Constitutional+Convention


 * INTRODUCTION**

The[| Constitutional Convention] was a meeting designed to amend the Articles of Confederation. However, after seeing that the Articles of Confederation were nearly beyond repair, the members of the convention deemed it better to simply create a new plan of government. This decision was very controversial at that time because many delegates had instructions from their states to only amend the Articles of Confederation. Click [|here] for more great information on the writing on the Constitution.


 * MEMBERS OF THE CONVENTION**

[| George Washington] was named the President of the convention, foreshadowing the popularity that would lead him to become the first President of the United States.

The oldest member at the convention was [|Benjamin Franklin], at age 81. The youngest was age 26, by the name of [|John Dayton]. They were all wealthy, educated, land owners. Many were lawyers, along with planters, merchants, physicians, and college professors.


 * THE NEW CONSTITUTION**

Due to the failure of the Articles of Confederation, it was decided that a new constitution was needed, one with a stronger central government.

Before the Constitution had been finished, many conflicts faced the delegates. They would have to plan carefully to find out how to represent themselves in government and deal with their powers. There were arguments between large, small, north, and south states.


 * THE GREAT COMPROMISE**

The greatest debate was over representation in legislature. The two plans that developed were the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan. The [|New Jersey Plan]was favored by smaller states, because it assured equal representation in Congress. The Virginia Plan was favored by larger states, because representation in Congress, according to the [|Virginia Plan], was based on population. So, in this plan, the larger states, such as Virginia, would have more say in government.

The solution to the conflict between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans was found in the Great Compromise. The Great Compromise divided Congress into two houses. The first house was the Senate and had the equal representation of two Senators per state. The second, the House of Representatives, had representation based on population. This system is still used today. There is a cap of 435 representatives for the House of Representatives.


 * THE 3/5 COMPROMISE**

The Three Fifths Compromise settled another large issue: the counting of slaves for representation and taxation purposes. Southern states wanted their slaves counted for population (for more representatives in Congress), but not for taxation. Other states that didn't have many slaves opposed this idea because the states with slaves would have a larger voice in congress. The solution was the 3/5 Compromise. The compromise states that each slave will be counted as 3/5 of a person for both taxation and population purposes.


 * RESULTS OF THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION**

The greatest result from the Constitutional Convention is the U.S. Constitution. This constitution is still used today in the United States. Nearly our entire system of government is based on this important document. It was a much stronger, more stable, and was organized better than the Articles of Confederation and makes our country what it is today.

A digital copy of the Constitution can be found at [|The Constitution at National Archives.com]