Chap 2.4 Creating the Constitution
Met in Philadelphia May 25, 1787
§ George Washington elected
president of the convention
§ Worked in Secret
§ Framers new generation of American politics
Changing Direction
§ Original goal improve the Articles of
Confederation
§ May 30, 5 days after starting, adopted
resolution to create a new government.
Compromise Needed to Create the
Constitution
Compromise important part of
government
13 States very different in geography and
economic situations
Wide differences of opinion among delegates,
but delegates agreed on basic fundamental
issues
Ø 
Ø 
Need of new national government, federal in nature
Concepts of Popular Sovereignty, Limited
Government, Separation of Powers, Checks and
Balances
Organizing the Philadelphia
(Constitutional) Convention
n 
Met in Philadelphia May 25, 1787
George Washington Elected president of the
convention
n  Worked in Secret
n 
n 
Changing Direction
Original goal improve the Articles of
Confederation
n  May 30, 5 days after starting, adopted
resolution to create a new government.
n 
Key Compromises
n 
n 
n 
Connecticut (Great)
Compromise
Three-Fifths Compromise
Commerce and Slave Trade
Compromise
Two Plans Proposed for New Government
Virginia Plan
Large States
Ø  Number of Houses:
2 – Bicameral
Ø  Representation:
By size or wealth
Ø  Stronger Central
Government
New Jersey Plan
Small States
3
Branches
of
Government
Ø 
Ø 
Ø 
Number of Houses:
1 – Unicameral
Representation:
Equal for all states
Weak Central
Government
Connecticut (Great)
Compromise
n 
Problem?
n 
n 
Proposals
n 
n 
n 
Representation in Congress
Small States wanted Equal Representation
Large States wanted by Population or Wealth
Solution?
House of Representatives represented by
Population as desired by Large States
n  Senate has Equal Representation as desired
by Small States
n 
Three Fifths Compromise
n 
Problem?
n 
n 
Proposals
n 
n 
n 
Should Slaves be counted in population?
Slave-holding States wanted to count them
Non Slave-holding States did not
Solution?
n 
n 
n 
n 
Count all Free Persons.
Count three of every five Slaves (all other persons).
Slaves counted for representation (South wanted), but
also for taxation (North wanted).
Eliminated in the 13th amendment 1865.
Commerce and Slave Trade
Compromise
n 
Problem?
n 
n 
• 
• 
n 
Proposals
n 
n 
n 
New Government needed to regulate trade – major
problem with Articles of Confederation.
Southern States concerns:
New Government may be funded by taxing exports
(tobacco was biggest export at the time).
New Government would interfere with Slave Trade.
Ban Government’s ability to tax exports.
Forbid any discussion about the Slave trade in Congress.
Solution?
n 
n 
Both proposals were agreed to.
Ban on discussion or legislation of slave trade for 20 years.
Chap 2.5 Ratifying the
Constitution
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
Convention completed work on September
17, 1787 (p. 54).
Second Continental Congress accepted
work of the Convention.
Forwarded the proposed Constitution to the
States of their vote.
Needed approval of 9 states to ratify.
Nine states approved by June 1788, but
neither VA or NY had ratified it.
Arguments For and Against
Federalists
§  Supported
Ratification
§  Favored stronger
national
government
§  Argued the
weaknesses of
present
government
§ 
Later became 1st
political party in US
Anti-Federalists
§ 
§ 
§ 
§ 
Against Ratification
Favored weaker
national government,
stronger state
government
Concern – protection
of personal liberties
Insisted on a Bill of
Rights added to the
Constitution
The Federalist Papers
n 
Series of 85 political papers written by John
Jay, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison
n  Supported the ratification of the
Constitution
n  Hamilton wrote 51, Madison wrote 26, Jay
wrote 5
n  Appeared in newspapers where ratification
was in doubt, New York and Virginia
n  Brutus and Cato, among others, versus
Publius
The Anti Federalist Papers
A collection of articles, written in
opposition to the ratification of the 1787
United States Constitution.
•  Unlike the Federalist Papers written in
support of the Constitution, the authors
of these articles, mostly operating under
pseudonyms, were not engaged in a
strictly organized project.
• 
Ratification and New
Beginning
n 
New York Becomes 11th state to ratify
n 
n 
Convinced by the arguments in the “Federalist
Papers”
n 
n 
n 
n 
n 
July 26,1788
Collection of arguments for the new government
written by Madison, Hamilton and John Jay
Persuasive to the benefits of the proposed
government
Argued the weakness of present government
New Government convened March 4, 1789
George Washington unanimously elected First
President.
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