1. The Constitutional Convention
Chapter 10 Lesson 1
Pages

2. Objectives
Describe how the Constitution set up the government of the United States.
Explain the importance of the Great Compromise.

3. Need for Change

4. 1780's Many American’s poor High state taxes to pay
People borrow money and then go into debt
Can’t pay debt – State Courts would get involved
Lose farms and then sent to prison

5. 1786 Massachusetts Farmers protest They refuse to let the courts meet
Weapons: Pitchforks and guns
Closed down the courthouse and destroyed debt records

6. 1787 Daniel Shays – leads farmers in a revolt
Try to take over a Massachusetts arsenal
Arsenal – a weapons storehouse
No national army, so governor sends state soldiers
Shay’s Rebellion – people think that the national government could not keep order or protect them

7. Ideas for Change James Madison Virginia
Country needed a stronger national government
Each state had their own governor, but no single national leader
9 states had to agree before a law could be passed
Patrick Henry
Virginia
Wanted to keep the Articles of Confederation as they were
He said they fought the British so no powerful government would be ruling their lives

8. 1787 All states, except Rhode Island, send delegates to a convention
Location: Philadelphia
The Goal: FIX THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION

9. REVIEW What is the Articles of Confederation?
1777 – Approved by Congress
Each state elects representatives to serve in a national legislature
Each state, large & small, had ONE vote in congress

10. Weaknesses Most power was with the states
Before any law could be passed at least 9 out of 13 states had to approve it
Representatives RARELY agreed
No state wanted to be under control of another state
If a law was passed, Congress had no power to enforce it

11. Other limits
Congress had the power to declare war, make treaties, and borrow money
They could NOT control trade or collect taxes
To help with war debt, they asked the states for money, but could not force them to pay
Congress also depended on the states for the nation’s defense

12. Constitutional Convention
May 1787
55 delegates from 12 states meet at the Pennsylvania State House
George Washington – president of the Convention

13. Discussions
kept secret!

14. Creating the Constitution
Talks would be private
This allowed them to speak freely & make good decisions
Windows in the State House covered
Guards were at the doors
No one left!

15. Edmund Randolph From Virginia
Asked the delegates to get rid of the Articles of Confederation
Need to write a new plan of government
The next day – delegates agreed

16. Relationship: States & National government
Different views, but finally agreed to strengthen the federal system.
National & State governments would share power
States keep some power
Federal government – power over matters that affected the nation as a whole

17. Finished The Constitution became the supreme law of the land
It helped found the American Republic
Republic – the people choose representatives to run the government

18. MAJOR
DEBATE

19. How would states be represented in Congress?
Virginia Plan
Congress would have 2 parts (houses)
# of Representatives based on the state’s population
Higher populated states would have more votes
Favored: Virginia, Massachusetts, Pennsylvania
New Jersey Plan
William Paterson – “Unfair”
Congress would have 1 house
Each state would be equally represented
Small states would have the same # of representatives as large states

20. Working Together Weeks of arguing over representation in Congress
Finally, each side realized they must compromise
Compromise – give up some of what you want

21. The
Great
Compromise

22. The Great Compromise
Roger Sherman of Connecticut led a group of delegates and they presented a NEW PLAN
The Connecticut Compromise was based on 2 houses.
In one house = representation based on population
The other house = equal representation

23. The Great Compromise Both houses could present a BILL
Bill – an idea for a new law
But, BOTH houses had to approve the bill before it could become a law
Large states thought this gave smaller states to much power
So, only the house with representation based on population could propose tax bills

24. July 16, 1787
The Great Compromise
APPROVED

25. RECAP ~ The Great Compromise
LARGE STATES
Gave up the idea of having more representatives in both houses of Congress
SMALL STATES
Gave up the idea of a single house of Congress with an equal number of representatives for each state

26. What about
slavery?

27. REMEMBER!
The number of each state’s representatives in one house of Congress would be determined by its population.
Southern states had slaves.
Should they count as part of the population?

28. Different Points of View
Southern delegates
Wanted slaves to count as part of the population (this would give them more representatives
Northern delegates
Felt slaves should not count
They argued slaves were not allowed to vote and did not hold any other rights of citizenship
Want slavery ended

29. The Three-Fifths Compromise
Agreement comes
Three-fifths of the total number of slaves in each state would count toward the number of representatives
Many still spoke out against slavery
Gouverneur Morris of PA called slavery “the curse of heaven on the states where it prevailed.”

30. A continuing issue
Delegates were afraid if slavery is banned the Constitution would not be approved in the southern states
Delegates agreed that Congress could not stop states from importing slaves from other countries before 1808
1808 – Congress banned slave trade with other countries
But slaves could still be bought and sold within the U.S.

31. SUMMARY
Instead of just fixing the Articles of Confederation, the delegates at the Constitutional Convention decided to write a new constitution. The Great Compromise resolved conflicts over representation in the government.

32. James Madison
Argued the country needed to replace the Articles of Confederation
Becomes our 4th President of the United States

33. Edmund Randolph Introduced the Virginia Plan
Under the plan, the number of representatives of each state would be based on the state’s population

34. William Paterson Introduced the New Jersey Plan
Each state would have the same number of representatives
Federal Government would have one house

35. Roger Sherman Presented the Connecticut Compromise
This became known as the GREAT COMPROMISE

36. Gouverneur Morris
He spoke out against slavery, even after the Three-Fifths Compromise

37. What was one major shortcoming of the Articles of Confederation?
The national government was too weak

38. What event in 1787 caused many leaders in the United States to call for a Constitutional Convention?
Shay’s Rebellion

39. What does compromise mean in relationship to the Constitutional Convention?
To give up some of what you want in order to reach an agreement

40. Under the Three-fifths Compromise, which group in the United States was not totally included in each state’s population count for representation in Congress?
Enslaved African Americans

41. What problem in the U.S. was highlighted by the events of Shay’s Rebellion?
The weakness of the national government

42. Who had to share the power to govern under the federal system?
The national and the state governments

43. What was the main question of debate that needed to be resolved at the Constitutional Convention?
How should representation in Congress be divided among the states.

44. What was the original purpose of the Constitutional Convention of 1787?
To fix the Articles of Confederation

45. What agreement did the delegates at the Constitutional Convention finally reach under the Great Compromise?
Congress would have two houses
One house having equal representation from each state
The other house based on population
Both houses could propose bills, but only the house in which representation was based on population could propose tax bills

46. What does it mean that the United States of America is a republic?
It means the U.S. has a form of government in which the people elect representatives to govern the country.

47. How was a new plan of government developed at the Constitutional Convention?
The delegates developed a new plan of government after much debate and compromise.

48. The
End