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The Constitutional Convention

Dive into the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia where the Founding Fathers worked to establish a new national government through compromise and debate. Learn about the key issues, such as representation, slavery, and ratification, that shaped the U.S. Constitution and the birth of a nation.

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The Constitutional Convention

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  1. The Constitutional Convention

  2. The Constitutional Convention begins • 1787 - Philadelphia • Delegates from all the states invited to a convention to improve the Articles of Confederation, which were not working • Only RI didn’t attend • 55 Delegates attended

  3. George Washington was asked to preside (lead) over the convention. James Madison kept notes of the discussions and is often called “The Father of the Constitution.” The men who wrote the Constitution are called the “Founding Fathers.” All the participants in the Convention were wealthy, white, males. Leaders of the Convention

  4. The Founding Fathers

  5. C. Areas of agreement: 1.Scrap the Articles of Confederation. 2.Establish a republican govt. 3.Establish a constitutional govt. 4.Establish a balanced govt. where no single interest dominates. 5.Suffrage for property owners only. 6.Stronger central govt. than under the Articles. 7.Protection of property rights: the main purpose of govt. 8.Keep the proceedings secret.

  6. The power of the federal government. Would the states or the federal government have the most power? Representation in Congress: How many members in Congress would each state get? – small states wanted equal representation, large states wanted it to be determined by population of the states Slavery – How would slaves be counted? Would the slave trade continue? Issues that divided the Nation’s leaders

  7. Sets the agenda for the Philadelphia Convention New, stronger national government. Three separate branches of government. – a legislative branch, executive branch, and judicial branch Representation in the legislative branch based on population of state Large states like the plan, small states don’t. The Virginia Plan

  8. Increased power of federal govt. to tax and regulate trade. Legislature – unicameral (has one house.) Each state gets one vote. Plural Executive Small states like the plan, the large states hate it. There would have to be a compromise. New Jersey Plan

  9. Legislature would be bicameral (have two houses.) House of Representatives - based on the population of each state Senate - two senators per state The Great Compromise (The Connecticut Compromise)

  10. The Southern states refused to approve the Constitution unless slavery continued. It was a terrible compromise to make, but the Northern states had no choice if they wanted a Constitution. 3/5 Compromise – Counted 3/5 of the enslaved population in deciding numbers in the House of Representatives and for taxation. Commerce & Slave Trade Compromise- In return for federal power to regulate commerce, Congress cannot ban the slave trade until 1808, and exports cannot be taxed. Slavery

  11. Other Areas of Disagreement and Compromise: Election of the President a. Life term v. annual election ---compromise of a 4-year term. b. Method of election: 1) Some wanted election by Congress. 2) Some wanted election by state legislatures. 3) Some wanted direct election. Compromise: Electoral College system.

  12. Ratification • 39 delegates signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787 • To become law, 9 of 13 states had to ratify (formally approve) the Constitution by state conventions of popularly-elected delegates. NH was 9th in June, 1788, but w/o VA and NY, success was not assured. • Federalist—Antifederalist debate • The FederalistPapers (The Federalist) • VA and NY eventually ratify by narrow margins.RI ratifies last in 1790.

  13. Ratification Politics 1. Federalists: Favored Ratification a. Supporters: property owners, creditors, merchants. b. Views: 1) Elites most fit to govern. 2) Feared "excesses" of democracy. 3) Favored strong central government. c.Leaders: Hamilton, Madison, Washington, Jay.

  14. Federalist Advantages: a. Were better represented in state legislatures. b. Controlled the press. c. Began ratification procedures quickly before Antifederalists could get organized. d. The Federalist Papers, essays written by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay, effectively rallied support for ratification. e. Agreed to add Bill of Rights after ratification of the Constitution.

  15. Antifederalists: Against Ratification a. Supporters: small farmers, frontiersmen, debtors, shopkeepers. b. Views. 1) Feared concentration of power in hands of elites. 2)Believed that govt. should be closer to the people. 3)Feared powerful central government. Favored stronger state govts. 4) Feared the lack of Bill of Rights -- their strongest argument. c. Leaders: Henry, Mason, Gerry.

  16. Launching a New State New York became temporary capital. Congress meets for first time March 1789 George Washington takes oath of office to become first president April 30, 1789. His Vice President is John Adams. Congress approved 12 amendments in their first session, and the States ratified 10, which became our Bill of Rights.

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