Essential Question:

What compromises were needed in

order to create the U.S. Constitution?

CPUSH Agenda for Unit 3.3:

 The Articles of Confederation were intentionally
weak in order to protect state & individual liberties
But, the Confederation
inability of Government in
the national New York City
govt to tax
& unify the
states led to
problems
like Shays
Rebellion
 In May 1787, 55 delegates held a
Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia to
discuss ways to strengthen the national govt

But instead of revising the Articles of

Confederation, they replaced it with the Constitution
 The Constitution was a The supremacy clause
radical shift from the AOC establishes the
because it gave more Constitution (not the
power to the national govt states) as the "the
than to the state govts supreme law of the land"
 The national government under the
Constitution would have new features & powers
that the Articles of Confederation did not have

Rather than a single unicameral Congress, the

new national government would be divided
among three equal branches of government
 Like the AOC, Unlike the AOC, the new
the govt had govt had a president
a Congress (executive branch) to lead
(legislative branch) the nation and enforce laws
to make laws passed by Congress

Unlike the AOC, Unlike the AOC, the new govt

Congress had the had a court system (judicial
power to tax & branch) to interpret laws and
coin money prosecute federal crimes
Delegates at the Constitutional
Convention agreed on some
major philosophical ideas for
the new national government
 Popular Sovereignty: the people
have power by voting for leaders
Limited govt: even though the
national government was stronger,
citizens liberty was still protected
Federalism: the national govt
shares power with state govts
Separation of powers: Checks & balances: each branch
three branches with can limit the power of the others
defined powers
The delegates at the convention
had to negotiate a series of
compromises in order to agree
on a framework for government

Many of these compromises dealt with

how representatives would be chosen
from the states to serve in Congress
Critical Thinking
Question A:
Large States vs.
Small States
The large states supported The small states
the Virginia Plan which supported the a
proposed adding a New Jersey Plan which
president to lead the called for a unicameral
nation and a bicameral congress in which states
congress in which larger
states have more are equally represented
representatives just like the AOC
 The Great Compromise resolved
the differences between the
large & small states by creating
a bicameral Congress
In the Senate In the House of
each state has Representatives, the
2 reps who number of reps is
serve 6-year determined by each
terms states population
 Critical Thinking Question B:
Southern Slave States vs. Northern Free States
Northern & Southern states could not agree whether
or not to count slaves towards population size

If slaves are counted,

Southern states would
have more votes and
power in the House of
Representatives
The Three-Fifths
Compromise allowed
states to count three
of every five slaves
toward taxation and
population size
Critical Thinking Question C:
To End Slavery or Not
 Many Northerners wanted
to use the Constitutional
Convention to end slavery,
but Southerners threatened
to leave the USA anytime
slavery was discussed
As a compromise for the
South, the slave trade could
continue for 20 more years
& runaway slaves would be
returned to slave masters
 James Madison
negotiated and
wrote much of
the framework
of the new
government and
is referred to as
the father of
the Constitution