The Virginia Plan
ò TheGreatCompromise
ò TheVirginiaPlancalledforrepresentativesbasedonpopulationina
state.Thestateswiththegreatestnumberofcitizenswouldalsohave
thegreatestnumberofrepresentativesinCongress.
ò ThiscausedHUGEconflictbetweenstateswhohadsmallerpopulations
becausetheywantedtobefairlyrepresentedaswell.
ò TheNewJerseyPlan wasintroducedadifferentplan.Itcalledfor…
ò AsinglehouseofCongresswithequalrepresentationforeachstate.
ò ExpandedthepowersofCongresstoraisemoneyandregulatecommerce
(trade).
The Virginia Plan
ò TheGreatCompromise,Continued
ò DelegatesattheConstitutional Conventiondebatedthesetwosidesday
afterday.Somefearedthatthisdisagreementwould splitthenationapart.
ò Finally, RogerShermanofConnecticutpresentedathirdplan,whichcame
tobeknownastheGreatCompromise.Itcalledforatwo-houseCongress
ò HouseofRepresentatives (basedonpopulation)
ò Delegateselectedto2-yearterms
ò Senate(equalrepresentation)
ò Twodelegatesfromeachstateelectedto6-yearterms
Debates Over Slavery
ò Three-FifthsCompromise(3/5Compromise)
ò Southern delegatesbelievedthatslavesshouldbecounted when
calculating how manyrepresentativesastateshouldhavein
Congress.
ò Northern delegatessaidthatbecauseenslavedpeoplecould not
vote,theyshould notbecounted toward astate’spopulation.
ò Congressagreedtoacompromise thatstatedeachslavewould
count as3/5ofafreepersoninsteadof1whole.
ò Example:500enslavedpeoplewouldcountas300freepeople
Debates Over Slavery
ò Three-FifthsCompromise(3/5Compromise),Continued
ò ThiswasablowtoAfricanAmericans.
ò IthelpedpreserveslaveryinthenewConstitutionbymakingadistinction
between “freepersons”and“allotherpersons.”
ò Thiscompromisewasoverturnedin1865whenslaverywasabolished.
ò SlaveTrade
ò Somenorthern delegateswanted tobanthebuyingandsellingof
people anywhereintheUS.
ò Southern delegatesstatedthatdoingawaywithslaverywouldruin
theireconomy.
Debates Over Slavery
ò SlaveTrade,Continued
ò Thedelegatesreachedacompromise.
ò Shipswouldbeallowedtobringenslavedpeopleintothecountryfor
20moreyears.
ò After1808,Congresscouldbartheimportationofenslavedpeople.
ò Thiscompromisedidnotaffectthetradeofenslavedpeoplewithin
thecountry,soslaveownerscouldbuyandsellenslavedpeople
withintheUSbordersforanindefiniteamountoftime.
A New Constitution
ò ThenewConstitutionwassignedonSeptember17,
1787.
ò Oncethishappened,itwasreleasedtothepublicand
publicdebatesbegan.
ò TheConstitution’ssupportershadalongfightaheadof
themtoconvincetheUnitedStatesofAmericatoratify,
orapprove,thenewConstitution.
Ratifying the Constitution
ò TheConstitutionalConventionoutlinedaprocessfor
statestoapprovetheConstitution.
ò Eachstatewastoholdaconventiontodecideifthey
wouldapprovetheConstitutionornot.Oncenine
stateshadratifiedtheConstitution,itwouldgointo
effect.
ò Twospecificpositionsdevelopedasstatesbeganto
discusstheConstitution.
Ratifying the Constitution
Federalists
ò Favoredastrongfederalgovernment
ò PublishedtheFederalistPapers,a
seriesof85newspaperessaysin
supportoftheConstitution
ò ArguedthatfortheUniontolast,the
federalgovernmenthadtohavethe
powertoenforcelaws
ò NotableFederalists:Alexander
Hamilton,JamesMadison,andJohn
Jay
Antifederalists
ò AgreedthattheAoC werenotstrongenough
ò Werenotunitedinalloftheirreasonsfornot
supporting theConstitution, butsomeoftheir
mainargumentsincluded:
ò TheConstitution weakened thestates’
powers
ò TheConstitution hadnoBillofRights
specifyingindividualrights
ò TheConstitution allowedforoneperson
toleadthefederalgovernmentandhe
couldpossibly becomeaking
ò NotableAntifederalists:GeorgeMasonand
PatrickHenry
Ratifying the Constitution
ò Delegatesonbothsidesoftheissuedebatedbackandforth.
ò December7,1787- Delawarewasthefirststatetoapprovethe
Constitution.
ò June1788– The9th state,NewHampshire,approvedthe
Constitutionwhichallowedittogointoeffect.
ò OnJuly4,1788,Philadelphiacelebratedtheratificationofthe
ConstitutionoftheUnitedStates.Allstateseventuallyapprovedthe
Constitution.
Chapter 7 Extra Credit
ò CompleteLessonReviewsforChapter7,Lessons2and3
ò Lesson2(p.217)– Questions1through5
ò Lesson3(p.221)– Questions1through4