Drafting the Constitution Chapter 5, Section 2

1
Drafting the ConstitutionChapter 5, Section 2
2
Q What was the biggest problem facing the
nation under the Articles of Confederation?

• A Commerce between the states.
• (Close 2nd Civil Disorder-Shays Rebellion)

3
Shayss rebellion
Letter of Amnesty????

• Shayss Rebellion
• 1787 1,200 famers rebelled over their large
  debts and lack of paper money
• What a triumph to our enemies to find that we
  are incapable of governing ourselves. G.
  Washington
• Why was this such a big issue for the U.S.A.?
• EVERY state was in debt, it was just a matter of
  time until another rebellion arose somewhere
  else.
• New govt. was needed!

4
Call for convention

• It was clear that a new form of government was
  needed.
• Trade was one of the biggest concerns. Interstate
  trade was a major problem, states often argued
  with each other about taxes.
• Annapolis
• September, 1786
• Trade meeting
• Also discussed at that meeting were plans for a
  new government.
• May, 1787
• Delegates gathered in Philadelphia to discuss a
  new form of national government

5
(No Transcript)
6
Constitutional Convention

• New Generation of Leaders
• Madison and Jefferson, et al.
• Absent John and Sam Adams, Patrick Henry, and
  Thomas Henry, other revolutionaries
• Goal Strengthen the Republic
• (Against enemies foreign and domestic)
• Need to protect the minority and majority

7
Conflict

• State rights
• Delegates were still worried about a strong
  national government.
• They knew however the country needed a efficient
  national government
• Representation
• Everyone in the country had to representation in
  the government.
• Not just the right land owners.

• Two fundamental questions faced the delegation
• 1. How to have a strong national government, but
  still have state rights.
• 2. Balance interests of all people.

8
Big States vs. Small States

• How could there be fair representation for larger
  states and smaller states.
• Unlike the Articles of Confederation, there had
  to be fair representation of a states size.
• Delegates came up with two plans to solve this
  problem
• New Jersey Plan
• William Paterson
• Small States
• Virginia Plan
• James Madison
• Larger States

9
Representation

• Virginia Plan
• James Madison
• Two-house legislature
• Membership based on the population of the state.
• People would vote in members of the lower house,
  they in turn would elect the upper house.
• Legislature would elect President
• Favored the larger states

• New Jersey Plan
• William Paterson
• Single house legislature as was used in the
  Articles of Confederation
• Each state gets one vote
• Plan favored the smaller states

10
The Great Compromise

• Debate on the two plans became heated, and then
  deadlocked.
• Finally a compromise was reached
• Two House Legislature
• Upper House (Senate)
• Each state would have equal representation
• Lower House (House of Representatives)
• Representation would be based on the size of the
  state.

11
Slavery and Representation

• The Great Compromise failed to deal with one
  particular issue, that of slavery and
  representation.
• The southern states, hypocritically, wanted
  slaves to be counted in the population of the
  state.
• Why would this be bad for northern states?
• 3/5ths Compromise
• Slaves would be counted as 3/5ths of the states
  population.
• For every 5 slaves, 3 of them would be counted in
  the population.

12
Branches of government

• Legislative creates the laws ?????
• Executive carry out laws ????
• Judicial hear cases (judges!) ????

13
Division of Powers Checks and Balances
EXECUTIVE
LEGISLATIVE
JUDICIAL
14
CONSTITUTION COMPROMISE

• Great Compromise proposed by Roger Sherman
• House of Reps for Populous States
• Senate for Small States
• Power of govt. divided into 3 branches
• 3/5ths Compromise Compromise on counting slaves
  as part of population
• Democratic power limited by powerful federal
  judges and the Electoral College, only
  Representatives directly elected
• Limited Government achieved through Checks and
  Balances
• Rule based on consent of the governed, but my
  means of representative, not direct, democracy
• LIBERTY WAS BALANCED WITH ORDER

15
Changing the constitution

• Living Document Amendment process

16
TERMS

• Shayss Rebellion
• James Madison
• Roger Sherman
• Great Compromise
• Three-Fifths Compromise
• Legislative Branch
• Executive Branch
• Judicial Branch
• Checks and Balances
• Electoral College