The Constitutional Convention

How was it possible for the delegates to write such a wonderful document in less than four months? There are several possible reasons for their success:

First, many of the delegates had already worked on their state constitutions. This experience proved most valuable in writing the national constitution. Second, the states sent their most qualified men to the convention. Third, General Washington was in complete command of the convention. Washington kept the delegates working and allowed no nonsense or name-calling. One cold look from the general was enough to cool the hottest temper. Fourth, the closed meetings helped the delegates move swiftly and make decisions. Fifth, there was a willingness among the delegates to work together. Most of the delegates were willing to give up some things and not insist upon having their own way.

president of the convention:

George Washington

What was Benjamin Franklin's view of the Constitution?

He stated that it was the beginning of a new era.

Questions raised by the Convention: Should the meetings be open or closed?

Much discussion took place concerning whether the meetings should be held in private or be open to the public. Some were afraid that secret sessions would cause the people to become suspicious. Others were worried that public meetings would allow the people to interrupt the meetings and intimidate the delegates. The delegates decided to hold closed meetings so that they could speak their minds without fear of being rebuked or threatened by the public. Because the meetings were held in private, no newspaper reporters could record this event. Fortunately, James Madison was skilled at shorthand and took notes. He later published his notes so that we have some idea of what the convention struggled over.

Why was slavery abolished in the future and not the present with the Constitution?

No one wanted to debate the issue and cause division.

Delaware ratifies the Constitution

On December 7, 1787, Delaware became the first state to ratify the new Constitution. Delaware was very proud of this honor, and, to remember it, it placed this date on the state flag. The Constitution became the official law of the land on June 21, 1788, when the ninth state, New Hampshire, gave its approval.

Rhode Island ratifies the Constitution

On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island was the thirteenth and final state to ratify the Constitution.

The Convention Delegates

On September 17, 1787, after three and a half months of hard work, the Constitution was finished. Many of the delegates were unhappy with the document, but they realized that, in a compromise, you must be willing to give up some things in order to receive other things. Benjamin Franklin urged the members to sign the Constitution and predicted that it would become the foundation for a better and stronger U.S. Part of the success of ratification was the publication of 85 essays printed in the New York City newspaper The Independent Journal between October 1787 and April 1788. These essays, which were signed "A Citizen of New York" and, later, "Publius," were mostly written by Alexander Hamilton, with some being written by James Madison and John Jay.

Attack on the Constitution

One of the most serious attacks on the Constitution was that it contained no bill of rights for the people. After dealing with England, the people of the U.S. were suspicious of governments. They wanted the rights of the people clearly written out and made a part of the law.

city where the convention was held:

Philadelphia

Why were the Articles of Confederation scrapped?

The Articles could not be made strong enough.

Questions raised by the Convention: How were the members of Congress to be elected?

The big states were unhappy with the Articles of Confederation, since each state was allowed one representative and had just one vote. The delegates from larger states pushed for a plan that would have representatives elected to Congress on the basis of population. The smaller states rejected this idea, as they felt it gave the larger states a greater advantage. After heated debate, a compromise was finally reached, called the Connecticut Compromise. It is also referred to as the Great Compromise of the Constitutional Convention. The following chart outlines the provisions of the Great Compromise.

Questions raised by the Convention: How would the Constitution deal with big government?

The smaller states were concerned that a stronger federal government would take over the states and rule them. To make sure that the federal government did not become too powerful, the delegates divided the authority into three parts, or branches.

The Issues of the Convention

The weakness of the federal government under the Articles of Confederation greatly disturbed George Washington and other famous American leaders. They were concerned that the nation's growing weakness would invite other nations to attack the U.S. The states finally agreed to hold a convention for the purpose of revising the Articles. Each state selected its own delegates for this convention, which would begin work at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787. A total of sixty-two men were asked to attend, but only fifty-five came, and, of these, only thirty-nine signed the Constitution

When was the Constitution signed?

The work of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention did not end when they signed the document on September 17, 1787. The big battle ahead was to have at least nine states approve the Constitution and make it the new law of the land. Opposition to the Constitution quickly grew and spread. Some states were alarmed at giving up some of their powers to the federal government. Some of the smaller states still claimed that the larger states were taking control of the government and leaving them out.

What did George Mason and Patrick Henry have in common?

They were leaders of the Anti-Federalist party.

The Legislative Branch

This branch is composed of the Congress, which makes the laws.

The Judicial Branch

This branch is composed of the Supreme Court and lower federal courts, which interpret and explain the laws.

The Executive Branch

This branch is composed of the president and the presidential cabinet. The executive branch carries out and enforces the laws.

Why was the Connecticut Compromise called the "Great Compromise"?

This compromise had all delegates agreeing to work together and solve all problems.

was in France during the convention:

Thomas Jefferson

What did the Federalists promise?

To answer this criticism, the Federalists promised that, should the Constitution be adopted, the first act of the new Congress would be to write amendments to the Constitution. These amendments, called the Bill of Rights, would list the people's rights.

The Federalist

To inform the people, James Madison and John Jay wrote articles about the Constitution, which were published in the newspapers. Later, these articles were collected in a book and called The Federalist. These articles had a great influence on the people and won support for the Constitution.

The delegates agreed to give the federal government these powers:

a. Have an army and navy b. To coin money c. Make treaties with foreign nations d. Regulate trade with other nations e. Regulate trade and business among the states f. Raise taxes

The rest of the powers would be kept by the local states, such as these:

a. Police and fire protection b. Public schools c. Highways and roads d. Regulation of business within the state e. Local courts

counted as three-fifths of a person:

black slave

federal system

divided power between states and nation

To which level of government was the power of coining money, the army and navy, and making treaties given?

federal

Which one of the following statements best defines the Federalists?

political party to support the Constitution

Patrick Henry

refused to attend the Constitutional Convention

To which level of government was the power of fire and police protection, schools, and highways and roads given?

state

Questions raised by the Convention: How were slaves to be counted?

A conflict arose between the Northern and Southern states over slaves. The South wanted to count their slaves as population, thus giving them more members in the House of Representatives. The North would not agree to inflating the representation of the South that way. It was finally agreed to count the slaves as 3/5 of a person.

Questions raised by the Convention: Who would be chairman of the convention?

A strong leader was required, one who had the respect of all the delegates and would maintain law and order. The delegates wisely chose George Washington to be the president of this important convention.

checks and balances

A system that allows each branch of government to limit the powers of the other branches in order to prevent abuse of power

Questions raised by the Convention: Should the Articles of Confederation be revised or abolished?

After some debate, the delegates agreed that the Articles could not be revised. The Articles had too many problems. Instead, a new constitution would have to be written.

How should the Constitution be approved?

Again the delegates were divided on how many states should approve the new Constitution before it replaced the Articles of Confederation and became the law of the land. Some wanted a simple majority of just seven states. Others wanted all thirteen states to agree on the Constitution. The final compromise required nine states to ratify the Constitution to make it legal and binding.

The political party formed to oppose the Constitution was called the:

Anti-Federalist Party

Questions raised by the Convention: Should the windows be open or shut?

Because it was summertime, Philadelphia was very hot and uncomfortable. The problem with open windows was that it allowed the noise from the street into the building, and it also gave people the chance to listen in on the proceedings. But closed windows made it very hot and miserable inside the building. A solution was finally reached that helped to cool the tempers of the delegates. The windows were opened. Guards were stationed to keep the curious from overhearing the conversations and arguments.

important leader of the convention

Benjamin Franklin

Virginia Plan

Congress members elected based on population

New Jersey Plan (1787)

Congress members elected by state

The four checks and balances set up by the Constitution.

-Congress passes laws, but the president must sign them. -The president appoints, but Congress approves, judges. -The president commands the military; Congress declares war. -Congress can impeach the president.

The delegates were able to craft such an important document in less than four months:

-Many of the delegates had already worked on their state constitutions. -Washington was in complete command of the convention and kept the delegates working. -The closed meetings helped the delegates move swiftly and make decisions. -The states sent their most qualified men to the convention. -There was a willingness among the delegates to work together.

The parts of the Connecticut Compromise.

-The House of Representatives would have its members elected based on population. -Each state would have two representatives in the Senate. -Congress would have two houses that both had to pass a given law.

Propose an argument for or against the ratification of the U.S. Constitution in 1789. Establish yourself as a Federalist or Anti-Federalist and give evidence supporting your argument. Your argument should address the views of the opposing side, as well.

If I were living at that time, I would personally be a Federalist. The Constitution had some benefits like protecting the rights of minorities, and free speech but there were also some issues regarding the ratification of the Constitution. The Constitution Convention raised some questions, one of them being how the Constitution were to deal with big government and how they would protect from the federal government becoming too powerful. The government was concered with the smaller states because a stronger federal goverment will take over that state. Eventually the delegates came up with a solution for the problem by dividing the authority into 3 different branches, the Legislative Branch, the Judicial Branch, the Executive Branch. The anti-federalists thought that giving the government that much power and only giving states a little bit would be a bad idea. The Federalists thought that the Constitution would bring peace to the US if the federal government had the upper hand.

What was the most serious criticism against the Constitution?

It lacked a bill of rights for the people.

published his notes from the convention:

James Madison

Who did not attend the Constitutional Convention?

Some important men did not attend this conference. Thomas Jefferson was in France as a diplomat, and John Adams was in England. Neither John Hancock nor Samuel Adams was selected by his state to represent it at the convention. Patrick Henry was chosen by Virginia, but he refused to attend, claiming that he "smelt a rat." Henry wanted no part of making the federal government any stronger.

What political parties formed after the adaption of the Constitution?

Two political parties soon developed as a result of the debate over adopting the Constitution. The Federalists supported the Constitution and urged its adoption in their states. Leaders of the Federalists were Washington, Madison, Franklin, and Hamilton. The Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution and worked for their states not to ratify it. Their famous leaders were Patrick Henry and George Mason.

Questions raised by the Convention: How was slavery to be dealt with?

When Thomas Jefferson wrote the Declaration of Independence, he accused the king of forcing slavery upon the colonists and wanted it to be abolished. Congress removed these words about slavery, for, had they remained in the Declaration, the Southern states would not have voted for independence. Most of the states did not want slavery to continue. It was agreed that the slave trade would continue until the year 1808. After that, no more slaves would be imported into the country. However, although importing of slaves would stop, no decision was made to abolish slavery in the United States.

The Constitution was Signed

With great satisfaction and pride, George Washington signed the Constitution. Of the fifty-five delegates who attended the meetings, only thirty-nine remained to sign the finished document. Rhode Island did not send any delegates to the convention. Later, the Rhode Island delegates regretted their rash decision and asked if they could add their names. Their request was denied, and, today, the signatures of the Rhode Island delegates are still missing from the Constitution.