Convention and Compromise
Ch. 7 Sec. 2
I. Economic Depression
A. The United States went through a depression after the Revolutionary War
depression- a period of low economic activity and high unemployment
1. Southern plantations were damaged during the war, and farmers couldn't produce
as much rice to export.
2. Farmers couldn't sell their crops and couldn't pay taxes. Farmers had their land
taken and where sometimes jailed because they couldn't pay their debts.
3. American trade was hurt when Britain closed the West Indies to American
merchants. Because of this, money was hard to find.
B. Shays's Rebellion- Daniel Shays led a group of over 1,000 angry farmers in forcing
courts in western Massachusetts to close so farmers wouldn't lose their land. Occurred in
1787 and was a result of economic problems farmers suffered.
C. Shays led farmers toward the federal arsenal in Springfield, Mass. Militia fired on the
farmers, but they did not stop. Daniel Shays and his followers scattered when militia fired
on them and killed four.
D. Many Americans were fearful that future uprisings would occur.
E. Many groups of people began to work toward ending the difficult issue of slavery.
1. Quakers organized the first American Antislavery Society in 1774.
2. Pennsylvania passed a law in 1780 that gradually provided for freeing slaves.
3. A Massachusetts court ruled slavery illegal in 1783.
4. Connecticut, Rhode Island, New York, and New Jersey passed laws that gradually
ended slavery from 1784 to 1804.
5. Free African Society was formed in Philadelphia in 1787.
F. Some states held onto slavery. Many were south of Pennsylvania where they relied on
the plantation system. Some slaveholders began to free slaves after the war.
G. Virginia passed a law encouraging the freeing of individual enslaved persons.
H. Abolition of Slavery- It divided the country. Representatives compromised on the
issue of slavery, and it would take another war to resolve the issue.
II. A Call for Change
A. Political Leaders Were Divided- on what kind of government the country should
have.
1. One group wanted to keep independent state governments.
2. The other wanted a stronger national government. The group called for reform of
the Articles of Confederation. James Madison and Alexander Hamilton were in favor
of a strong central government.
B. In September 1787, Alexander Hamilton proposed a meeting in Philadelphia to
discuss trade issues and possible changes to the Articles of Confederation so the union
would become a nation.
C. George Washington agreed to attend. He was not enthusiastic about changing the
Articles of Confederation, but Shays's Rebellion helped change that. His presence lent
greater significance to the meeting.
III. The Constitutional Convention
A. The Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia beginning in May 1787 and
consisted of 55 delegates. None of them were Native American, African American, or
women.
B. Several leaders stood out; George Washington, Ben Franklin, James Madison.
James Madison- "Father of the Constitution." He authored the basic plan of
government that was adopted.
C. George Washington presided and the basic rules were...
1. each state had one vote on all issues.
2. a majority vote was needed to finalize decisions.
3. delegates were needed from at least 7 of 13 states for meetings to be held.
4. delegates met behind closed doors so they could speak freely.
D. There were two plans of government proposed; the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey
Plan.
E. Virginia Plan- Called for a two-house legislature, a chief executive, and a court
system. Representatives would be proportional to a states population. Smaller states
would have fewer representatives.
proportional- corresponding to size. Larger = more; fewer = less.
F. New Jersey Plan- One-house legislature with one vote for each state. A weak
executive branch with more than one person. Congress could set taxes and regulate
trade. Just wanted to modify the Articles of Confederation.
IV. Compromise Wins Out
A. Delegates decided that just revising the Articles of Confederation would not work.
They voted to plan a government based on the Virginia Plan, but they needed to figure
out...
1. how members of Congress would be elected.
2. how state representatives would be determined in both houses.
3. whether enslaved people counted as part of a states population.
4. whether or not to ban slavery.
B. The Great Compromise
1. Two-house legislature. Lower house was House of Representatives and the
number of seats would very according to the states population. Upper house was
Senate and each state would have two members.
2. Three-Fifths Compromise- Every five slaves counted as three free people
towards a states population.
C. Another compromise plan to resolve the issue of slavery said that Congress would
not interfere with the slave trade until 1808. Congress could then limit the slave trade if
it chose to. Northerners had already banned slavery in their states.
D. George Mason of Virginia proposed a Bill of Rights, but it was defeated. Most
delegates felt that the Constitution already provided adequate protection of the people's
rights.
E. On September 17, 1787 the delegates signed and sent the approved draft to states
for consideration. 9 of 13 states were needed for the Constitution to be approved.