Notes for pages 15b and 15c:
15b. A Cast of National Superstars
meeting: Why? to consider revisions to the Articles of Confederation
meeting title: “Philadelphia Convention”
Only Rhode Island didn’t send delegates: they said NO since they didn’t want to see the central government get stronger
Who attended? former or current leaders in the military, former or current leaders in the Congress, and former or current diplomats
YES Benjamin Franklin
YES George Washington
NO Thomas Jefferson (ambassador to France)
NO John Adams (ambassador to England)
NO Sam Adams (not chosen)
NO Patrick Henry (opposed the purpose of the Convention)
YES James Madison
YES Alexander Hamilton
NO one from western parts of the country
NO artisans
NO tenant farmers (didn’t own land but worked it)
So—the converntion did not reflect anything close to the full range of American society.
The leaders—the delegates—did share a general commitment to a strong central government
15c. The Tough Issues
George Washington was elected as the presiding officer of the Convention.
As they had been doing, each state had one vote.
James Madison is known as the "Father of the Constitution."
The Convention was in secret, so delegates could be very honest and not worry about reactions from people outside the meeting.
Big decision: instead of revising the Articles of Confederation, the delegates decided to construct a “whole new national framework” like a skeleton.
James Madison proposed the Virginia Plan. It had 3 unique elements:
(1) the national (or federal or central ) government was to have more power than state governments
(2) this stronger national government would be close to the people—they would vote for some national leaders
(3) this national government would have 3 unique branches: {1} a bicameral (2-house) legislature, {2} an executive, and {3} a judiciary (judges/courts)
This sounds like what we still have today, but the Virginia Plan also had some things that we do NOT do today. In the Plan, the lower house would elect the upper house, and then those two houses would choose the executive (president) and the judiciary (judges).
States with small populations rejected the Virginia Plan, because instead of “one state = one vote,” the number of people in a state (population) would affect how many representatives a state would have in the lower house.
The states with small populations responded with the New Jersey Plan. It kept a few elements of the Articles of Confederation like a unicameral legislature and the “one state = one vote” formula.
All the delegates agreed that a stronger national government was needed, so they debated and voted on the two plans until they decided to use the Virginia Plan—but it was not accepted totally as presented. The delegates would continue to discuss it. Not everyone was pleased with the idea of a whole new structure.
15b. A Cast of National Superstars
meeting: Why? to consider revisions to the Articles of Confederation
meeting title: “Philadelphia Convention”
Only Rhode Island didn’t send delegates: they said NO since they didn’t want to see the central government get stronger
Who attended? former or current leaders in the military, former or current leaders in the Congress, and former or current diplomats
YES Benjamin Franklin
YES George Washington
NO Thomas Jefferson (ambassador to France)
NO John Adams (ambassador to England)
NO Sam Adams (not chosen)
NO Patrick Henry (opposed the purpose of the Convention)
YES James Madison
YES Alexander Hamilton
NO one from western parts of the country
NO artisans
NO tenant farmers (didn’t own land but worked it)
So—the converntion did not reflect anything close to the full range of American society.
The leaders—the delegates—did share a general commitment to a strong central government
15c. The Tough Issues
George Washington was elected as the presiding officer of the Convention.
As they had been doing, each state had one vote.
James Madison is known as the "Father of the Constitution."
The Convention was in secret, so delegates could be very honest and not worry about reactions from people outside the meeting.
Big decision: instead of revising the Articles of Confederation, the delegates decided to construct a “whole new national framework” like a skeleton.
James Madison proposed the Virginia Plan. It had 3 unique elements:
(1) the national (or federal or central ) government was to have more power than state governments
(2) this stronger national government would be close to the people—they would vote for some national leaders
(3) this national government would have 3 unique branches: {1} a bicameral (2-house) legislature, {2} an executive, and {3} a judiciary (judges/courts)
This sounds like what we still have today, but the Virginia Plan also had some things that we do NOT do today. In the Plan, the lower house would elect the upper house, and then those two houses would choose the executive (president) and the judiciary (judges).
States with small populations rejected the Virginia Plan, because instead of “one state = one vote,” the number of people in a state (population) would affect how many representatives a state would have in the lower house.
The states with small populations responded with the New Jersey Plan. It kept a few elements of the Articles of Confederation like a unicameral legislature and the “one state = one vote” formula.
All the delegates agreed that a stronger national government was needed, so they debated and voted on the two plans until they decided to use the Virginia Plan—but it was not accepted totally as presented. The delegates would continue to discuss it. Not everyone was pleased with the idea of a whole new structure.