Question

1. constitutional convention:

definition: a meeting held in 1787 to fix the _______ of the articles of confederation and create a new plan for government.
question: how did the constitutional convention help fix the problems of the articles of confederation?

1. the great compromise:

definition: an agreement that created a _______ legislature to satisfy both large and small states.
question: how did the great compromise help unite the states under the constitution?

1. the 3/5ths compromise:

definition: a _______ that counted enslaved people as part of the population for representation and taxes.
question: how did the 3/5ths compromise affect representation and unity in the new government?

Explanation:

5) Constitutional Convention

The Articles of Confederation had weaknesses (e.g., weak central government, no power to tax, no executive/judicial branches). The 1787 Constitutional Convention aimed to address these. They replaced the Articles with a new plan: created a stronger federal government with three branches (legislative, executive, judicial), gave Congress power to tax, regulate commerce, and established a system of checks and balances.

Small states wanted equal representation, large states wanted representation based on population. The Great Compromise created a bicameral legislature: the Senate (equal representation, 2 per state) satisfied small states, and the House of Representatives (representation based on population) satisfied large states.

Southern states wanted enslaved people counted for representation (to increase their political power), Northern states opposed. The 3/5ths Compromise was an agreement that counted each enslaved person as 3/5 of a person for both representation (in the House) and taxation.

Answer:

• Definition blank: weaknesses
• Explanation for question: The Constitutional Convention replaced the Articles of Confederation (which had weaknesses like a weak central government, lack of tax power, and no executive/judicial branches) with a new plan. It created a stronger federal government with three branches (legislative, executive, judicial), gave Congress powers to tax and regulate commerce, and established checks and balances, addressing the flaws of the Articles.

6) The Great Compromise