The Constitution of the United States of America

1. The Constitution of the United States of America Choices and decisions: How a people chose to govern themselves

2. 5 Compromises that saved the nation • The Great Compromise • Combination of Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan [suggested by Connecticut] • Created a bi-cameral legislature based on equal representation per state [NJ] and on state population [VA] • Upper house: Senate – each state has 2 senators • Lower house: House of Representatives - # of seats based on state population, but no less than one 2. The ⅗’sCompromise • Every 5 slaves to count as 3 persons for purposes of representation in the House • Satisfied South that it would not be overwhelmed in the House

3. 3. No taxation of exports • Southern state’s economies heavily dependent on exports • Northern states felt trade regulation was needed • Interstate and import trade regulation and tax agreed upon 4. No action on Slave trade • Part of trade compromise • Slave trade off the table until 1808 5. Electoral College • How to choose the President? • Compromise between letting Congress choose or the people choose • Indirect method of state popular vote choosing state electors who vote

4. The Struggle to Ratify • The Federalists were convinced the Constitution was the right solution • It created a federal system in which power is shared between the national [federal] government and state governments • But the Federal government has the greatest power • Power to regulate trade • Power to tax • Coin and control money • Admit new states • Supremacy clause [Article VI] • etc. • Enforced unity

5. The Anti-Federalists were fearful that such a government would overwhelm the states and individual rights • They favored keeping the confederate system • Biggest concern was the lack of a Bill of Rights to limit government power • The same concerns and arguments form the basic differences between the Democratic and Republican parties today [big gov’t vs. small gov’t] • The debate over ratification began America’s two-party political system which we still have

6. The Federalist Papers • 9 of 13 states needed to ratify [Article VII] • But if just one of the major states doesn’t it will divide the nation • New York, Massachusetts and Virginia hold out for a long while • The Federalist Papers were submitted to newspapers and pamphlets to persuade state conventions to ratify • 85 essays explaining why the Constitution was needed and why the new government would not be too powerful • Still the best commentary on the Constitution of the United States • Federalists promise Mass. the first item addressed by the new Congress would be a Bill of Rights • Ratification goes through Alexander Hamilton John Jay James Madison

7. But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. A dependence on the people is, no doubt, the primary control on the government; but experience has taught mankind the necessity of auxiliary precautions. • Federalist No. 51 - Publius [James Madison]