Chapter 7, Section 2

1. Chapter 7, Section 2 A Grand Convention

2. Madison the delegate • James Madison • Virginia • one of the youngest delegates to the Constitutional Convention • The best prepared • For months he read stacks of book on history, politics, and commerce • During the night he would wake to read more and write notes • He had a case bulging with research when he reached Philadelphia

3. Madison the Delegate • Madison the Historian • He kept a full and clear record of proceedings of the Constitutional Convention • He decided not to publicize his writing as long as a single delegate was alive

4. Madison the delegate • The notes are published • 1840, 4 years after his death Madison’s record of the constitutional Convention was printed

5. The Delegates Begin • Summer of 1781, 55 delegates gathered in Philadelphia • George Washington (Virginia), was immediately elected president of the convention • Alexander Hamilton (New York) • disliked the Articles of Confederation • in favor of a strong national government

6. The Delegates Begin • delegates decided to keep their talks secret so delegates could speak freely • guards stood at the doors • windows were kept shut

7. Hopelessly Divided • Delegates decided to do more than revise the Articles of Confederation • They decided to write a whole new constitution

8. Virginia makes a proposal • Virginia Plan • Put forth by Edmund Randolph and James Madison • Called for a strong national government • 3 branches • Legislative branch: passes laws • Executive branch: carries out laws • Judicial branch: system of courts; are laws being carried out fairly

9. Virginia Plan • 2 house legislature • Seats in both houses would be awarded according to population • Larger states would have representation than smaller states • Small states object • Small states feared that the larger states could easily out vote them • Virginia Plan supporters respond that it is only fair that a state with more people have more representation

10. Hopelessly Divided • New Jersey Plan • William Patterson (New Jersey) • 3 branches of government • Legislature with only one house • Each state , no matter what size, had one vote

11. Breaking the Deadlock • The Great Compromise • Roger Sherman (Connecticut) • Compromise: settlement in which each side agrees to give up some of its demands

12. Breaking the Deadlock • Legislature with a lower and an upper house • Lower house, House of Representatives: • elected office • seats are awarded according to population • appealed to larger states

13. Breaking the Deadlock • Upper House ; Senate • Chosen by state legislatures • Each state had 2 senators • Appealed to smaller states

14. Compromise Between North and South • Would slaves be counted as part of a state’s population? • Affected the number of votes a state would have in the House of Representatives

15. Compromise Between North and South • Southerners wanted to include slaves in the population count but they could not vote • Northerners protested • Since slaves can’t vote, they shouldn’t be counted

16. Compromise Between North and South • Three-Fifths Compromise • 3/5 of the slaves in any state would be counted

17. The slave trade • By 1787 some northern states had banned slave trade within their borders • They wanted the new Congress to ban the slave trade in the entire nation • Southerners warned this would ruin their economy • Northerners agreed that Congress could not outlaw slave trade for at least 20 years • No state could stop a fugitive slave from being returned to an owner

18. Signing the Constitution • Delegates struggled with other questions • How many years should a president serve? • How should the courts be organized? • Would members of Congress be paid? • September 17, 1787 The Constitution was signed by the delegates