1787 The Constitutional Convention Drafting a New Nation

1787 The Constitutional Convention Drafting a New Nation

The Call for a Convention • Operating under the Articles of Confederation, America was on the brink of a financial disaster – Without the power to levy taxes, the federal government had no means to pay off a substantial war debt – Massive inflation plagued the country, leading to anger and rebellion

The Call for Convention cont… • Sensing the country was falling apart, Congress called for states to meet for the purpose of revising the A. o. C. • Seventy-four delegates representing the 13 states were appointed to attend the convention – Fifty-five of these appointees actually attended the sessions

Key Delegates • James Madison (Virginia) – His immense contributions would earn him the title of the “Father of the Constitution” • George Washington (Virginia) – His presence gave the convention legitimacy • Alexander Hamilton (New York) • George Mason (Virginia) • John Dickinson (Delaware)

James Madison “If men were angels, no government would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be necessary. In framing a government which is to be administered by men over men, the great difficulty lies in this: you must first enable the government to control the governed; and in the next place oblige it to control itself. ”

The Convention Begins • The first order of business was to elect a president for the convention • George Washington was nominated and unanimously approved – Washington was easily the most revered and respected American

Change of Plans! • With the rules set in place and Washington presiding, the delegates began the work of fixing the government on May 29, 1787 • Although the convention was called to fix the A. o. C. , the tone would soon change

Change of Plans… • Washington recognized Edmund Randolph of Virginia as the convention’s first speaker • To the surprise of many, Randolph introduced a plan for an entirely new government – This plan would come to be known as the Virginia Plan

The Virginia Plan • The Virginia Plan proposed a government made up of three branches – The Legislative Branch would make the laws – The Executive Branch would enforce the laws – The Judicial Branch Would interpret the laws

The Virginia Plan • The Virginia Plan also proposed a legislature with two houses – In both houses, the number of representatives from each state would be based on a state’s total population or wealth – The legislature would have the power to levy taxes, regulate commerce, and make laws • The small states were not happy – This was “the rat” many of them had feared

The New Jersey Plan • In response to the Virginia Plan, small states offered the New Jersey Plan • The New Jersey Plan called for a legislative branch with only one house – In it, each state would have equal representation (1 vote) • This plan called for a considerably weaker national government

Virginia vs. New Jersey Virginia Plan New Jersey Plan The Legislative branch would have two houses (bicameral) The Legislative branch would have one house (unicameral) Representation determined by population (proportional representation) Each state would have one vote (equal representation) Strong national government, with powers divided among three branches Weaker national government with an even weaker executive branch

The Connecticut Compromise • The two plans were put to a vote on June 19, with the Virginia Plan scoring a ‘victory’ • Debate, however, continued over representation in the legislature – Big states favored proportional representation (based on population) – Small states favored equal representation (1 vote per state)

The Connecticut Compromise cont… • In early July an agreement was made, which would be known as the “Great Compromise” – To satisfy the smaller states, each state would have an equal number of votes in the Senate (2) – To satisfy the larger states, representation in the House of Representatives would be based on a state’s total population

Three-Fifths Compromise • Because representation in the House of Representatives would be based on state population, the delegates had to decide who would be counted – The Southern states had more slaves and thought that slaves should be counted as people when determining state population • This would give Southern states more representation in the House of Representatives

Three-Fifths Compromise cont… – The Northern states balked at this idea, claiming that slaves were not citizens, and thus, should not be used to determine representation • After much debate, the delegates reached another compromise, which would be known as the Three-Fifths Compromise • Under this compromise, three-fifths of the slave population would be counted to determine representation in the House of Representatives

Finished? • Finally, on Saturday, September 15, 1787, the delegates voted to approve the new Constitution • It was then sent to the states for ratification, or approval – 9 of the 13 states had to ratify the Constitution before it would become law – The fight was far from over

Ratification • As state conventions opened to determine the fate of the Constitution, debate swirled around the young nation • The country was split into two camps: Federalists and Anti-Federalists – Federalists supported ratification of the Constitution – Anti-Federalists opposed the new Constitution, claiming it took too much power away from the states and the people

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists Supported a strong national government Favored stronger state governments Favored dividing power among three separate branches Wanted a weak executive branch and a strong legislative branch Proposed a single person to lead the executive branch Believed a Bill of Rights needed to be included to protect people’s rights Supporters included James Madison and Alexander Hamilton Supporters included George Mason and Patrick Henry

The Federalist Papers • The Federalists had a key ally: the press • In response to attacks by Anti-Federalists, the Federalists struck back with essays printed in newspapers • The best known of these essays are The Federalist Papers, which were first published in New York Newspapers

The Federalist Papers • Written by three well-known politicians – James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay – The Federalist Papers clearly defined why people should support ratification • The support garnered by these newspaper reports gave the Federalists a clear advantage

The Anti-Federalist Papers • The Anti-Federalists were not in sync with each other, but did provide public arguments against the Federalists – Strong opposition existed in several key states; including Virginia and Massachusetts • In order to ratify the constitution, these states demanded that a Bill of Rights be included

Federalist 10 – November 22, 1787 Brutus IV – November 29, 1787 Federalist 51 – February 8, 1788 Brutus XV – March 20, 1788 Federalist 78 – May 28 1788 THE DEBATE IN THE PRESS