Everybody hated this thing. While observing that it was too weak is an oversimplification. The variety of reasons why people were so miserable in the 1780s have everything to do with this document (until 55 of them got fed-up enough to scrap it). John Adams hated that he couldn t get a commerce treaty under it. George Mason hated that it didn t protect civil liberties. James Madison hated that it was too lenient on debtors Adonijah Mathews (a bartender) and Daniel Shays (a farmer) led separate rebellions claiming it was too harsh on debtors. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=zeoek5mvedy

CONVENTION -May 1787 Philadelphia Purpose- amend the Aoc -12 of 13 states Rhode Island absent Refused to participate ** EC -55 Delegates George Washington, James Madison, Benjamin Franklin and Alexander Hamilton Revolutionary War veterans, farmers, merchants, lawyers and bankers. primarily motivated by their own economic and civic interests

DECISIONS MADE -rewrite gov t: Stronger written plan was needed -1 vote per state -keep meeting a secret So delegates can speak freely If 13 states knew that they were throwing out old gov t and creating a new one chaos! -majority rules

Now what Many opinions were heard Realized they needed a BALANCED gov t Arguments broke out So, compromise! Way of resolving something where each side gives up something, but gains something else.

ISSUES AT DEBATE -representation How many representatives would each state get in the new Legislative branch? large states- since they were bigger, felt they should have more power small states- said it wasn t fair and that large states would get more power b/c they were larger -slavery North wanted nat l gov t to outlaw slavery South wanted to keep slavery b/c their plantations depended on them. -Economics $$ North- wanted national gov t to control trade South-wanted more state control b/c they depended on the trading for revenue (gov t income)

PLANS PROPOSED -Virginia Plan -James Madison -3 branches -bicameral Congress -population based Representation would be based on how many ppl in state. BIG states (MA, PA, NY, VA) -New Jersey Plan -small state plan -equal voting- unicameral congress (each state 1 vote) **equal representation -group executive -promoted state s rights

COMPROMISES -Great Compromise aka Connecticut Compromise -Agreement made at the Convention of 1787 that created a two house (bicameral) legislature with one house based on population and the other based on state equality - House based on population Made big states -Senate equal representation Made small states Roger Sherman **called Great Compromise b/c it set up how our L branch (Congress) is way it is TODAY!!!

COMPROMISES The Convention is in a dilemma. By agreeing to the clause it will revolt [many] in the States having no slaves. On the other hand, two states might be lost to the Union. Edmund Randolph, Virginia delegate to the Convention 3/5 Compromise- South- please count slaves as part of pop so our voting power in the HoR can increase! GA and SC says they will leave if they can t keep importing slaves North- no, not fair, slaves aren t seen as full citizens. Compromise- Every 5 slaves -3/5 Compromise -Agreement made at the convention of 1787 that slaves would count as 3/5 a person for the census to determine the population of each state -Slave Trade Compromise -Agreement at the convention of 1787 that Congress would not tax exports and slave trading could be banned in 20 years North- didn t want the South to bring in more slaves to add to population South-what if Congress taxed is on exports?? (rice, tobacco)

Thinking Map On the back of SSM page 8, compare and contrast the Virginia and New Jersey Plans in a Double Bubble Map (Honors) or a Venn Diagram (Standard).

NEW GOV T -much stronger -power to tax -regulate trade -strong executive It appears to me little short of a miracle, that the Delegates from so many different States in their manners, circumstances, and prejudices, should unite in forming a system of national Government. George Washington -needed 9 of 13 to ratify

These Compromises begin the basis for the United States Constitution!

NEW GOV T -much stronger -power to tax -regulate trade -strong executive -needed 9 of 13 to ratify

2 more compromises: How will we elect a President? Some delegates thought members of Congress should Others wanted the people to be able to vote Compromise= Electoral College: group of ppl who select the president and VP We vote and electors follow our votes! 2 different groups of people are forming Federalists the Constitution the way it is. To win support, they remind ppl of the flaws of the Aoc! Anti-Federalists felt the new constitution gave too much power to the national gov t and too little to states and PEOPLE

RATIFICATION -Federalists (Madison/Hamilton) -Political group who supported the passage of the new Constitution and its stronger government thought it was great the way it was! -Anti-Federalist (Patrick Henry, Sam Adams, John Hancock) -Political group who opposed the new Constitution and thought it lacked a specific list of people s rights -Federalist Papers -support the new government -written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay

Bill of Rights promised if Feds would agree that more rights were needed for the PEOPLE! Federalists finally agreed with Anti-Feds that a bill of rights was a good idea Feds promised that if the new Constitution was adopted (come on NC and RI) the new government would add a BILL OF RIGHTS By 1790, the 13 INDEPENDENT STATES are now ONE NATION: THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA!

Thinking Map On the back of SSM page 9, compare and contrast the Federalists and Anti- Federalists in a Double Bubble Map (Honors) or a Venn Diagram (Standard).