3.8 APUSH: The Constitutional Convention

How many delegates met for the constitutional convention? When was it? Where?

55 Delegates, 1787, Philly

Who were some of the powerful minority in the constitutional convention?

James Madison and Alexander Hamilton

What did they opt to do? Create a new constitution or alter the existing one?

To create a new constitution that afforded the government more power than it had under the articles 

What was one of the main questions made during the constitutional convention?

How would the voices of the people be represented?

What were the two main proposals for how the people would be represented?

The Virginia Plan, the New Jersey plan

What was the Virginia plan?

It called for a strong centralized state and bicameral legislature (two houses in Congress) Representatives would be based on population

Who favored the Virginia plan?

Bigger states

Who favored the New Jersey plan?

Smaller states

What was the New Jersey plan?

It called for unicameral legislature, every state had equal representatives

What was the New plan for representation proposed?

The Great Compromise

What was the Great Compromise?

It provided for a bicameral legislature (two houses, HOR: based on population; Senate: equal amount for all)

What was the 3/5ths compromise?

Only three-fifths of the enslaved population could be added for purpose of representation

What did the convention agree regarding slavery?

To take the ban of slavery off the table until 1808

How are people of the HOR elected? For how long?

Elected directly by the people, they serve two yr terms

How are people of the Senate elected? For how long?

Elected by state legislatures, they serve six yr terms

How did the executive branch occur?

They are elected by a processed governed via electoral college

How would the president be elected?

Not by the people, but by the states

What is ratification?

That 9/13 states must agree to it

What two sides formed regarding ratification?

Federalists vs. anti-federalists

Who were federalists?

Urban and commercial folks who traveled to various states to persuade the people to ratify the new constitution

Who were the three main people on federalists side?

Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay

What did the anti-federalists try to persuade the people to do?

To not ratify the new constitution because it invested too much power in the hands of the central government at the expense of the states

What was one of the main problems with the constitution?

It had no provision for the protection against the federal government’s intrusion on individual liberties (no bill of rights)

Who won, Federalists or anti-federalists?

Federalists, by art of persuasion and promising the anti-federalists they would add a bill of rights after it was ratified.