Creating a Nation

From Conflict to Compromise

Even before the Constitution

Americas FIRST plan for the nation was called the Articles of Confederation The leaders did not want to give too much power to the national government (Congress) which was too far from them So they gave POWER TO THE STATES!!

Weakness of the Articles of Confederation

WEAKNESSES of the Articles of Confederation

No national court to protect individual rights of Citizens No president to enforce laws Congress made No uniform currency (money)=>trade difficult

Congress did not have the power to tax the citizens => no guarantee of military protection =>difficult solving economic depression

The Constitutional Convention

Since the Articles of Confederation had many weaknesses, the US needed a new plan So the Constitutional Convention was held.

REVIEW!! (Use your notes)

Who

was at the Constitutional Convention? Where did it take place? When did it take place?

Key Issues that needed to be compromised

ISSUE #1: How should the states be represented in the National government? ISSUE #2:Should slaves be counted toward a states representation? ISSUE #3: Should Slave Trade be banned in the Constitution?

Quickwrite!!!!

What is a compromise? Give an example in which you had to make a compromise with someone else.

ISSUE #1:How should the states be

represented in the national government?

Compromise: In order to please both the large and small states The Great Compromise was made:
CONGRESS
To please the large states: To please the small states

House of Representatives
-The number of representatives is based on how many people the state has (population)

Senate
-each state would vote for 2 senators to represent them in Congress

ISSUE #2:Should slaves be counted

towards a states representation?

States in the SOUTH said YES!! WHY? The SOUTHERN states had more slaves so they would have more representatives in Congress

States in the NORTH: said NO!!!!!

WHY? Since slaves could not vote, they should not be counted towards a states representation

3/5s COMPROMISE

After much debate Congress agreed to the 3/5s compromise:

Each slave would be counted as 3/5s of a free person This meant:

500 SLAVES

= 300 free people

Is this EQUAL???!!!!!

ISSUE #3: Should the slave trade be banned?

THE NORTH THE SOUTH
-some delegates -southern delegates wanted to BAN (get protested that a ban rid of) the on the slave trade would ruin the SLAVE TRADE: the Souths economy buying and selling of slaves

Compromise on the Slave Trade

Slave ships would be allowed to bring enslaved* people into the US for 20 years After 1808 Congress could ban the importation* of slaves into the country BUTslave trade WITHIN the US was NOT banned

*enslaved: people who are used as slaves *importation: the bringing of goods into one country from another country