1. THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
CHAPTER 7 SECTION 2
THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION

2. THE FATHER OF THE CONSTITUTION
The Convention Begins
LOCATION : PHILADELPHIA
DATE: SUMMER 1787
PURPOSE: DUE TO THE WEAKNESS OF THE OF THE ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION THEY WERE SENT TO REVISE IT.
DELEGATES DECIDED THAT REVISION WOULD NOT BE SUCCESSFUL
THE MEETINGS WERE KEPT SECRET
THEY COULD SPEAK THEIR MINDS AND BE ABLE TO CHANGE THEIR MINDS
THE DELEGATES
DELEGATES FROM 12 STATES
RHODE ISLAND DID NOT SENT DELEGATES
GEORGE WASHINGTON BECAME THE PRESIDENT OF THE CONVENTION
JAMES MADISON TOOK CAREFUL NOTES ON THE MEETING
JAMES MADISON
THE FATHER OF THE CONSTITUTION

3. THE VIRGINIA PLAN AUTHORED BY JAMES MADISON
THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENTS
EXECUTIVE – PRESIDENT- CARRIES OUT THE LAW
JUDICIAL – A SYSTEM OF COURTS TO INTERPRET LAWS AND SETTLE DISPUTES
LEGISLATIVE- MAKES THE LAW
TWO HOUSES – UPPER AND LOWER HOUSE
REPRESENTATION BASE ON A STATES POPULATION
FAVORED BY LARGE STATES

4. NEW JERSEY PLAN PROPOSED BY WILLIAM PATTERSON
THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT
UNICAMERAL or ONE HOUSE LEGISLATURE
REPRESENTATION WOULD BE EQUAL FOR ALL STATES. EACH STATE WOULD HAVE ONE VOTE NO MATTER ITS SIZE.
FAVORED BY SMALL STATES DISLIKED BY LARGE STATES

5. THE GREAT COMPROMISE ROGER SHERMAN’S IDEA
PLEASED BOTH SMALL AND LARGE STATES
THREE BRANCHES OF GOVERNMENT
TWO HOUSE LEGISLATURE
LOWER HOUSE – HOUSE OF REPRESENTATIVES
REPRESENTATION WOULD BE BASE ON A STATES POPULATION
UPPER HOUSE – SENATE
REPRESENTATION WOULD BE EQUAL
EACH STATE WOULD HAVE TWO SEATS (VOTES) NO MATTER ITS SIZE

6. THREE-FIFTHS COMPROMISE
DIVISION OVER SLAVERY
NORTHERNERS WANTED TO TAX SLAVES AND NOT COUNT SLAVES TOWARD A STATES POPULATION
SOUTHERNERS WANTED TO COUNT SLAVE FOR POPULATION BUT NOT FOR TAXES
COMPROMISE- SLAVES WOULD COUNT AS 3/5 PERSONS FOR POPULATION- SLAVE TRADE COULD NOT BE BANNED FOR 20 YEARS (1808)

7. A NEW CONSTITUTION
AUTHORITY OF THE GOVERNMENT COMES FROM THE PEOPLE “ WE THE PEOPLE”
PREAMBLE WRITTEN BY GOUVERNEUR MORRIS
THE CONSTITUTION MUST BE RATIFIED BY 9 OF THE 13 STATES TO TAKE EFFECT
ANTI FEDERALIST – THOSE WHO OPPOSE THE RATIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION

8. VOCABULARY
JAMES MADISON- kept good notes of the convention and authored the Virginia Plan- called the Father of the Constitution
VIRGINIA PLAN- called for a two house legislature with a lower and upper houses, representation would be based on the state’s population, favored by larger states
NEW JERSEY PLAN- proposed by William Paterson. It called for a single house legislature with equal representation for each state. Favored by the smaller states.
ROGER SHERMAN- proposed the Great Compromise .
COMPROMISE- an agreement where people give up something in order to get something they want.
THE GREAT COMPROMISE- created a two house legislature with equal representation in the Senate and representation based on state population in the House of Representative
THREE-FIFTHS COMPROMISE- a compromise between the North and the South where states could count 3/5 of their slave population toward representation and taxes. Congress could not ban the slave trade for 20 years (1808)
GOUVERNEUR MORRIS- writer of the Preamble

9. ARTICLES OF CONFEDERATION and THE CONSTITUTION
Only a loose agreement among the states; power was in each state.
A formal union; power was centered in the national government.
A one-house Congress, with one vote per state, no matter what its population.
A two-house Congress; the House of Representatives based on population and the Senate based on equal representation— two votes per state.
Congress had no power to tax.
Congress could tax.
Congress could not regulate foreign or inter state trade.
Congress could regulate foreign and interstate trade.
No executive to enforce laws made by Congress.
An executive branch led by the President could carry out and enforce national laws.
No national system of courts.
A judicial branch, with a supreme court, to review laws and settle interstate conflicts.