ü A al Convention Is Called - during the summer of 1787, 12 states sent delegates to Philadelphia to discuss amending the Articles of Confederation - the example set by Shays Rebellion proved our young nation had to change many of the states tax laws
ü The Convention s Delegates - 55 men were present at Philadelphia s al Convention, which we call our Founding Fathers. - Those present were George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, & James Madison. Benjamin Franklin George Washington James Madison
- Thomas Jefferson & John Adams were not present because they were serving as ambassadors overseas. - The convention did not accurately reflect America s diversity as women, Native Americans, & African Americans were not represented! - These leaders did not believe them to be citizens, so none were invited. - Patrick Henry did not attend (he didn t want a monarchy). Thomas Jefferson John Adams Patrick Henry
ü The Delegates Assemble - Most weren t sure if a new government was to be created, but they all agreed that government should protect people s rights. - The ultimate goal was to create a strong, but limited federal government. - The government had to be strong enough to protect people s rights but not too strong to be controlled. James Madison Father of the
ü The Convention Begins - George Washington was voted as president of the convention and set a serious tone for the convention. - All discussions remained a secret and windows were covered. - Guards were posted outside the doors so the delegates could speak privately!
ü The Virginia Plan - Madison & Edmund Randolph proposed a plan for a whole new government, called the Virginia Plan. - The plan had three branches of government: legislative branch to create laws, executive branch to enforce the laws, and the judiciary branch to interpret the laws.
- The plan also proposed a legislature with two houses, with representatives from each state based on population or wealth. - Larger states obviously supported the plan but the smaller ones were greatly opposed. ü The Great Compromise - In response to the Virginia Plan, William Paterson presented the New Jersey Plan as an alternative. - The plan called for one house with one vote from each state, so all states would be represented equally.
- The delegates voted on both plans and the Virginia Plan won. - A selected committee was formed to organize a compromise between the two plans, called the Great Compromise. - The plan called for equal votes in the Senate, but votes in the House of Representatives, equal to population distribution.
ü Slavery & the - Southern states wanted slaves to be considered a part of their population, but the Northern states only wanted them to be counted for taxation purposes. -The compromise the delegates came up with was called the Three-Fifths Compromise. - Three-Fifths of the slave population would be counted when setting direct taxes and the three-fifths ratio would be used for representation too. - The delegates also voted that they could not ban the slave trade until 1808 (20 year period from 1788).
3 slaves were equal to 5 whites!!!
ü Regulating Trade - The delegates voted to have Congress regulate trade, but the Southern states succeeded in preventing Congress from taxing exports. - On September 17, 1787, thirty-nine delegates signed the and it was ready to be sent to the states for ratification. - 9 of the 13 states needed to sign for the to be approved.