The Constitutional Convention

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The Constitutional Convention
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What it was

• A meeting in Philadelphia, US capital, with the
  purpose of
• Amending/fixing the problems associated w/the
  Articles of Confederation
• Such as
• No Executive to enforce laws-Shays Rebellion
• No power to tax
• No Judicial branch
• No power of interstate trade
• No law forbidding states from coining

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Where, When, Who

• Philadelphia- May-September 1787
• 55 delegates from 12 states
• Wealthy white males
• George Washington was president of the secret
  meetings

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Attendees
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Absent
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Too Many Problems

• The Delegates at the Convention decided there
  were too many problems with the Articles and
  decided to
• Create an entirely NEW CONSTITUTION
• Eliminating the Articles of Confederation
• Now they would need to compromise in many areas

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Problems and Compromises

• The Large and small states fought over
  REPRESENTATION in Congress-
• The more representatives in Congress the more
  power a state would have-VA vs. NJ Plans

• The Great Compromise-solved the representation
  debate
• A Bi-cameral legislature was created
• House of Representatives-based on population
• Senate-two for each state
• Sometimes known as
• Connecticut Compromise

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Problems and Compromises

• Slavery was also a major problem
• Southern states wanted slaves counted for
  representation
• Not for taxes
• Northern states opposed this view

• For every 5 slaves a state had 3 counted for
  representation and taxation
• 3/5 Compromise
• New slaves were not to be imported after 1808-not
  an end to slavery

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Problems and Compromises

• Under the Articles trade was controlled by the
  states
• Northern states wanted national government to
  have this power
• Southern states feared a loss of through new
  export taxes-cotton

• Control of interstate trade went to National
  government
• Import taxes (tariffs) but no export taxes
• Commerce Compromise

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Problems and Compromises

• Delegates argued over election of a president
• Elected directly by the people or
• Elected by the state legislatures

• They decided to
• Indirectly elect the president with a
• Group of electors known as
• The Electoral College

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Problems and Compromises

• Debt from the revolution was another issue that
  needed to be dealt with
• Southern states had paid theirs
• Northern states still owed millions to other
  nations

• Southern states agreed to pay off the debt as a
  nation if
• The new nations capital was placed in the south
• This issue and compromise was known as Assumption

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A New Plan of Government

• By September 1787 the meeting was done
• The delegates had created a brand new
  constitution
• The Constitution of The United States of America
• It now needed to be ratified/approved by
• 9 of 13 states

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The Fight for RatificationFederalists vs.
Anti-federalists

• Favored ratifying
• Saw no need to add/change the new plan
• Organized supporters to write essays telling why
  new plan should be ratified-
• The Federalist Papers
• GEORGE WASHINGTON FAVORED RATIFICATION

• Feared the new constitution would result in
• A loss of personal and state rights
• Demanded a Bill of Rights be added
• To guarantee civil liberties/rights

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The Fight for RatificationFederalists vs.
Anti-federalists

• Promised to add a Bill of Rights in return wanted
• Guarantee Constitution would be ratified

• Agreed to ratification with addition of
• Bill of Rights 10 total 1791
• This became the final compromise
• The Constitution is known as a
• Bundle of Compromises

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Articles vs. Constitution

• No power to tax
• No Executive
• No Judicial Branch
• No control over trade between the states
• States could coin
• State governments most power

• National govt taxes
• President to enforce laws
• Supreme Court to interpret laws
• Controls interstate commerce/trade
• Only the national govt can coin
• NATIONAL GOVERNMENT SUPREME TO STATES