The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional
Convention begins
■
■
■
■
1787 - Philadelphia
Delegates from all the
states invited to a
convention to improve
the Articles of
Confederation, which
were not working
Only RI didn’t attend
55 Delegates
attended
Leaders of the Convention
■
■
■
■
George Washington was asked to
preside (lead) over the convention.
James Madison kept notes of the
discussions and is often called “The
Father of the Constitution.”
The men who wrote the Constitution are
called the “Founding Fathers.”
All the participants in the Convention
were wealthy, white, males.
The Founding Fathers
Issues that divided the
Nation’s leaders
■
■
■
The power of the federal government. Would the
states or the federal government have the most
power?
Representation in Congress (How many
members on Congress would each state get? –
small states wanted equal representation, large
states wanted it to be determined by population
of the states
Slavery – How would slaves be counted? Would
the slave trade continue?
The Virginia Plan
■
■
■
■
Called for a new national government. Threw
out the Articles of Confederation
Three separate branches of government. – a
legislative branch, executive branch, and
judicial branch
Representation in the legislative branch based
on population of state
Large states like the plan, small states don’t.
New Jersey Plan
■
■
■
■
Legislature - has one house.
Each state gets one vote.
Small states like the plan, the large states
hate it.
There would have to be a compromise.
The Great Compromise
■
■
■
Legislature would have two houses
(parts): House of Representatives and a
Senate
House - based on the population of state
Senate - two senators per each state
Slavery
■
■
■
Free states wanted to end slavery and
slaves should not be counted as people
The slave states wanted slavery to
continue and for slaves to be counted in
the population
3/5 Compromise - Made each slave worth
3/5 of a vote in deciding numbers in
House of Representatives
Commerce Compromise
■
■
■
Free states wanted the gov’t to be able to
impose tariffs on goods to protect against
foreign competition
Slave states feared that tariffs would hurt
trade upon which they relied
Compromise - tariffs on imports only and
not exports from the US.
Slave Trade Compromise
■
■
■
Free states in the north wanted to bring
an end to importation of slaves
Slave states felt like slavery was vital to
their economy
Compromise - Congress would wait until
1808 to ban the slave trade.
Choosing a President
■
■
■
Some delegates felt like the President should
be selected through a popular election
Others felt like the people would not be
informed enough to make this type of
decision
Compromise - Electoral College, citizens vote
for electors who then vote for the President.
Ratification of the
Constitution
■
Federalists supported the Constitution
■
■
■
Anti-Federalists
■
■
■
Wrote Federalist papers
Did not think the Constitution needed a Bill of
Rights
Opposed the Constitution
Supported a Bill of Rights
Compromise - Bill of Rights would be added
to the Constitution
Elastic Clause
■
■
■
Loose constructionists: Congress should be
allowed to exercise many implied powers so
that government can take a greater role in
shaping events
Strict constructionists: Congress should be
allowed to exercise very few implied powers so
that government will remain small.
Elastic Clause - granting Congress the power
to pass all laws necessary and proper for
carrying out the enumerated list of powers