The document discusses the Constitutional Convention of 1787, where framers met in Philadelphia to draft a new Constitution to replace the Articles of Confederation. It describes the major compromises reached, including the Virginia Plan which proposed a strong national government with three branches, the New Jersey Plan which retained state equality, and the Connecticut Compromise which created a bicameral Congress with proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate. Other compromises addressed how to count slaves in population for representation and regulated commerce and the slave trade.

1. U.S. Government
Chapter 2 – Section 4

2. Framers
Virginia Plan
New Jersey Plan
Connecticut Compromise
Three-Fifths Compromise
Commerce & Slave Trade Compromise

3. Section Objectives:
1. Identify the Framers of the Constitution and discuss how
the delegates organized the proceedings at the
Philadelphia Convention
2. Compare and contrast the VA Plan and the NJ Plan.
3. Summarize the major compromises made at the
Constitutional Convention and their effects
4. Identify some sources from which the Framers of the
Constitution drew inspiration.
5.2 Understand specific institutions which shaped the
principles of the United States Constitution.

4. United State Constitution
National Archives
Washington D.C.

5. 12 of 13 states sent delegates to Philadelphia.
 Many of the men who attended had fought in the
Revolutionary war.
 They had been members of the Continental
Congress or Congress of the Confederation.
 7 had been governors.
Group of delegates who attended the
Philadelphia Convention were called framers.

6. Ben Franklin was the oldest delegate at 81.
The rest of the delegates ages ranged from
mid 30s to 40s.

7. .

8. “Scene at the Signing of the Constitution of the United States”
Artist: Howard Chandler Christy

10. Framers met in Independence Hall (Philadelphia,
PA)
Began work in May, 1787
George Washington elected president of the
convention
All states had one vote on matters
To protect themselves from outside pressures, the
delegates adopted a rule of secrecy

11. Because of his detailed accounts and the
large contribution to the convention, James
Madison is considered the father of the
Constitution.
On May 30, 1787 the delegates agreed that a
new Constitution should be written (rather
than revising the AoC)

12. 1. What was the goal of the Framers when the
met at Independence Hall?
(b) How did that goal change?
2. The Framers abandoned the Articles of
Confederation in favor of an entirely new
Constitution. Do you agree with their
decision? Why or why not?

13. Virginia was the first state to offer the first
plan for a constitution.
It called for a new government with 3
separate branches: legislative, executive,
judicial
 Bicameral legislature
 Lower house = House of Representatives
 Upper house = Senate

14. Representation in each house was to be based
either upon each state’s population (proportional
representation) or by amount of money it gave to
the central government.
Lower House (House of Representatives) would be
popularly elected in each state
Upper House (Senate) would be selected by the
House from a list of persons nominated by state
legislatures.

15. Under the VA Plan, Congress would have all
powers it had under the Articles, plus:
 Veto any law in conflict with federal law
 Use force to make states obey laws
The Virginia Plan created a new constitution
by thoroughly revising the AoC
 Its goal was to establish a national govt. with
greatly expanded powers
 The power to enforce.

16. Explain the meaning behind this illustration.

17. Not nearly as thorough of a revision as the Virginia
Plan
Retained the unicameral congress of the
Confederation
Each state remained equally represented
The N.J. Plan added to Congress’s powers:
 Power to tax (power of the purse)
 Power to regulate trade among states

18. Also called for an executive of more than one
person (plural executive)
 Executive chosen by Congress
 Could be removed at the request of the majority
of states’ governors.
A federal judiciary would be established
 One supreme tribunal (court) appointed by an
executive

19. The large states expected to dominate the
new government.
How would states be represented in
Congress?
 Equal
 Proportional

20. Agreed that Congress should be 2 houses.
In the smaller Senate, the states would be
represented equally. (Equal representation)
In the House, the representation of each state
would be based on its population. (Proportional
representation)
It combined basic features of the Virginia and New
Jersey plans.
Often called “the Great Compromise”

21. Agreed that Congress should be 2 houses.
In the smaller Senate, the states would be
represented equally. (Equal representation)
In the House, the representation of each state
would be based on its population.
(Proportional representation)
It combined basic features of the Virginia and
New Jersey plans.
Sometimes called “the Great Compromise”

22. Dealt with how to determine the pop. of states
Should slaves be counted in the population of the
southern states?
 delegates of southern states said that slaves should be counted.
Said all free people should be counted and only 3/5 of all
other people (“other people” = slaves).
Southerners could count their slaves, but they had to pay
for them.
Disappeared with the adoption of the 13th amendment.
(abolished slavery)

23. Using the chart on
page 52 and what you
know about the 3/5
Compromise, tell why
(other than moral
reasons) the northern
states might have
wished to abolish
slavery?

24. Congress had the power to regulate foreign and
interstate trade.
Southerners feared that Congress would try to pay for
the new government out of export goods. Tobacco was
the main export good.
They also feared that Congress would interfere with the
slave trade.
Commerce and Slave Trade- congress was forbidden the
power to tax the export of goods from any state. It was
also forbidden to act on the slave trade for 20 years.
(until 1808)

25. Aside from drawing from their own past experiences,
the framers drew from other sources.
The Framers were familiar with the works of:
 Commentaries on the Laws of England - William Blackstone
 The Spirit of the Laws – Baron de Montesquieu
 Social Contract – Jean Jacques Rousseau
 Two Treatises of Government – John Locke

26. The Constitution was signed on September
17, 1787

27. The group of delegates who attended the
Philadelphia Convention were called:
A. Framers
B. Founding Fathers
C. Citizens

28. Who was the oldest delegate at the
Constitutional Convention?
A. Thomas Jefferson
B. George Washington
C. Ben Franklin

29. What plan called for a bicameral congress?
A. New Jersey
B. Virginia
C. Commerce and Slave Trade

30. This compromise agreed that Congress
should use both equal and proportional
representation.
A. New Jersey
B. Three-Fifths
C. Connecticut

31. The compromise stated that Congress was
forbidden the power to tax the export of
goods from any state. It was also forbidden
to act on the slave trade.
A. Commerce and Slave Trade
B. Three-Fifths Compromise
C. Congressional Restrictions

32. Who is considered “The Father of the
Constitution”?
A. Thomas Jefferson
B. Benjamin Franklin
C. James Madison
b) Why is this person considered the be the
Father of the Constitution?

33. According to the Three-Fifths Compromise,
how many citizens to be counted toward a
state’s population would 20 slaves count?