On May 25, 1787, delegates came together to revise the Articles of Confederation.
They decided to abandon the Articles, and begin again.
All states except Rhode Island sent a delegate to the Convention.
They worked on the new US Constitution.
Constitutional Convention The Virginia Plan (James Madison’s Plan)
1) Strong national legislature with two chambers
2) Strong national executive chosen by the legislature
3) National judiciary chosen by the legislature
Strong national government, populous states would benefit the most
New Jersey Plan
Counterproposal to the Virginia Plan
Unicameral legislature, one vote for each state.
Gives congress the power to tax, and to regulate trade.
Limited powers to executive and judicial groups.
This plan was rejected.
Should congress be represented by population, or regardless of population?
Connecticut Compromise (The Great Compromise) Legislative Branch have two parts (bicameral)
House of Representative (numbers by population)
Senate (all states have two members)
This Compromise, protects smaller states, and gives larger states a voice.
3/5th Compromise
The second compromise settled the question of how many representatives would be in the House.
The South has large slave population.
The North had less slaves.
Compromise: 3/5th of the enslaved people were to be counted for representation.
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION! 4000 words = shortest and oldest
(compare to the EU Constitution = 485 pages)
Stored in a bullet-proof case.
At night, it is kept in a vault designed to withstand a nuclear explosion.
Only page one and four are on display daily.
QuickTime™ and aTIFF (Uncompressed) decompressor
are needed to see this picture.
Other Compromises Delegates made several compromises to complete the Constitution.
How the president is elected.
The Electoral College System.
Four year term for the president.
“The Great Compromise” Create a graphic organizer on white paper to show how
the framers agreed during the Constitutional Convention.
Guided Reading 2.4
Virginia Plan (drawing)
New Jersey Plan (drawing)
The Great (Connecticut) Compromise (drawing)
Explain in words for each: Who? What? Why?
Date and Place where Constitution was signed
The Federalist supports a
STRONG national
government.
• The Federalist Papers
James Madison, Alexander
Hamilton and John Jay
The Antifederalists supports the
Bill of Rights.
• Anti-Federalist Papers
• By various Anti-Federal
judges and politicians
• Ex: Patrick Henry,
Richard Henry Lee
Federalists v.
Anti-Federalists
Ratification of the Constitution
•Sent to state conventions, NOT
state legislatures
•Need nine to ratify
•Federalists more organized
Ratification of the Constitution
Ratification of the Constitution
•Sent to state conventions, not
state legislatures
•Need nine to ratify
•Federalists more organized
•Virginia signs on...
• It comes down to NY....
Ratification of the Constitution
Ratification of the Constitution
•Sent to state conventions, not state
legislatures
•Need nine to ratify
•Federalists more organized
•Virginia signs on...
• It comes down to NY....
•Federalists more organized
- Federalist Papers by Madison,
Hamilton, and Jay
•After NY, NC and Rhode Island sign
on
Federalists Prevail!
Our First Constitutional Government
First Congress in NY
Bill of Rights (to appease Anti-Federalists)
12 proposed amendments (only 10 passed)
Quiz 2.4 Guide Know:
George Washington
James Madison
Anarchy
Extralegal
Interstate Commerce
Notes: (read your PP)