Question

the constitutional convention, may 1787
in 1787, leaders from twelve of the thirteen states met in philadelphia for the constitutional convention to address the problems with the articles of confederation 1777, the countrys first plan of government. the articles had made the national government too weak—it couldnt collect taxes, regulate trade, or enforce laws. the delegates quickly decided to create a new constitution instead of just revising the old one. fifty-five men attended, including george washington, who was chosen to lead the convention, and james madison, who took detailed notes and helped shape many ideas.
why do you think the delegates decided to create a new constitution instead of revising the articles of confederation?
-
-
-
compromise #1 – the great compromise
the virginia plan and the new jersey plan were two proposals presented at the constitutional convention of 1787 to shape the new u.s. government. the virginia plan, favored by larger states, proposed a strong national government with a bicameral legislature in which representation was based on population. this meant that states with more people would have more influence in congress. in contrast, the new jersey plan, supported by smaller states, called for a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state, regardless of size or population. the debate between these plans ultimately led to the great compromise, which combined elements of both by creating a bicameral congress with representation based on population in the house of representatives and equal representation in the senate.
how did the great compromise settle the debate between large and small states?
-
-
-
why would southern states want to increase their representation in the house of representatives?

Explanation:

• First question: The Articles of Confederation made the national government too weak (couldn't collect taxes, regulate trade, or enforce laws). Revising it might not have fixed these fundamental flaws. Creating a new Constitution allowed for a fresh start to design a more effective government structure.
• Second question: The Great Compromise combined elements of the Virginia Plan (bicameral legislature with population - based representation in the House) and the New Jersey Plan (equal representation in the Senate). This gave both large (more influence in the House) and small (equal say in the Senate) states a stake in the legislative process.
• Third question: Representation in the House of Representatives was based on population. Southern states had a large enslaved population. If enslaved people were counted (even partially, as in the Three - Fifths Compromise), it would increase their population count, and thus their number of representatives. More representatives would mean more political power (e.g., in law - making, control over federal funds distribution).

Answer:

• The delegates decided to create a new Constitution instead of revising the Articles of Confederation because the Articles had made the national government too weak (unable to collect taxes, regulate trade, or enforce laws), and a revision might not address these fundamental structural flaws adequately.
• The Great Compromise settled the debate by creating a bicameral Congress. In the House of Representatives, representation was based on population (favoring larger states as in the Virginia Plan), and in the Senate, each state had equal representation (favoring smaller states as in the New Jersey Plan).
• Southern states wanted to increase their representation in the House of Representatives because representation was based on population. Counting enslaved people (even partially, as in the later - adopted Three - Fifths Compromise) would increase their population - based count, giving them more political power (e.g., in legislative decision - making and control over resources).