The 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia debated major issues around representation of states in the new federal government. The Virginia Plan proposed representation based on population, favoring large states, while the New Jersey Plan proposed equal representation for each state, favoring small states. Roger Sherman created the Great Compromise, establishing a bicameral Congress with proportional representation in the House and equal representation in the Senate. They also debated whether slaves should count toward state population. The Three-Fifths Compromise counted each slave as three-fifths of a person to determine taxes and representation.

1. Constitutional Convention 1787
Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

2. 1787 Constitutional Convention
• Took place in Philadelphia, PA
• 55 delegates from 12 states
• Lawyers, slave
owners, businessmen, politicians
• George Washington was the
president of the Convention
• Rule of Secrecy
– No one could talk about
what was discussed at the
Convention
– Delegates needed to feel
free to speak their minds
without hearing complaints
from the public

3. Major Issues Debated at the Convention
• How will states be represented in the New
Government?
• How will each states population be
counted?
– Should slaves be counted as people in a
states population or counted as property?

4. Roger Sherman – The Compromiser
• Delegate from Connecticut
• Lawyer
• Created The Great
Compromise
• Co-created the Three-fifths
Compromise

5. James Madison “Father of the Constitution” :
• 36 Years old, From the
state of Virginia
• Took excellent notes during
the Convention
• Wrote the Virginia Plan
• Strong influence on writing
the constitution and a
great speaker

6. Debates and Compromises

7. How will states be represented in the
New Government?
• How many parts of
government will there be?
• One house or TWO houses?
• How many representatives
should each state have?
• Are the number of votes
based on the size of the state?
Or equal vote for each state?
• How will the representatives be
chosen?

8. How will states be represented in the New
Government?
The Virginia Plan by James
Madison
1. 3 branches of government:
–
–
–
2.
3.
4.
Legislative
Executive
The New Jersey Plan by
William Paterson
1.
Judicial
Congress would be divided
into two parts called
“HOUSES”
The number of votes each
state would have would be
based on population
Larger states have more
votes
3 branches of
government
•
•
Legislative,
Executive
•
Judicial
2.
Congress will have only
ONE house
3.
Each state would have
an equal vote in Congress
4.
Help protect the small
states

9. The Great Compromise by Roger Sherman
1. 3 Branches of Gov‟t:
Legislative, Executive, and
Judicial
2. Congress would have
TWO houses.
o The House of
Representatives, would
be based on the
population in each state
o The Senate, would
represent the states with
2 Senators from each
state.

10. How will each states population be
counted?
• Should slaves be counted as people in
a states population or counted as
property?
• If counted, will slaves be considered
citizens who can vote?
• How can they be slaves AND citizens?

11. How will each states population
be counted?
The Northern States
The Southern States
1. Southern states wanted 1.
to include slaves in their
population count.
2. Slaves would not count
when figuring out
property taxes.
2.
3. This would increase their
population and give
3.
them more
representatives (and
votes) in Congress
The Northern states say:
„Are the slaves people or
are they property like the
plantation owners treat
them?‟
If they are property, then
tax them like cattle or
horses
If they are people, then
make them citizens and
let them vote

12. The Three-Fifths Compromise
1.
Created by James Wilson
with help from Roger
Sherman
2.
Each slave would count as
three-fifths of a person in
the population of a state
–
Every 5 slaves counted as 3
people
3.
This counting of slaves also
went toward property
taxing purposes
Congress can not
ban the slave trade
until 1808.