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The Articles of Confederation
The Articles were ratified by the Second Continetal Congress. They created a "league of friendship" among the thirteen states with a national congress that had limited power over the states. -
The Beginning of the Constitutional Convention
55 delegates from twelve states went to Philadelphia to correct the problems of the Confederation. Leaders were James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington. The central issue was deciding which powers to delegate to the central government and which powers the state should reain. Why were the delegates so concerned over giving too much power to the national government? -
The Virginia Plan
This was a plan by Vrginia leader, James Madison, which proposed a bicameral Congress in which a state's representation in both houses would be determined by population. It also called for three separate branches of government: legislative, executive, and judicial. How would this plan help larger states? -
The New Jersey Plan
Plan proposed by William Paterson which proposed a one-house legislature where states had equal representation. How would this proposal help smaller states? -
The Three-Fifths Compromise
The Three-Fifths Compromise allowed for slaves to be counted as 3/5 of a person towards population representation in Congress. Why would slaves states support this compromise? Why would the North? -
The Great Compromise
Led by Roger Sherman and Benjamin Franklin, the Great Compromise created a bicameral legislature with a Senate and a House of Representatives. The Senate would have two senators from each state. The House's membership would be in proportion to each state's population. How was this a compromise between the Virginia and New Jersey plans? -
Signing of the Constitution
Although the Constitution was signed, it did not become law right away as 2/3 of the states had to vote in favor of the new Constitution. This created a debate between Federalists, those who favored the Constitution, and Anti-Federalists who opposed ratification. -
Ratification of the Constitution
Nine of the states approve the ratification of the Constitution. -
Ratification of the Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights was fought for by the Anti-Federalists. They are a written gurantee of individual rights. They are based on the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom which stated that government could not infringe on individual rights.
