U.S. History / Unit 2: Revolution and the Constitution
2.5 The Constitutional Convention
Notes
In 1787, delegates met in Philadelphia to fix the Articles and instead wrote a new Constitution.
- James Madison is called the "Father of the Constitution"; Washington presided.
- Virginia Plan: representation by population (favored large states). New Jersey Plan: equal representation per state (favored small states).
- Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise): a two-house Congress: the House by population and the Senate with two members per state.
- Three-Fifths Compromise: three of every five enslaved people were counted for representation and taxes.
- Congress could not ban the slave trade until 1808.
- Key principles: popular sovereignty, federalism (power shared between national and state governments), separation of powers into three branches, checks and balances, limited government.
- Example of a check: the president can veto a bill, and Congress can override the veto with a two-thirds vote of both houses.
Practice
The Great Compromise settled a dispute over:
It created a House based on population and a Senate with equal representation.
A president vetoes a bill, and then two-thirds of both houses of Congress vote to pass it anyway. This is an example of:
Each branch can limit the others; Congress checked the president's veto.
Dividing power between the national government and the state governments is called:
Separation of powers divides national power among branches; federalism divides power between levels of government.
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