Compromises to the Constitution

Articles of Confederation

• 1 Legislature, no other parts of government

Two Opposing Plans

• Virginia Plan- large states supported it• New Jersey Plan- small states supported it

Virginia Plan

• 3 Branches of Government– Legislature: making laws– Executive: enforcing laws– Judicial: interpreting laws

• Bicameral Legislature• Bicameral= 2 houses

• Based on Population: more people, more power

New Jersey Plan

• 3 branches (like V plan)• Unicameral Legislature:– Unicameral: 1 house

• 1 state, 1 vote• Same as Articles of

Confederation• Small states equal to

large states

What do we do about this?

We Compromise.

Great Compromise

• Compromise- both sides give up something but gain something else

• Take both plans and put them together

• Legislature is bicameral• Congress: – House of

Representatives– Senate

2 house Legislature

• House of Representatives:– Representation set up by

population• Senate:– Each state gets 2

representatives

House of Representatives

• Based on Population• The more people in the

state, the more representatives

• 438 representatives

Senate

• Each state 2 representatives

3/5 Compromise

• How do we measure the pop. Of slaves?

• 3 out of 5 slaves are counted in the census

• Afr. Americans counted as 3/5 of a human

Other Compromises

• Congress could regulate trade between states and other countries

• Congress could not tax on exports

• Could not mess with slave trade until 1808

Who was to elect the President?• Electoral College- group

of people who select the president

• Today, we elect both Electoral College and President

A divided public

• Federalists- group that supported the Constitution

• Federalism- form of government where power is divided between the state and national government

Against Constitution

• Anti-Federalists- against the constitution

• Too much power to the National government,

• Not enough to states• No guaranteed rights

One last Compromise…• Anti-Federalists agreed to

sign Constitution if their basic freedoms would be guaranteed in a Bill of Rights

New Constitution

• June 21, 1788- 9/13 states ratified Constitution

3 Parts of the Constitution:

• 1. Preamble: Government’s Goals

• 2. Articles: Government’s Powers

• 3. Amendments: Government’s Limits/ People’s Rights

New question

• What goals do the US government have, according to the Preamble?

More Principles of the Constitution!

Do Not Write

• Most Important- Popular Sovereignty• Following are meant to make sure we have

power of the people

James Madison:

• “You must first enable the government to control the governed, and in the next place oblige it to control itself.”

Separation of Powers

• Power of the Government is split between legislative, executive, and judicial branches

Checks and Balances

• Each branch of government has the power to restrain the other branches

Supremacy of the Constitution

• If any laws conflict with the Constitution, the Constitution will win

• We the people of the United States, in order to form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty to ourselves and our posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.

Vocabulary

• Constitutional Convention• Legislative Branch • Executive Branch• Judicial Branch • Great Compromise • Three-Fifths Compromise • Electoral College• Federalists• Anti-Federalists • Federalism