7.2

A New Charter

• Reps from $Virginia and Maryland$ met at Mt Vernon with Washington $to discuss trade disputes involving the Potomac River$
• $Maryland and Virginia called for a convention in Annapolis$ that would include all 13 states to discuss more trade disputes. $Only 5 states sent reps$. $Hamilton called for another convention$; the Confederation Congress ordered the idea of a $convention in Philly in May 1787$
• The delegates $arrived on May 25$ for the opening session.
• $55 delegates attended the convention$ all states $except Rhode Island$ were present
• Hamilton was spitting insane ideas for 6 hours straight like ma boi what is you doing
• he proposed a new form of government as a jr delegate
• The delegates unanimously elected George Washington as President
• $May 30th$ the delegates agreed that they needed a national government with legislative, judiciary, and executive branches
• Soon the ideas were divided and battle lines were drawn $between the large states and the small states$
• $James Madison proposed the Virginia Plan$
• The Virginia Plan advocated for a $bicameral congress$ with the number of reps based on $state population$. The House of Reps would be chosen by $popular vote$, the Senate would be chosen by the House of Reps from $nominees submitted by state legislatures$; New congress would be able to $enforce laws on states and would be empowered to elect Chief Exec and National Judiciary$. The two powers could unite to veto congressional acts, but this veto could be overridden by a vote in the house of reps and senate
• Small states disliked the idea because they had a smaller population ad wouldn’t benefit from the Virginia Plan so they created the New Jersey Plan - Presented by William Paterson
• $The New Jersey Plan$ advocated for for a $unicameral congress,$ just like the CoC, with each state having only one vote regardless of population
• $John Sherman presented the Great Compromise$ - this proposed that $House of Reps be based on state population and reps in Senate be equal regardless of population$ - Hamilton called it a motley measure
• $Slaves got only 3/5s of a vote$ since there was not yet a big debate on slavery
• Most delegate agreed that Congress needed a role in commerce, regional interests kept them from reaching an agreement
• Congress was given power over foreign and interstate commerce, but legislature was prevented from imposing any export taxes on the States
• key principles of the Constitution center on the issue of power
• $Republicans came up with the Electoral College$
• Theme of the Constitution is $LIMITED GOVERNMENT$
• $Separation of powers$ - legislative branch ( makes the laws ) ; judicial branch ( disputes laws ) ; executive branch ( enforces laws )
• $Checks and Balances$ - ensures that no branch becomes more powerful than another
• $Federalism$ - division of power between national and state levels of government
• $Popular sovereignty$ - the ultimate source of gov’t power lies in the people

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