The one goal of the meeting scheduled in Philadelphia for May 14, 1787 was
to revise the Articles of Confederation.
When did the delegates arrive?
May 24th. 10 days after the scheduled date. Delegates from 12 of the 13 states came to the Constitutional Convention
What state was a "no show" and why?
Rhode Island. They wanted nothing to do with creating a stronger central government.
How long did the Constitutional Convention last and how many people attended?
May to September. Four months. Fifty five white men made up the group of delegates. 21 were college educated nearly all had experience in government. No women, no African Americans.
Most of the delegates helped write
their state constitutions, and more than half had participated in the Continental Congress. They had witnessed the unhappy consequences of a weak central government.
Who had duties elsewhere and could not attend the Constitutional Convention?
Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Thomas Paine
Who stayed away from the Constitutional Convention because of fear toward a strong central government. They "smelled a rat in Philadelphia, tending toward monarchy
Patrick Henry
Who was chosen to preside over the convention?
George Washington
Who was the Virginian that arrived in Philadelphia with a draft of a completely new framework of government? And why did he draft a new framework?
James Madison. He wanted to write a new Constitution instead of revising the Articles of Confederation.
Who contributed so much to the formation of the Constitution that it earned them the nickname "Father of the Constitution"?
James Madison
The delegates realized shortly after the Constitutional Convention commenced (began) that they could not
amend the Articles of Confederation. They agreed the Articles were far too weak to hold a nation together.
Presented Madison's Proposal later known as the Virginia Plan
Edmund Randolph a Virginia governor
Virginia Plan
called for a strong national government with three branches.
1) legislative branch,
2) executive branch,
3) judicial branch.
legislative branch
makes laws
executive branch
carries out laws
judicial branch
determines if laws are carried out fairly
Virginia Plan's first provision also called for a
two house legislature
The Virginia plan proposed both legislature houses
the number of members would be based on state population. Large states would have more representation than small ones. This differed from the Articles of Confederation where each state got one vote
small states were upset and felt the first provision of the Virginia Plan ensured that
lawmaking would be controlled by the large states. the small states argued they would never give up the equal power they enjoyed under the articles of Confederation
second provision of the Virginia Plan
declared that if two or more states could not settle their differences, the national legislature would step in and do it for them.
Virginia Plan suggested that who should choose the President and national judges?
Congress
The Virginia Plan stated the President and courts
would have the power to veto laws passed by Congress. The two houses of Congress could turn around ad override the veto.
Virginia Plan provided a blueprint
for a very powerful centralized government.
New Jersey Plan
presented by the small states in response to the Virginia Plan. A counterproposal
Who presented the counterproposal called the NJ Plan
William Paterson; remember Paterson New Jersey where mom and dad met!!!!!
NJ Plan provided for 3 branches of government
but kept the single-body Congress as set forth in the Articles of Confederation. No matter what size, each state has only one vote in the legislature.
NJ Plan wanted Congress to keep the powers it had in the Articles of Confederation
but would gain new powers to tax and to regulate trade among the states
Who favored the NJ plan?
small states
Who favored the Virginia Plan?
large states
Grand Committee
Deadlocked. So the convention selected one delegate from each state to work toward a solution. They struggled but eventually reached a compromise
compromise
an agreement in which each side agrees to give up something to gain something more important.
Great Compromise
agreement reached between those that supported the Virginia Plan or the New Jersey Plan. Congress was to be made up of two houses. The Senate would be chosen by state legislatures. Each state had two Senators (first house)
Why did small states approve the Great Compromise?
They were pleased that say would keep as much power as they had under the Articles of Confederation.
The Great Compromise also stated that the second house in Congress
The House of Representatives would have a number of seats available in Congress based on population.
Who would choose the members of the Senate and House of Representatives according to the Great Compromise?
voters in that state