HIST 386 Chapter Notes - Chapter 9: Bicameralism, Monarchy Of The United Kingdom, Connecticut Compromise
Conclusion: The Development of the Constitution
Conclusion: The Development of the Constitution
Drafting and ratifying the United States Constitution was a long and arduous process
that shaped the future of the new nation.
LEARNING OBJECTIVES
Summarize the debates and compromises that comprised the process of forming the new
Constitution
KEY TAKEAWAYS
Key Points
• During the Constitutional Convention, many debates arose about what a new
Constitution and new US government should look like.
• Questions of representation in the new government were resolved through the
Connecticut Compromise and Three-Fifths Compromise.
• Other notable debates included the debate over slavery, limitations of
democracy, and how to prevent the federal government from gaining too much
power.
• Opinions on the new Constitution were deeply divided between Federalists and
Anti-Federalists, and the Constitution only narrowly won approval.
• The Bill of Rights, written in 1789 and adopted in 1791, was added to the
Constitution to meet Anti-Federalist demands and ensure individual rights.
• Despite the Revolutionary ideology that “all men are created equal,” the rights
of citizenry excluded slaves, free blacks, Native Americans, and Asians, and
women were excluded from voting and property rights; this laid the foundation
for the United States as a republic of white men.
Key Terms
• Connecticut Compromise: An agreement that large and small states reached
during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, that in part defined the legislative
structure and representation that each state would have under the Constitution.
• Constitutional Convention: A meeting that took place May 25 to September
17, 1787, in Philadelphia, with the original purpose of revising the Articles of
Confederation.
• Three-Fifths Compromise: An agreement between Southern and Northern
states that allowed a portion of the slave population to be counted for
representation purposes regarding both the distribution of taxes and
apportionment of members of the House of Representatives.
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• Naturalization Act: The first rules for the United States to follow in granting
national citizenship; they limited naturalization to immigrants who were free
white people of good character.
United States Constitution: Through several debates and a long ratification process, the Constitution
became the supreme law of the United States of America.
Debates and Compromises of the Constitution
Representation in Government
One issue the Constitutional Convention delegates addressed was the way
representatives in the new national government would be chosen. Would individual
citizens be able to elect representatives? Would state legislatures choose
representatives? How much representation was appropriate for each state?
The Virginia Plan proposed a legislative branch consisting of two chambers (
bicameral legislature ). Each state would be represented in proportion to its
population. In contrast, the New Jersey Plan proposed a unicameral legislature in
which each state, regardless of size, would have one vote. The Connecticut
Compromise established a bicameral legislature, with the House of Representatives
apportioned by population as desired by the Virginia Plan and the Senate granted
equal votes per state as desired by the New Jersey Plan—combining the two plans in
a workable whole.
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Document Summary
Drafting and ratifying the united states constitution was a long and arduous process that shaped the future of the new nation. Summarize the debates and compromises that comprised the process of forming the new. Key points: during the constitutional convention, many debates arose about what a new. Constitution and new us government should look like: questions of representation in the new government were resolved through the. Anti-federalists, and the constitution only narrowly won approval: the bill of rights, written in 1789 and adopted in 1791, was added to the. 17, 1787, in philadelphia, with the original purpose of revising the articles of. United states constitution: through several debates and a long ratification process, the constitution became the supreme law of the united states of america. One issue the constitutional convention delegates addressed was the way representatives in the new national government would be chosen. The virginia plan proposed a legislative branch consisting of two chambers ( bicameral legislature ).
