Essential Question:

What compromises were needed in

order to create the U.S. Constitution?

CPUSH Agenda for Unit 3.3:

No Clicker Questions Today
The Constitutional Convention notes
Todays HW: 5.2
Unit 3 Test: Monday, September 17

The Articles of Confederation were

intentionally weak in order to protect
state & individual liberties
But, the
Confederati
inability
on
Government
of the
in New York
national
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

The Constitution was

a radical shift from
the AOC because it
gave more
power to the national
govt than to the
state govts

The supremacy
clause establishes
the Constitution
(not the states) as
the "the 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,

the govt had
a Congress
(legislative
branch) to make
laws

Unlike the AOC,

Congress had the
power to tax &
coin money

Unlike the AOC, the

new govt had a
president (executive
branch) to lead the
nation and enforce
laws passed by
Congress

Unlike the AOC, the new govt

had a court system (judicial
branch) to interpret laws and
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:
three branches with
defined powers

Checks & balances: each branch

can limit the power of the others

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

The small states
supported the Virginia
supported the a
Plan which proposed
New Jersey Plan which
adding a president to
called for a unicameral
lead the nation and a
congress in which
bicameral congress in
states
are
equally
which larger states have
represented just like
more representatives
the AOC

The Great Compromise

resolved the differences
between the
large & small states by
creating
In
InCongress
the House of
a the
bicameral
Senate
Representatives,
each state
the number of
has
reps is
2 reps who
determined by

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
The Three-Fifths
Representatives
Compromise
allowed states to
count three of
every five slaves
toward taxation

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
Asthe
a compromise
USA anytimefor
the South,
slave
slavery
was the
discussed
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