Constitutional Compromises
Main Idea
The delegates at the Constitutional Convention
tried to write a document that would address
the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
and make compromises between large and
small states and between the North and South.
Key Questions
• What different points of view emerged at the
Constitutional Convention?
• What compromises did the delegates make at the
Constitutional Convention?
Representation in the new
government:
-The big states wanted their size to
help them have more power in the
government, while the smaller states
wanted the power to be equally
shared.
• Drafted by James Madision
• Proposed a new form of national government
with 3 branches
• Proposed a Bicameral legislature- with
representation for both based on the state’s
population
• Gave more power to larger states
• Small states objected; came up with new plan.
Who do you think supports this plan?
• Proposed a single-chamber
(Unicameral legislature)
• Each state, regardless of size,
would have an equal number of
representatives, and would
have one vote.
• Favored by small states
There were major disagreements about the
Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan. The
Connecticut delegates came up with a
compromise.
The Great Compromise (or Connecticut
Compromise)
•Bicameral legislature
•In the lower house, the number of
representatives for each state is determined by
population.
•In the upper house, each state has an equal
number of representatives.
Compromises on slavery
• Southern states wanted to count all slaves
for representation purposes but none for
taxation.
• Northern states objected
• Said 3/5ths of the population of slaves
would be counted for purposes like
appointing members to the House of
Representatives
• Avoided too-powerful central
government by establishing three
equal branches
• Legislative, Executive, Judicial
• Each Branch can check the other two
to make sure that one branch didn’t
become too powerful
• Legislative- Congress
• Executive- President
• Judicial-Supreme Court
Bill of Rights
• Some leaders were worried that the
constitution gave the government too much
power and they wanted to make sure that
the people’s rights were protected
• A compromise was made that the
Constitution would be ratified, but
immediately after ratification 10
amendments had to be added- The Bill of
Rights
• James Madison used the VA Declaration of
Right sand the Virginia Statute for Religious
Freedom to help draft the Bill of Rights