C14 -READING FURTHER Inside the Constitutional Convention

newspapers might report their discussions

The delegates would not open the doors or windows as they did not want people on the street to listen to their debates. They wanted the freedom to share new ideas and to change their minds. They worried that _____ and cause delegates to not speak openly.

placed limits on the power of their governments

The state constitutions _____ and also protected each person's basic rights.

he wrote that he wished he had not gone to the convention at all

All summer long, the delegates argued and tempers soon grew short. Even George Washington became angry. At one point, _____. He was writing to New York delegate Alexander Hamilton, who was frustrated from losing so many arguments and had left the Convention. He told Washington he would return only if he felt his time would not be wasted.

involved the practice of slavery

An intense dispute ____ . What was its future, and how would slaves be counted in deciding the number of representatives each state would have in Congress? This was a major concern in states where a large part of the population was enslaved Africans.

ordinary citizens would make bad choices

Another debate had to do with how to choose leaders.How much power should the voters have? Many delegates feared that ____ and did not want the people's votes to directly choose people for key offices, such as president.

wasting of his valuable time

Many of the delegates were not eager to create a strong national government, so they didn't arrive on time. As the days passed, some delegates grew annoyed."These delays greatly impede [slow] public measures," wrote George Washington. He had arrived on schedule. Now, he became angry at the _____.

It was not perfect, he said, but it was close

No group or interest got too much power. When the document was finished, Benjamin Franklin asked the delegates to sign it. ____. Most of the delegates agreed. All but three of the men present on the final day signed the Constitution.

a government with limited powers

Once they began to talk, the delegates agreed on some key issues. They felt that the people should be free to form their own government, and that government existed to serve the people. The delegates did not want to live in a monarchy again under an all-powerful ruler like the British king. They wanted ____.

refused to attend the convention, saying he "smelt a rat."

Other delegates feared a strong central government and worried that it would put their freedom at risk. Patrick Henry ____ Men like Henry wanted the states to keep most of the power.Rhode Island agreed and did not send any delegates.

Articles of Confederation did not have the power to keep order

Some people thought that the country needed a stronger central government that would end the squabbles among the states and stop each state from issuing its own money. These delegates felt that the ____.

Great Compromise

Still, many delegates kept working on the Constitution. They found ways to resolve conflicts. For example, Roger Sherman of Connecticut offered an idea that became known as the ___.

the people hold the power to elect representatives

The delegates wanted to create a constitutional republic​, a type of government where ____, and those representatives govern according to a constitution. People live under the rule of law and their rights are protected.

serve for many years, or should they face election more often

Delegates also debated how long a term, or period of time, people should hold an office. Would it be better to have people _____? Long terms might give officials too much power, but having elections too often might make them more concerned about winning votes than making good decisions.

divided the delegates at the Convention

Many conflicts ____. Reaching an agreement would not be easy.

after a delay of nearly two weeks

Finally, near the end of May, enough delegates had trickled into the city. Most states had enough men on hand to vote and make decisions. At last, _____, the convention could begin.

Congress with two houses

In The Great Compromise, the delegates agreed to have a ____.

the larger states would have more seats

In the House of Representatives, _____, and so more power. This plan settled the debate between the small and large states.

the same number of seats

In the Senate, each state would have ____. In this way, the small states would have as much power as the big states.

stronger national government

James Madison hoped to help create a ____, which he felt was the best way to ensure the liberty of Americans.

studied different types of government

James Madison was interested in history and politics, and for years he had ____. He had lots of ideas about how to improve on the Articles of Confederation.

Constitutional Convention

The ____ was set to begin on May 14, 1787.

no one should be able to ignore the law

The delegates also agreed on the rule of law​. They said that _____. Toward this goal, each state already had its own constitution, and each one set down the basic rules and laws of that state's government.

feared the power of the larger states

The delegates had a lot to discuss. How strong should the national government be? How could they balance power among the states? The states with few citizens ____, while the larger states felt that they should have more say in the way the government worked.

gave up something and got something they wanted

There were other compromises, too. Most delegates ____ in the new Constitution.

pray to God for help

Things got so bad that Benjamin Franklin proposed an idea. It was clear, he said, that the delegates could not solve all the problems facing the convention. He suggested that they ____, and even this idea drew debate. One delegate said that the convention had no money to pay a minister. Franklin's idea was rejected.

they disagreed on much else

Though the delegates agreed on these basic matters, ____. Not everyone shared the same ideas about how to govern the new republic.

James Madison

____ was eager to get to work. Virginia had chosen him as one of its delegates to the convention, and he arrived in Philadelphia days ahead of time.