Part 1
The Constitutional Convention
KEY CONCEPT:
• The Constitution was completed only because the delegates to the Constitutional Convention were
able to reach a number of major compromises.
Ch 9
Constitutional Convention
• May 1787
– George Washington
– Secret
• motives
• challenges
Constitutional Convention
• Goals
– prevent tyranny
– economy
– foreign issues
Two Proposals for Representation
• Virginia Plan
– James Madison
• New Jersey Plan
– William Paterson
Madison – Father of the
Constitution
Conflict divides the Group
bankers (hard money, low inflation, high
debtors (cheap money, high inflation, low rates)
rates)
northern (commercial) economic
southern (rural slave) economic interest
interest & western land ownership
& western land ownership
large states (representation by
small states (equal representation for each
population)
state)
versus
strong central government
states’ rights
aristocratic, educated
democratic ideals , common man
Non-slave states, which sought to
slave states, wanted to include slaves in the
omit them from the count (thereby
population count (for
reducing the South’s
representation in Congress)
purposes of
representation in Congress)
Compromises
• Commerce Compromise
• The Great (Connecticut)
Compromise
• The Three-fifths
Compromise
Slavery in the Constitution
Even though the Declaration of Independence claimed, “all men
are created equal,” eleven years later, in 1787, the founders
drafted the Constitution, but did not eliminate slavery.
Question: Why did the founding fathers keep slavery in
the Constitution if “all men are created equal?”
Ch. 9
Left-Side
“Slavery in the Constitution”
• Read each passage
• On the left-side, address the following:
1. Identify each person and year (delegates / historians)
•
•
State their position: Was slavery a problem?
Explain:
a)
b)
If no, why not?
If yes, what was more important than ending slavery?
2. Take-A-Stand: Why did the Constitution allow
slavery to continue? Support.