The Constitutional Convention
He said the young U.S.A. was 'fast verging to anarchy and confusion' in a 1786 letter.
Who is George Washington?
Plan that proposed representation based on population.
What is the Virginia Plan?
Compromise that counted enslaved people as part of a state's population for representation.
What is the Three‑Fifths Compromise?
The convention created this single office to lead the executive branch.
What is the President?
Number of states required to ratify the Constitution under Article VII.
What is nine states?
This is the building and City where delegates met in 1787.
What is Independence Hall in Philadelphia, PA?
Plan that proposed equal representation for each state.
What is the New Jersey Plan?
The slavery compromise increased political power for these states.
What are Southern slaveholding states?
One argument against a single president: it might resemble this.
What is a monarch (or monarchy)?
Series of 85 essays written to persuade Americans to ratify the Constitution.
What are the Federalist Papers?
This 1786 uprising highlighted weaknesses of the Articles and helped prompt the Convention.
What is Shays' Rebellion?
Name of the compromise creating a bicameral legislature with a proportional House and an equal Senate.
What is the Great Compromise?
This Compromise forbade Congress from banning the slave trade until this year.
What is 1808?
This Founding Father argued for checks on the president's power and is associated with the separation of powers.
Who is James Madison?
The three authors who wrote the Federalist Papers
Who are Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay?
He arrived with a detailed plan and is often called the 'Father of the Constitution'.
Who is James Madison?
He presented the compromise that balanced large and small states.
Who is Roger Sherman?
This was the Northern concern about counting enslaved people for the purpose of representation.
What is unfairly give more power to slave states?
A compromise term length chosen for the presidency that allowed reelection.
What is four years?
State whose push for protections led to strong calls for a Bill of Rights during ratification.
What is Massachusetts?
The closed windows at the convention allowed delegates to do this...
What is debate freely without public pressure?
Reason small states opposed the plan to have representation by population.
What is fear of domination by larger states?
This clause gave Congress power over interstate and foreign commerce while delaying action on slave importation.
What is the Commerce Clause?
This mechanism combining separate branches was designed to prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
What are checks and balances?
Year the Bill of Rights was ratified.
What is 1791?