US History - Constitutional Convention

American History

Constitutional Convention Study Guide 

1. Why was the Constitutional Convention considered illegal by some of the delegates?  

The Constitutional Convention was considered illegal by some of the delegates because they were sent to revise the Articles of Confederation. However, after three weeks the delegates decided to scrap the Articles because it wasn’t strong enough to deal with the problems of the time. Many delegates then felt the Convention was illegal because they were sent to revise not create.

2. Explain the argument between northern states and southern states regarding the slave trade and the compromise that resulted. 

Slavery was not very profitable in the north because farms were small, family run, and the climate and soil were not suitable for farming. When slaves were brought in the factories in the north they could not operate the complicated machinery and if a factory closed the owner was responsible for the slaves. Southern states believed they could not make a profit on their plantations without the free labor of slaves. The compromise said the north would not interfere with the slave trade for 20 years, but a tax of $10 dollars would be charged on each imported slave.

3. Explain the main differences between the Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan and the compromise that resulted.

 The Virginia Plan called for a bicameral legislature (2) based on population. The New Jersey Plan called for a unicameral legislature (1) based on equal representation. The Great Compromise (Connecticut) created a bicameral legislature in which a House of Representatives would be based on population, and created a Senate that would be based on equal representation (2 per state).

4. Explain the argument between northern states and southern states regarding how to count slaves towards representation and taxation and the compromise that resulted. 

The South wanted to count slaves as people for representation. The North wanted to count slaves as property for taxation. The compromise said slaves would be counted as ⅗ (60%) of one person for both representation and taxation. 

5. What role did “The Federalist Papers” play in the ratification of the Constitution? 

“The Federalist Papers” play an important role in the ratification of the Constitution. They were a series of 85 essays, written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, that tried to convince the voters of New York and Virginia to ratify the Constitution. John Jay got sick after writing 5, James Madison wrote 29, HAMILTON WROTE THE OTHER 51!!! They are considered the best commentary on the Constitution ever written. 

6. Identify two leading anti-Federalists of the era and three reasons why they opposed the new Constitution. 

Two leading anti-federalists were Patrick Henry and Samuel Adams. Anti-Federalists opposed the new Constitution because they believed that too much power was being taken away from the States, the President could become too powerful, worried about paying taxes to the State and Federal government, and there was no Bill of Rights.

7. Provide five ways the new Constitution differed from the Articles of Confederation. 

1. Created a stronger federal government where under the Articles was with the states

2. The new government could levy and collect taxes

3. Created an executive branch to enforce the laws

4. Created a judicial branch to interpret the laws

5. Created a bicameral legislature where under the Articles there was a unicameral legislature.

6. Only takes ¾ of the states to amend the Constitution where the Articles required all 13.