Daily History Question

1
Daily History Question

• The Articles of Confederation allowed each state
  to determine the tax on goods imported from other
  nations. The national government had no power to
  raise or lower taxes.
• How did this situation affect the early economy
  of the United States.
• A) State residents were overtaxed by the national
  government.
• B) State governments refused to print their own
  money.
• C) Inexpensive foreign imports flooded the
  country and hurt American industry.

2
Constitutional Convention Begins

• Many Americans were worried about the weaknesses
  of the Articles of Confederation. These
  weaknesses prompted the states to call a meeting
  in Philadelphia to revise the Articles.

3
New Framework of Government

• A new framework of government is created in 1787,
  which is called the United States Constitution.
• However, they were keeping their debates secret
  from outsiders.

4
The Delegates

• 55 delegates were present from 12 states.
• Only Rhode Island did not send any
  representatives
• Washington was voted President of the Convention.
• James Madison was a very influential delegate at
  the age of 36.

5
Virginia Plan

• Edmund Randolph of Virginia proposed a plan for a
  new, strong central government.
• James Madison was the main author of the Virginia
  plan.
• For the next three months, debate focused on this
  proposal.

6
Three Branches of Government

• The Virginia plan called for the central
  government to have three separate branches.
• Congress would continue to be the legislative
  branch, and the executive branch and the judicial
  branch would be additions.

7
1 or 3?

• The next debate is over how many people should be
  the chief executive (President)
• Randolph proposed that congress appoint three
  people to serve jointly as chief executive.
• Others objected.
• They decided one person was the best way to go
  and they would call him the President.

8
Virginia Plan

• Also called for a two house legislature an
  upper and lower house
• Delegates argued long and hard about methods for
  choosing members of the two houses. Some wanted
  state legislatures to elect both houses

9
Legislatures

• Roger Sherman said people should have as little
  do with the selection process as possible
  because they can be misled.
• James Wilson of PA warned against shutting the
  people out of the process. He argued that
  letting people elect representatives was not
  only the cornerstone, but the foundation of the
  fabric

10
New Jersey Plan

• Was in favor of each state to have the same
  number of representatives in congress
• William Paterson of NJ introduced a modified plan
  on behalf of the small states. This NJ plan
  stood in sharp contrast to the Virginia plan. It
  called for a single house of Congress, with equal
  representation for each state.

11
Emotions

• In the summer heat, delegates argued day after
  day over the great issues at stake. Emotions ran
  so high that some feared the convention would ail
  and the Union would break apart.

12
The Great Compromise

• Roger Sherman of Connecticut worked out a
  compromise that he hoped would satisfy both the
  large and small states.
• Approved on July 16, 1787, became known as the
  Great Compromise.

13
Two-house congress

• House of Representatives would be based on
  population, thus pleasing the larger states.
• Senate would be equal representation, with two
  senators from each state.
• Now the small states are also willing to support
  a strong central government.

14
Three-Fifths Compromise

• This was a debate over whether or not the slaves
  should count in the population count.
• Northern states said no, southern states said
  yes.
• They decided to count each slave and three-fifths.

15
Slave Trade Compromise

• Some northern delegates wanted to ban the buying
  and selling of people anywhere in the country.
  Southern delegates protested that a ban would
  ruin the Souths economy.

16
Slave Trade Compromise

• Once again a compromise was reached. Ships would
  be allowed to bring enslaved people into the
  country for a period of 20 years. After 1808,
  Congress could bar the importation of enslaved
  people. But the slave trade within the U.S. was
  not affected.