Everyone recognizes the need to compromise, and even though they are still trying to get their way, things move forward.
Making Compromises
In the Federal Convention, the founding fathers debated endlessly on the organization of government. It seemed that they could not agree on anything. Some people thought that the articles of confederation need to be changed completely, others are more conservative.
Some other questions up for debate are:
Some other questions up for debate are:
- Should government representation for each state be proportional to the amount of people in that state, or a set number for each state?
- Do slaves count as people for the sake of determining population?
By person or By state
Populous existing states whole heartedly supported changing the national representation so that it would be based on popularity. states with few people like Georgia pointed out that they would have only one sixteenth the voting power of Virginia.
The debates regarding this topic were long and gruesome and only ended when Roger Sherman suggested that there be two systems:
The debates regarding this topic were long and gruesome and only ended when Roger Sherman suggested that there be two systems:
- The House of Representatives (each state gets one vote every set amount of people)
- The senate (each state gets two votes)
This idea of balancing the popular vote with state equality is sometimes refered to as The Great Compromise.
Do Slaves Count as People?
Elbridge Gerry
"[Slaves] are property, and are used to the southward as horses and cattle to the northward."
This Massachusetts' representative's argument against slaves counting for the population was a strong one, but the slave states want as much power as they can get. This argument grows and threatens to disband the states until James Wilson came up with an idea.
This Massachusetts' representative's argument against slaves counting for the population was a strong one, but the slave states want as much power as they can get. This argument grows and threatens to disband the states until James Wilson came up with an idea.
James Wilson
Three-Fifths Compromise.
"[The] whole number of whites and other free citizens and three fifths of all other people not paying taxes."
'People not paying taxes' refers to slaves, which the founding fathers took special care not to mention in any of their major documents.
'People not paying taxes' refers to slaves, which the founding fathers took special care not to mention in any of their major documents.
Revise or make new
After working in the convention for only a little while, it became clear that instead of modifying the articles of confederation, a new constitution would have to be set up.
After the Constitution was drafted, anti-federalists, people that said the national government had to much power, wanted a bill of rights. Federalists ,who supported the Constitution, did not think that this was necessary, but in the end were willing to compromise. twelve amendments were proposed and ten were ratified.
After the Constitution was drafted, anti-federalists, people that said the national government had to much power, wanted a bill of rights. Federalists ,who supported the Constitution, did not think that this was necessary, but in the end were willing to compromise. twelve amendments were proposed and ten were ratified.
