3.8 Constitutional Convention

10.12.21

Learning Objective:  Explain the different ideological positions on the structure and function of the federal government

Theme Focus: Politics and Power

The Convention

• Delegates from several states

• Very secretive

• Ended in the proposal of a constitution

• Needed 9/13 states to ratify

• American people were surprised by the Constitution; they thought the Articles of Confederation would just be amended

• Massive debates and divides

Debates

• Virginia Plan: bicameral legislature with representation in both houses of Congress based on Population

• Would benefit bigger states

• New Jersy Plan: unicameral legislature with equal representation, regardless of size and population

• Would benefit smaller states

• Led to the Great Compromise: a bicameral legislature

• House of Representatives based on population

• Senate had Equal representation for all states

• Debate in the states

Federalists

• Desired the ratification of the Constitution

• Supported by big names like George Washington and Benjamin Franklin

• Typically made up of the wealthier, more educated citizens

• Articulated purpose in the Federalist Papers (Alexander Hamilton (51 papers), James Madison (29), and John Jay (5)

• Promised the addition of a Bill of Rights

• Spelled out individual rights

• Restricted powers of the federal government

Anti-Federalists

• Opposed ratification of the Constitution

• Supported by the poorer classes

• Some people include

• • George Mason, Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, Aaron Burr, and Thomas Jefferson

Compromises

• Representation of slave states in Congress: three-fifths compromise

• A slave would count as ⅗ as a person (in a group of 5 slaves, only 3 would count as a person)

• Role of the federal government in regulating slavery and the slave trade

• Most of the compromises are about slavery

• International slave trafe prohibited after 1808

• One of the last ΅first-world” nations to abolish slavery

• Britain abolished it way earlier than America

• Delaware was the first one to ratify it in December 1787, New Hampshire (June 1788) was technically the last one (was the 9th yes vote), Rhode Island was the very last to ratify the constitution (May 1790)