United States Constitutional Convention

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United States Constitutional Convention 1787
By Rich Lawson CI 335
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Background The Articles of Confederation

• Created by Second Continental Congress
• Location Independence Hall, Philadelphia
• Submitted to States for Ratification November
  15, 1777
• Ratified March 1, 1781

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Background The Articles of Confederation (contd)

• Contained thirteen articles
• Created a weak national government states had
  almost all power and authority
• Congress could make decisions, but no real power
  to enforce decisions
• Denied Congress the power of taxation

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Weakness of the Articles The Response

• States would meet to discuss ways in which to
  reduce internal conflicts
• This meeting would become the Constitutional
  Convention

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The Basics of the Convention

• Location Independence Hall
• Began May 14, 1787
• Closed September 17, 1787

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The Basics of the Convention (contd)
Independence Hall

• There were a total of 55 delegates to the
  convention
• Rhode Island was the only state not to send any
  delegates

http//www.nps.gov/inde/indep-hall2.jpg
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Working out DifferencesThe Virginia Plan

• Proposed by Virginia delegate Edmund Randolph
• Single legislative body
• Supported more populous states
• Representation to be determined by states
  population or wealth

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Working out DifferencesThe New Jersey Plan

• Proposed by William Patterson
• Single legislative body
• Supported less populous states
• Representation to be determined by giving a
  single vote to each state

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Working out DifferencesThe Connecticut
Compromise

• Also known as the Great Compromise
• Settled differences between the plans from
  Virginia and New Jersey
• Two house legislative body

http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congres
s
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The Connecticut Compromise The Lower House

• Based upon the tenets of the New Jersey Plan
• Would later be called the House of
  Representatives
• Elected body determined by proportion of
  population of each state

House of Representatives
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congres
s
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The Connecticut Compromise The Upper House

• Based upon the tenets of the Virginia Plan
• Would later be called the Senate
• Elected body determined by equal representation
  among each of the states

United States Senate
http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/United_States_Congres
s
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Other Problems and Topics Addressed at the
Convention

• Power within and among the three branches of
  government
• The problem of slavery
• The lack of a bill of rights

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The Adjournment of the Convention

• On September 17, 1787 the Constitution was signed
• Of the 55 total delegates, only 39 signed
• No enumeration of rights of the people in
  original document

The Preamble to the Constitution
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The Adjournment of the Convention (contd)

• The Constitution was ratified by special
  conventions of the states after the adjournment
  of the convention
• The Constitution took effect in 1789, but the
  Bill of Rights proved an important issue and was
  added in December of 1793

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Sources

• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Articles_of_Confedera
  tion
• http//teachingamericanhistory.org/convention/intr
  o.html
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Virginia_Plan
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/New_Jersey_plan
• http//en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Connecticut_Compromis
  e
• http//www.usconstitution.net/consttop_ccon.html