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Unit 5: New Nation
Unit 5: New Nation
Lesson: Constitutional Convention
Lesson: Constitutional Convention
Tennessee State Standard:
Tennessee State Standard:
8.22 Describe the roles of James Madison and George Washington during the Constitutional Convention, and analyze the major issues debated, including the Great Compromise and the Three-Fifths Compromise. (T.C.A. § 49-6-1028)
8.22 Describe the roles of James Madison and George Washington during the Constitutional Convention, and analyze the major issues debated, including the Great Compromise and the Three-Fifths Compromise. (T.C.A. § 49-6-1028)
The Constitutional Convention
The Constitutional Convention
The Articles of Confederation was the first form of government in the United States, but it quickly became outdated and needed to be replaced.
The Articles of Confederation lasted from ...... until a meeting to form a new government was was called in the spring of 1787. Over time, this meeting became known as the Constitutional Convention.
A MEETING IN PHILADELPHIA
A MEETING IN PHILADELPHIA
The meeting officially began on May 25th 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, at Independence Hall. The Delegates who met intended to revise the Articles of Confederation. However, they ended up writing a completely new document – the Constitution of the United States!
This is the room where the Constitution was written in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
George Washington, leader of the Constitutional Convention
James Madison, author of the Constitution
WASHINGTON LEADS AND MADISON WRITES
WASHINGTON LEADS AND MADISON WRITES
All 13 states except Rhode Island sent Delegates to attend the meeting.
Among the Delegates was George Washington from Virginia. The delegates chose Washington to lead the convention.
While many people contributed ideas, James Madison was chosen to write the Constitution.
DEBATES AND COMPROMISES
DEBATES AND COMPROMISES
The Founding Fathers had to make a lot of decisions. At the meeting there were many debates and disagreements.
The main disagreement was about how Congress would be represented, would congress have one part or two parts?
One side (New Jersey Plan) wanted equal representation with two delegates from each state. The other side (Virginia Plan) thought states with larger populations should get more delegates.
The founding fathers took a few ideas from the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan to create the "Connecticut Compromise" or "Great Compromise."
The Great Compromise split Congress into two parts with the Senate being represented equally and the House of Representatives being represented based on population.
Another issue that arose at the Constitutional Convention involved slavery. States in the south wanted to count enslaved people towards their population to help get more representatives in the House of Representatives, states in the north did not think this was fair. Eventually the two sides agreed to the 3/5ths Compromise, this agreement said that a state could count 3/5ths of its slave population towards it’s official state population for purposes of calculating representatives in the House of Representatives.
The Great Compromise:
A bicameral (two house) legislature
Equal representation for states in the upper house the Senate
Representation based on the states population in the lower house House of Representatives
A compromise, call the 3/5ths Compromise, which allowed 3/5 of a states slave population to count towards estates total population for determining representation.
The delegates wrote a new federal Constitution at the Convention in Philadelphia. After vigorous debate, they signed the new Constitution on September 17, 1787, and sent it to the states for ratification.
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