The Constitutional Convention was held from May 25, 1787 to September 17, 1787 in Philadelphia to address the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation and create a stronger federal government. Delegates debated plans such as the Virginia Plan, New Jersey Plan, and Connecticut Compromise. They established a new Constitution with three branches of government and a system of checks and balances. The Great Compromise combined elements of the first two plans to create a bicameral legislature. The Three-Fifths Compromise counted slaves as three-fifths of a person for representation. The new Constitution was ratified in 1788.

1. The Constitutional Convention Creating a New Government

2. An Invitation to Change Who : Delegates from All States What : Constitutional Convention When : May 25, 1787 – September 17, 1787 Where : Independence Hall, Philadelphia, PA Why : to create a strong national government in order to best serve the needs of the newly formed United States

3. Articles of Confederation why they didn't work States made their own money States regulated their own trade States behaved as individual nations States often refused to follow laws Congress could not collect taxes Congress couldn't easily pass laws No Executive Branch to enforce laws No Judicial Branch to interpret laws or pass judgment

4. The Virginia Plan Edmund Randolph of Virginia Bicameral - 2 houses of legislature Representation determined by state population or financial support Favored the large states over the smaller states, giving them more voting power

5. The New Jersey Plan William Patterson of New Jersey Unicameral – 1 house of legislature Equal Representation for each state Favored by the small states, giving them equal power in the legislature

6. The Great Compromise proposed by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut (Connecticut Plan) Combined Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan Bicameral - 2 houses of legislature House of Representatives to be determined by state population Senate Representation was equal per state, with each state having one representative

7. The Three-Fifths Compromise Question: How do the slaves count in the state population to figure out representation? Resolution: Each slave would count as 3/5 of a person or only 3/5 of slave population would be counted

8. Preamble to the Constitution We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Teaching Note: read together as a class choral reading (delete this before lesson)

9. Federal System of Government

10. Government Structure Three Branches of Federal Government Legislative Branch (2 Branches of Congress) makes the law Executive Branch (President) carries out the law Judicial Branch (Supreme Court) interprets the law

11. Checks and Balances

12. Additional Learning Resources America's Founding Fathers Biographical Index of Delegates of the Constitutional Convention http://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_founding_fathers.html The Constitutional Convention of 1787 The History Behind the Constitutional Convention http://law2.umkc.edu/faculty/projects/ftrials/conlaw/convention1787.html

13. The Adoption of the U.S. Constitution in Congress at Independence Hall Philadelphia, Sept. 17, 1787 Courtesy of the State Museum of Pennsylvania, Pennsylvania Historical and Museum Commission

14. California Standards and Framework 5.7 Students describe the people and events associated with the development of the U.S. Constitution and analyze the Constitution’s significance as the foundation of the American republic. List the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation as set forth by their critics. Explain the significance of the new Constitution of 1787, including the struggles over its ratification and the reasons for the addition of the Bill of Rights. Understand the fundamental principles of American constitutional democracy, including how the government derives its power from the people and the primacy of individual liberty. Understand how the Constitution is designed to secure our liberty by both empowering and limiting central government and compare the powers granted to citizens, Congress, the president, and the Supreme Court with those reserved to the states. Discuss the meaning of the American creed that calls on citizens to safeguard the liberty of individual Americans within a unified nation, to respect the rule of law, and to preserve the Constitution. Know the songs that express American ideals (e.g., “America the Beautiful,” “The Star Spangled Banner”).