The Constitutional

Convention

Political and Economic Problems Arise• STATES ARE ACTING INDEPENDENTLY- Pursuing

own interests rather than the interests of the nation as a whole

o No national unity is sought.o Example: Georgia Population= 23,375

Massachusetts Population= 235,308HOW MANY VOTES UNDER THE AOC DOES EACH STATE RECEIVE?

Imminent Issues

Continental Currency becomes WORTHLESS

after the war.

o Creditors (lenders of money) want their money back that they lent to the government; want the imposition of high taxes. High taxes sent many into debt—creditor would sue

farmer, then would sell his house, farm, and animals at auction

Imminent Issues

Daniel Shays- 1786

A veteran of the Revolutionary War who returns to his farm in western Massachusetts.

When he arrives home, the debt that he had carried was now due.

He faced prison.

He wasn’t the only one… Farmers petitioned for relief; were

dismissed. Farmers kept demanding the courts

be closed.

Daniel Shays

Their discontent boiled over into mob action.

Jan 1787- Daniel Shays leads a mob of 1,200 farmers to force the courts to

close. State officials call the militia to stop to rebellion

4 rebels are killed, the rest scattered.

Discontent Rises

Traitors

What should Massachusetts do to these traitors? The men of the rebellion

surrendered their weapons

Took an oath of loyalty to the Commonwealth of Massachusetts

Were prohibited from running a tavern, teaching school, holding office or voting for three years.

“The man who dares rebel against the

laws of a republic ought to suffer death.“

--Sam Adams

Although the rebellion seemed to be stopped, it was inevitably

successful in helping us re-evaluate our new government…

Do the Articles of Confederation really work?

Rebellion was happening within their own states! They needed to make a change…

“What a triumph for our enemies,to find we are incapable of governing ourselves”

-George Washington

Re-Evaluating the AOC

Need a stronger national government!

We were so afraid of making the government too strong, that we in turn made it far too weak.

September 1786- James Madison and Alexander Hamilton call a meeting

Only 5 states sent representatives Decide to call another meeting one year later in

Philadelphia

News of Shay’s Rebellion cause 12 states to send delegates to Philadelphia the following year

The Constitutional Convention

The Constitutional Convention

May 1787-

Representatives from all states except Rhode Island gather at the State House

Shut all doors and windows despite the heat

55 delegates show up- lawyers, merchants, planters Well-educated Aged approx. 30-40 Franklin, Hamilton, and

Washington attend

 Washington is selected as the Convention’s presiding officer.

Agreed to give up the idea of fixing the Articles of

Confederation; decided to make a whole new government in its place. Needed to change the rights of states, but they feared too

strong of a central government Protect the rights of all men/walks of life (did not want the

wealthy to overpower the small farmers)

The convention faced two fundamental questions: How can we strengthen the national gov’t while preserving

the rights of the states? How can we balance conflicting interests of different groups

in society?

The Constitutional Convention

Fair representation needed for big vs. small

states

Two Plans: James Madison’s Virginia Plan-

Voters would elect members of the “lower house,” who would then elect members of the “upper house” – both houses would vote for the U.S. president/judges

William Paterson’s New Jersey Plan- Each state had an equal vote

Big States vs. Small States

Deadlocked debate- Roger

Sherman suggested the “Great Compromise”

Two-house Congress where each state is represented equally in the Senate (upper house), but the size of population would determine each state’s representation in the House of Representatives (lower house).

Big States vs. Small States

Representation raised the question of who counts in a state’s population…

do slaves count?

Southern delegates want slaves to be counted

Northern delegates argued against this, because they themselves had much fewer slaves

Three-fifths of a state’s slaves would

be counted as part of that state’s population

Settled the political issue, but not the economic issue… Slaveholders wanted to return to the

importation of slaves

The convention gave Congress the right to regulate foreign trade…. Prevented it from interfering with the

slave trade for a minimum of 20 years. 1808 (earliest date slavery could be

outlawed)

The Three-Fifths Compromise

Although this proposal passed, not everyone

agreed with the decision…

“Twenty years will produce all the mischief that can be apprehended from the liberty to import slaves. So long a term will be

more dishonorable to the National character than to say nothing about it in

the Constitution.”-- James Madison

The Three-Fifths Compromise