Constitution Part 1

Constitution Part 1

1. Convention

   • Each state had one vote.
   • Majority vote would make decisions

2. Topics

   • Slave Trade- Agreed that Congress could not interfere with slave trade until 1808
   • Virginia Plan vs New Jersey Plan
     • Virginia Plan- – largely the work of James Madison. Called for a two-house legislature, a chief executive chosen by the legislature, and a court system. Members of the lower house of the legislature would be elected by the people Members of the upper house of the legislature would be chose by the lower house The number of representatives in both houses would be proportional to the population of the state Favors large states and small states objected
     • New Jersey Plan- Work of William Prescott. Kept the Confederation’s one-house legislature, with one vote for each state. Congress could set taxes and regulate trade – something they could not do under the Articles of Confederation Congress would elect a weak executive branch consisting of more than one person Plan was designed simply to amend the Articles

3. Approval

   • Delaware was the first to approve.
   • Rhode island was the last to approve.
   • New York and Virginia did not support it.
   • New Hampshire was the 9th state to approve.

4. Anti/Federalists

   • Federalists...
     • Supported the constitution. Included Washington, Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, James Madison. Believed that the Constitution would Create a strong central (national) gov’t Maintain order w/ the court system Protect people’s rights by limiting the government’s power.
       • Federalist Papers included 85 essays written by Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Madison
   • Antifederalists
     • People who opposed the Constitution. Included Samuel Adams, Patrick Henry, Richard Henry Lee, and George Mason.Believed that the Constitution would Take away American freedoms Endanger states’ rights Create a central gov’t run by a small but educated group of people (create a tyranny) Favor the wealthy instead of the common man
       • The Antifederalist Papers were written to oppose the Federalist papers.

5. Compromises

   • The 3/5 Compromise stated that for every 5 slaves they would count 3 people
   • The Great Compromise- Roger Sherman came up with the Great Compromise: 2 house legislature Lower house – House of Representatives – the number of seats for each state would vary according to the state’s population. Upper house – the Senate – each state would have 2 members.

6. Age of Reason

   • Unheard of new ideas

7. Influences

   • John Locke- Defended the displacement of a monarch who did not protect the rights of English people
   • Charles de montesquieu- An influencial French thinker who had theories about checks and balances, separation of powers and recommended three branches of gov't.
   • William Blackstone- Man is given fundamental rights by God. British attorney.