Eleanor Finch
The United States Constitution was created through a series of compromises among the delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. The delegates, representing 12 of the 13 original states, met in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation, which had been the governing document of the United States since the American Revolution. However, the delegates soon realized that a more comprehensive overhaul was needed, and they set out to create a new constitution. The delegates had to bridge the gaps between the different interests and perspectives represented at the convention. The attendees of the Constitutional Convention had a fundamental disagreement over how to determine congressional representation, which led to the Great Compromise. This compromise established a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate. Another major compromise was the Three-Fifths Compromise, which addressed how slaves would be counted in determining congressional representation. The delegates also compromised on the issue of slavery, with the Convention reaching an agreement to ban the international slave trade 20 years after the ratification of the Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| The Great Compromise | A bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate |
| The Three-Fifths Compromise | Enslaved people were counted as three-fifths of a person for congressional representation and determining voting power in the Electoral College |
| Commerce Compromise | Congress could control domestic and international trade, but not the slave trade for at least 20 years |
| Electoral College | A way of electing the president, comprised of electors roughly proportional to population |
| Fugitive Clause | Governments of free states were required to help recapture runaway slaves who had escaped their masters' states |
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What You'll Learn
The Great Compromise
During the creation of the Constitution, two opposing plans emerged regarding state representation. The Virginia Plan, advocated by James Madison and others, proposed representation based on each state's population. This plan favoured larger states with higher populations. On the other hand, the Jersey Plan, or the New Jersey Plan, proposed equal representation for every state, benefiting smaller states.
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Three-Fifths Compromise
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement reached during the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention over the inclusion of slaves in a state's total population. Delegates from the North and South took opposing views on the issue of slavery. Northern states, where the economy did not rely heavily on the enslavement of African people, wanted to bring an end to the importation and sale of enslaved individuals. Southern states, on the other hand, felt that slavery was vital to their economy and did not want the government interfering.
Southern delegates threatened to abandon the convention if enslaved individuals were not counted, while Northern delegates wanted to exclude the counting of slave populations in slave states, since those slaves had no voting rights. Eventually, the framers agreed on a compromise that called for representation in the House of Representatives to be apportioned on the basis of a state's free population plus three-fifths of its enslaved population. This agreement became known as the Three-Fifths Compromise.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was part of Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution. It determined the number of seats in the House of Representatives, the number of electoral votes each state would be allocated, and how much money the states would pay in taxes. This compromise gave Southern states more power in the House relative to the Northern states, as it effectively overrepresented slaveholding states in national politics. However, the same three-fifths ratio was used to determine the federal tax contribution required of each state, thus increasing the direct federal tax burden of slaveholding states.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was proposed by delegate James Wilson and seconded by Charles Pinckney. It was initially proposed as an amendment to the Articles of Confederation on April 18, 1783, by James Madison, but it failed to gain unanimous approval. Madison explained the reasoning for the three-fifths ratio in Federalist No. 54, stating that slaves were considered as persons and not merely as property.
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Commerce Compromise
The Commerce Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was a key part of the US Constitution. It addressed the issue of state representation, which was a core issue for the Philadelphia Convention.
The Virginia Plan, proposed by Madison and Wilson, suggested representation based on each state's population. On the other hand, the Jersey Plan advocated for equal representation for every state. The Commerce Compromise combined these two plans, establishing two chambers in Congress: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each state would have equal representation in the Senate with two senators, while representation in the House would be based on population, with each state having a varying number of representatives. This compromise balanced state sovereignty and popular sovereignty, reflecting a victory for small states while also addressing the concerns of larger states.
The Commerce Compromise also included a provision that all commerce legislation must be passed by a two-thirds majority in the Senate, giving more power to the less populous Southern states. Additionally, it addressed the issue of slavery, with the Three-Fifths Compromise, where every five enslaved people were counted as three individuals for representation purposes. This compromise aimed to balance the interests of Northern and Southern states, as the North had a larger population and wanted to end slavery, while the South's economy relied heavily on slavery.
The delegates at the Constitutional Convention also agreed that a strengthened union of the states was more important than the ideal of equality, which allowed for the continuation of slavery and the fugitive clause, which required free states to recapture runaway slaves. The Commerce Compromise played a significant role in shaping the US Constitution by addressing state representation, power dynamics between states, and the contentious issue of slavery.
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Electoral College
The Electoral College is a key component of the US political system and a compromise that was struck during the
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Fugitive Clause
The Fugitive Slave Clause, also known as the Slave Clause or the Fugitives From Labour Clause, is Article IV, Section 2, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution. It required that a "Person held to Service or Labour" (usually a slave) who fled to another state be returned to their master in the state from which they escaped. The clause was introduced as a compromise between northern and southern states, as slavery was a way of life in the American South, while many northern states did not allow it.
The Fugitive Slave Clause was first enacted in 1793, with the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793, which gave slaveholders the right to capture enslaved people who had run away. The enforcement provisions of this act were strengthened as part of the Compromise of 1850, which included an even more stringent new Fugitive Slave Act. This Act made the federal government responsible for finding, returning, and trying escaped slaves. It also required that escaped slaves in any state be returned to their owners.
The Fugitive Slave Clause did not mention the word "slave", but it formed the basis for the Fugitive Slave Act of 1793. The Extradition Clause, Article IV, Section 2, Clause 2 of the U.S. Constitution, provided a means for enforcing the Fugitive Slave Act. It regulates interstate extraditions and requires the forcible rendition of interstate fugitives from slavery.
The Fugitive Slave Clause was effectively nullified by the Thirteenth Amendment's abolition of slavery, except as punishment for criminal acts. The subsequent passage of the Thirteenth Amendment rendered the clause mostly moot, as it abolished slavery "except as a punishment for crime".
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Frequently asked questions
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was proposed by Connecticut's Roger Sherman. It established a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate.
The Three-Fifths Compromise addressed how slaves would be counted to determine congressional representation. Enslaved people were counted as three-fifths of a person, with each five enslaved people being counted as three individuals.
The Commerce Compromise, also known as the Tariff Compromise, dictated that Congress would have the authority to control domestic and international trade, except for the slave trade, which would be allowed for at least 20 years.
The delegates initially proposed various alternatives, such as electing the president through each state's Senate. Ultimately, they compromised and created the Electoral College, which consists of electors roughly proportional to the population.
