Constitutional Convention Basics
What was the purpose of the Constitutional Convention?
To revise or fix the Articles of Confederation.
What was the Virginia Plan?
Representation in Congress based on state population.
What are the three branches of government?
Legislative, Executive, Judicial
What did the Three-Fifths Compromise say?
Enslaved people counted as 3/5 of a person for population and taxation purposes.
Small states proposed which plan?
The New Jersey Plan
Who is known as the “Father of the Constitution”?
James Madison
What was the New Jersey Plan?
Equal representation for all states in Congress.
What does separation of powers mean?
Power is divided equally among three branches of government.
Why did both Northerners and Southerners agree to the Three-Fifths Compromise?
North limited southern power
South gained representation without counting slaves fully
Large states proposed which plan?
The Virginia Plan
How many delegates attended the Constitutional Convention?
55 delegates (out of 74 invited)
Who presented the Virginia Plan?
Edmund Randolph of Virginia
What system did the Framers agree upon for electing presidents?
The Electoral College
What did the Fugitive Slave Clause say?
Escaped enslaved people must be returned to their owners
What did the Framers mean by majority rule?
Decisions/laws pass when more than half of representatives agree
Which state refused to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention?
Rhode Island
What compromise settled the debate over representation?
The Great Compromise (Connecticut Compromise)
Why did the Framers want separation of powers and checks and balances?
To prevent any one branch or person from becoming too powerful.
Which clauses in the Constitution took away people's freedon?
The Slave Importation Clause and the Fugitive Slave Clause
Which clause stated that Congress can regulate trade with foreign nations and between states.
The Commerce Clause
Why did Patrick Henry refuse to attend the Constitutional Convention?
He distrusted the convention and said he “smelled a rat tending toward monarchy.”
Explain how the Great Compromise made both large and small states happy.
Created a two-house legislature: Senate (2 senators per state) pleased small states; House of Representatives (based on population) pleased large states.
What is the purpose of checks and balances?
To allow each branch of government to limit the power of the other two.
How many years did the Slave Importation Clause prohibit banning the importation of slaves?
20 years
Who came up with the Great Compromise?
Roger Sherman of Connecticut