October 5th

The Constitutional Convention
-In May of 1787 delegates from 12 of the 13 states (all but RI) met in Philadelphia to try to fix the problems caused by the ineffectiveness of the Articles of Confederation.

-The delegates of the convention unanimously chose George Washington to preside over all the meetings. They decided that each state would receive one vote on all questions that arose. They also decided that a simple majority vote was all that was needed for a proposal to pass.

-There were two major plans for government that were proposed during the convention:

*The Virginia Plan: James Madison, who eventually came to be known as the father of the constitution, wrote this plan. Madison’s plan was based on 3 main principles.

1. A strong national legislature with 2 chambers. The lower chamber would be elected by the people; each state’s representation would be proportional to the state’s population. The upper chamber would be chosen by the lower house.

2. A strong national executive who would be elected by the legislature.

3. A national judiciary to be appointed by the legislature.

*The New Jersey Plan: William Patterson wrote this plan. Patterson rejected Madison’s plan because he believed that the confederation should be preserved. He believed that a strong national legislature based on proportional representation would only benefit the larger states; states like New Jersey with small populations would lose the equal say in government that they enjoyed under the Articles of Confederation. The 4 main principles of the New Jersey Plan are as follows:
1. The major features of the Articles of Confederation would be left in place, most importantly the principle of a unicameral legislature with equal representation would be preserved.

2. Congress would be given the power to regulate trade and levy taxes.

3. A weak executive board would be elected by the legislature.

4. A national legislature with limited power would be appointed by the executive board.

-There were problems with both plans. The states with large populations rejected the New Jersey Plan, and the states with small populations rejected the Virginia Plan. Roger Sherman of Connecticut came up with a plan that pleased both the large states and the small states.