Rural, less wealthy, farmers/agrarian
Government Power?
Weak federal government, strong states
Interpretation of Constitution:
Wanted strict interpretation
Bill of Rights?
Demanded Bill of Rights
Federalists Push the
Constitution
• Federalists Advantages:
• Stronger leaders like George
Washington, John Adams,
Alexander Hamilton, and
James Madison, and Benjamin
Franklin
• Better organized, more control
of the press
• Published The Federalist
Papers, a series of essays to
argue their case
Federalist No. 10
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Said a large republic was the best form of government
Republics used elected representatives to make laws
Direct democracies were dangerous because factions (groups) could lead
government against the rights of the rest of the people
Representatives make wiser decisions, prevent corruption, and protect rights of
everyone
Federalist No. 51
• Explained the need for
checks and balances in
government
• Argued that separation of
powers caused each
branch to limit the others
• Said that limiting
government this way
protected peoples’ rights
Battle for Ratification
• Debate over the
Constitution
• Small states:
• Many small states
quickly joined because
the Great Compromise
gave them more power
than they expected
• High Population States:
• Massachusetts and
Virginia joined only
when Federalists
promised to add a Bill
of Rights to the
Constitution
Constitution Ratified
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Ratification:
Constitution was ratified by the required nine states and the new government started
working in 1789
Outnumbered, the remaining states had little choice but to join or be left behind
Debate and Ratification
George Washington became the first president of the United States