Creating and Ratifying the Constitution

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Creating and Ratifying the Constitution
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I. Constitutional Convention

• Why was it held?
• To change the Articles of Confederation
• An entirely new U.S. Constitution would be
  created!
• Left Out
• Women
• Native Americans
• African Americans

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II. Compromise

• States Disagree
• How should states be represented?
• What about the economy (taxes)?
• Should slavery continue?
• How strong should the National Govt be?
• Virginia Plan
• Power given to national govt
• Two house legislature (Bicameral Congress)
• Representation based on population
• Smaller states disliked

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II. Compromise (cont.)

• New Jersey Plan
• More power to state governments
• One house legislature (unicameral)
• Each state had equal representation
• National Govt could tax and regulate commerce
• The Great Compromise
• Bicameral (2 house) representation
• Each state would have 2 reps in the Senate
• The House of Representatives would be based on
  population
• Created a strong national government

Complete chart on the Great Compromise
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III. Slavery

• South
• Wanted slaves to count as part of population
• Give them more representation (more power)
• North
• Wanted slaves to count for tax purposes
• Did not want slaves to count as representation
• Three-Fifths Compromise
• 3/5 of slave population would count towards
  representation
• Slaves could be imported until 1807
• The words slave and slavery never used in the
  Constitution

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IV. The Living Constitution

• Federalist Government
• Sharing of power between the central government
  and its states
• All powers not assigned to national govt were
  given to the states
• Checks and Balances
• Keeps one branch of govt from becoming too
  powerful
• Legislative - Congress
• Executive - President
• Judicial - Supreme Court

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V. Ratifying the Constitution

• Antifederalists
• Opposed the Constitution
• Thought too much power was given to the national
  government
• Worried that there was no section that guaranteed
  individual rights
• Most were small farmers and debtors
• George Mason
• Samuel Adams
• Patrick Henry

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V. Ratifying the Constitution (cont.)

• Federalists
• Supported the Constitution
• Had to convince people that the central govt
  would NOT be too powerful
• Published a series of letters in support of the
  Constitution
• Most were wealthy farmers and lawyers
• James Madison
• George Washington
• Ben Franklin

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V. Ratifying the Constitution (cont.)

• Bill of Rights
• Several states only ratified after being
  guaranteed a bill of rights section
• These rights would be added to the constitution
  as amendments
• 2/3 of both houses had to approve, then 3/4 of
  the states had to ratify
• 12 were originally proposed (1789) but ten were
  then ratified by the states (1791)