The founding fathers solved the problems created by the Articles of Confederation by holding the Constitutional Convention in 1787. They realized the Articles could not be fixed and a new government was needed. There were disagreements over representation in Congress, leading to the Virginia Plan which favored large states and population-based representation, and the New Jersey Plan which favored small states and equal representation. The Great Compromise created a bicameral legislature with the Senate based on equal representation and the House based on population.

1. Aim: How did our founding fathers solve
the problems created by the Articles of
Confederation?
Do Now: What are two ways that you
would fix the Articles of Confederation?

2. Constitutional Convention
• Summer of 1787
• 55 delegates meet in Philadelphia
• Original goal was to fix the Articles of Confederation
• They realized that the Articles of Confederation could not
be fixed. A new government was needed

3. New Jersey Plan vs. Virginia Plan
• Major disagreements occurred during the
writing of the Constitution
• The biggest disagreement occurred over
representation in Congress

4. Virginia Plan New Jersey Plan
1. Favored by Small
States
2. One house of
Congress
3. Each state would
have equal
representation
4. Similar to the
Articles of
Confederation
1. Favored by
Large States
2. Two houses of
Congress
3. Representation
based on
population
4. Created a
stronger
national
government
1. Plans to
change the
Articles of
Confederation
2. Congress
could regulate
trade and
collect taxes
3. How to decide
on
representation
in Congress

5. The Great
Compromise
• creates a two house (bicameral)
legislature.
• The Senate is based on the New Jersey
Plan. Each state has 2 senators.
• The House of Representatives is based
on the Virginia Plan. Each state’s
representation is based on population.

6. Great Compromise creates a bicameral
(2 houses) legislative branch

7. Bicameral = 2 Houses
Senate House of Representatives

9. Aim: How did the Constitution deal
with the issue of slavery?

10. Slavery and the Constitution
Should slaves be counted when
determining how many
representatives a state will have?
Solution
Problem 1 Problem 2
Should the Constitution ban the
slave trade?
Solution

11. Slavery and the Constitution
Problem 1 Problem 2
Should slaves be counted when
determining how many
representatives a state will have?
Solution
Three-Fifths Compromise.
Five slaves would be equal to only
three white people when counting
them for representation.
Should the Constitution ban the
slave trade?
Solution
Congress could not ban the
slave trade for another 20 years.

12. Slavery and the Constitution
Problem 1
Should slaves be counted when determining how many representatives a
state will have?
North vs. the South
Solution
Three-Fifths Compromise.
Five slaves would be equal to only three white people when counting them
for representation.

13. Slavery and the Constitution
Problem 2
Should the Constitution ban the slave trade?
Solution
Congress could not ban the slave trade for another 20 years.
The North gave into many of the demands of the
Southern States because they needed these
states to accept the Constitution.

14. Constitution Signed on
9/17/1787
• 39 delegates signed
• Who were the
signers?
• 9 of 13 states had to
ratify to make it
official

17. Who Didn’t Sign?
• Connecticut - Oliver Ellsworth (left early)
• Georgia - William Houstoun (left early), William Pierce (left early)
• Maryland - Luther Martin (left in protest), John Mercer (left in
protest)
• Massachusetts - Elbridge Gerry (refused to sign), Caleb Strong (left
early)
• New Jersey - William Houston (left early)
• New York - John Lansing (left in protest), Robert Yates (left in
protest)
• North Carolina - William Davie (left early), Alexander Martin (left
early)
• Rhode Island - sent no delegates
• Virginia - George Mason (refused to sign), James McClurg (left
early), Edmund Randolph (refused to sign), George Wythe (left
early)