Creating the Constitution

1. Creating the Constitution Chapter 2 Section 4

2. The Framers • 12 of the 13 States sent delegates to Philadelphia. • Rhode Island did not attend. • Never before or since has such a remarkable group been brought together in this country. • Thomas Jefferson, who was among them, called the delegates “an assembly of demi-gods.” • The group of delegates that attended were to be known as the “Framers”

3. The Framers • William E. Gladstone described the product of these framers as “the most wonderful work ever struck off at a given time by the brain and purpose of man.” • The average age was only 42 and nearly half were only in their 30’s. • They were the new generation of American politics.

4. Organizing and Procedure • The framers met that summer in Philadelphia’s Independence Hall. • They organized quickly and voted “George Washington” as the president of the convention. • Each state needed to be present and each would get one vote and the majority would rule. • They decided to work in secrecy to protect themselves from any outside pressures or influences.

5. Organizing and Procedure • William Jackson was made the official secretary and note taker of the convention. His notes were sketchy and eventually other delegates kept their own notes as well. • One of these was James Madison who became known as “The Father of the Constitution”. He took detailed notes and contributed more than any other individual at the convention. • Originally this meeting was set to revise the Articles of Confederation but once there it was agreed that it was time to create an entirely new document.

6. Redefined the purpose of the Convention • The goal of the convention became to establish a government consisting of the three individual branches.

7. The Virginia Plan • Since Virginia had started a great deal of this to begin with they decided to propose a plan. This was basically written by James Madison. • It called for: • Three branches of government-legislative (bicameral), executive, and judicial • Congress would choose the National Executive and the National Judiciary. • Congress could admit new states to the Union.

8. The New Jersey Plan • The smaller states found the Virginia plan too radical and they in turn proposed their own plan: • This plan stated: • Congress should remain as a Unicameral group much like that of the current Articles of Confederation ensuring that each state have equal representation. • It also called for more than one federal executive to be chosen by Congress

9. Compromises • Much debate was given to how the states would be represented in Congress. • Tempers flared and much discussion and many prayers were needed during this time. • Large states wanted to dominate the government while smaller states were scared they would not get their fair say in the new government.

10. The Connecticut Compromise • The Connecticut Compromise • Agreed that Congress would be made up of 2 houses. The smaller Senate where the states would be represented equally and the House where the states would be represented based on the states population. • The combination of parts from the Virginia plan and the New Jersey plan came together and appeased both groups …especially the smaller states. • This is often called “The Great Compromise”

11. The Three-Fifths Compromise • Once it was agreed that the House would be based on population the question of how to count the slaves arose. • Most of the Southern states wanted the slaves to count while the Northern states disagreed. • It was eventually agreed that all free persons should count as one and all slaves would then be counted as 3/5 of a person. • This formula would also be applied to any taxes that Congress imposed.

12. The Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise • The Framers all agreed that Congress would need the power to regulate foreign and interstate trade but the Southerners feared Northern control would act against the South and their slave trade and agricultural interests. • Before the Southerners would agree to the this power the Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise was passed: • It stated that Congress was forbidden to tax any exports from any State. • Also it was forbidden to act on the slave trade for at least 20 years.

13. A Bundle of Compromises • Benjamin Franklin stated that they had spent most of their time “sawing boards to make them fit”. • Many decisions were made as a result of many compromises. • The Constitution was a mixture of governments from ancient Greece and Rome, Great Britain and Europe. • Influences came from Jacques Rousseau’s Social Contract, John Locke’s Two Treatises of Government and many others.

14. Approval of the Proposed new document. • The Framers decided on a final document and they signed this document in September . • Now the race to ratify the document started.