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The Constitutional Convention. The Constitutional Convention. Constitutional – related to the constitution Convention – meeting Therefore it is a Constitution Meeting. The Constitutional Convention. A meeting in Philadelphia to fix the Articles of Confederation, to fix the government
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The Constitutional Convention • Constitutional – related to the constitution • Convention – meeting • Therefore it is a Constitution Meeting
The Constitutional Convention • A meeting in Philadelphia to fix the Articles of Confederation, to fix the government • Only 12 states sent representatives • Rhode Island did not send anyone
The Constitutional Convention • Everyone decided: • The Articles of Confederation were too weak • The Articles of Confederation had many mistakes • Time to write a new national constitution
The Constitutional Convention • Ideas for the new federal government • Will have three branches (parts) • Government needs to make laws • Government needs power to carry out the laws • Government needs power to judge the laws • The government needs the power to get money to do its work
The Constitutional Convention • States disagree about: • How to set up each branch • How many votes large and small states get
The Constitutional Convention • Compromises the states made to each other: • The Great Compromise • The Three-fifths Compromise • The Slave Trade Compromise
The Constitutional Convention • The Great Compromise • The federal government has 2 houses of Congress • In the Senate – all states get 2 votes each – equal • In the House of Representatives – states with more people, get more votes
The Constitutional Convention • The Three-Fifths Compromise • States with slaves can count 3/5 of their slaves to help with the population count • This helps get more votes in the House of Representatives
The Constitutional Convention • The Slave Trade Compromise • Congress could not end the slave trade for at least 20 years • Congress could make all the rules about trade
The Constitutional Convention • The Constitution was DONE!!!
Next… • The constitution had to be ratified [accepted or approved] by at least 9 states
Ratifying the Constitution • Some people wanted to ratify/accept the constitution • Some people did not want to ratify/accept the constitution
Ratifying the Constitution • Federalists – wanted to ratify • Liked the strong national government • Felt the constitution was fair, some power for the national government, some power for the states • Included: • Lawyers • Doctors • Ministers • Wealthy business men • Newspaper owners
Ratifying the Constitution • Anti-federalists – against the constitution • Felt the constitution took too much power away from the states • Felt the rights of the people would be taken away • Included: • Farmers • Small business owners • townspeople
Ratifying the Constitution • The Federalist Papers • Written by • James Madison • Alexander Hamilton • John Jay • Explained the meeting in Philadelphia • Explained the constitution
Ratifying the Constitution • December 1787, Delaware was the first state to ratify • Delaware is now called “The First State”
Ratifying the Constitution • By summer 1788 – 9 states had ratified the constitution
The Constitution • Now the supreme (top) law of the land • All 13 states ratified the Constitution • 1791 – The Bill of Rights became the first amendment to the Constitution