Constitutional Convention

Philadelphia, PA

Location of the Constitutional Convention

George Washington

leader of the Constitutional Convention

James Madison

Father of the Constitution

Edmund Randolph

proposed the Virginia Plan with James Madison

William Paterson

proposed the New Jersey Plan

Roger Sherman

proposed the Great Compromise

Great Compromise

Compromise made at Constitutional Convention in which states would have equal representation in one house of the legislature and representation based on population in the other house

Virginia Plan

plan of government, in which states got a number of representatives in Congress based on their population; also called the large state plan

New Jersey Plan

proposal at the Constitutional Convention that called for equal representation of each state in Congress regardless of the state's population; also called the small state plan

3/5 Compromise

the decision at the Constitutional convention to count slaves as 3/5 of a person for the purpose of deciding the population and determining how many seats each state would have in Congress

Slave Trade Compromise

Slave trade would continue for 20 years until ending in 1808

Federalist Papers

A collection of 85 articles written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison under the name "Publius" to defend the Constitution in detail; support ratificaion

Anti-Federalists

people who opposed the Constitution

Bill of Rights

The first ten amendments to the Constitution; Anti-Federalists wanted these added to the document as a deal to ratify

Delaware

first state to ratify the Constitution

Pennsylvania

second state to ratify the Constitution

Rhode Island

last state to ratify the Constitution

bicameral legislature

Two house legislature

Legislature

lawmaking body (often called Congress)

Federalists

supporters of the Constitution

Ratification

Formal approval