U.S. Government and Civics / Unit 2: The Constitution
2.1 The Constitutional Convention
Notes
In the summer of 1787, 55 delegates met in Philadelphia. They set out to revise the Articles and wrote a new Constitution instead.
- George Washington presided; James Madison is called the "Father of the Constitution" for his planning and notes.
- Virginia Plan: two-house legislature with representation by population (favored large states).
- New Jersey Plan: one-house legislature with equal representation for each state (favored small states).
- Great (Connecticut) Compromise: a bicameral Congress, with the House based on population and the Senate giving each state two senators.
- Three-Fifths Compromise: three of every five enslaved people were counted for representation and direct taxes.
- Electoral College: a compromise between election by Congress and election by popular vote.
- Congress could not ban the import of enslaved people before 1808.
Practice
The Great Compromise resolved a conflict between:
It combined population-based representation in the House with equal representation in the Senate.
Which plan favored the small states?
It gave each state one equal vote in a single-house legislature.
The Electoral College was created as a compromise between:
Delegates disagreed over who should choose the president, and electors were the middle path.
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