Compromises: The Foundation Of The Constitution

The US Constitution has been described as a bundle of compromises due to the numerous concessions made by delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The delegates had to find a middle ground on several contentious issues, including representation, slavery, and the role of the federal government, in order to create a document that was acceptable to all the states. One notable compromise was the Great Compromise, which resolved disputes between large and small states by establishing a bicameral legislature with representation based on both population (House of Representatives) and equal representation for all states (Senate). The 3/5 Compromise was another notable example, where it was agreed that every five slaves would be counted as three individuals in terms of representation. These compromises allowed for the creation of a constitution that balanced the interests of the different states, but also meant that nearly every delegate could find something they did not agree with in the final document.

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The Great Compromise

The United States Constitution is often referred to as a "bundle of compromises" because it includes several agreements made between the writers. One of the most significant of these was the Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise or the Sherman Compromise. This compromise was proposed by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut and was adopted by a single vote on July 16, 1787.

The dispute over representation threatened to derail the ratification of the Constitution, as delegates from both sides vowed to reject the document if they did not get their way. The Great Compromise allowed for the continuation of the Constitutional Convention and the eventual ratification of the Constitution.

3/5 Compromise

The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement between delegates from the Northern and Southern states at the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention. The compromise stated that three-fifths of a state's enslaved population would count towards determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives.

Delegates from the North and South had differing opinions on how slaves should be counted in a state's population. Delegates from the North wanted representation to be dependent on the size of a state's free population, while Southern delegates threatened to abandon the convention if enslaved individuals were not counted.

The Three-Fifths Compromise was proposed by delegate James Wilson and seconded by Charles Pinckney. It was included in Article 1, Section 2, Clause 3 of the United States Constitution, which stated:

> Representatives and direct Taxes shall be apportioned among the several States which may be included within this Union, according to their respective Numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole Number of free Persons, including those bound to Service for a Term of Years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three-fifths of all other Persons.

This compromise was later superseded and explicitly repealed by Section 2 of the Fourteenth Amendment in 1868, which provided that representatives would be apportioned by counting the whole number of persons in each state, excluding untaxed Indigenous people.

Balancing state interests

The US Constitution has been described as "a bundle of compromises" due to the numerous key points the delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 had to compromise on to create a document acceptable to each of the states. One of the key issues was balancing the interests of different states, which were large and small, northern and southern, and held slaves or did not.

The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, resolved the dispute between large and small states by creating a bicameral legislature with representation based on both population (House of Representatives) and equal representation for all states (Senate). This was a merger of the Virginia and New Jersey Plans, which had been at odds over how representation should be calculated. The Virginia Plan wanted representation based on its state population, while the New Jersey Plan wanted an equal number of representatives for all states.

Another contentious issue was that of slavery and how slaves were to be counted in a state's population. The 3/5 Compromise was agreed upon, stating that every five slaves would be counted as three individuals in terms of representation. This was a compromise between northern and southern states, as 90% of slaves lived in the south in 1787, and the southerners wanted as much representation as possible.

The delegates also had to balance the interests of states that wanted to avoid giving too much power to the national government. The Federalists faced the Anti-Federalists, who opposed the ratification of the Constitution for this very reason.

In the end, there were enough compromises in the completed Constitution that nearly every delegate could find something he did not like. Three delegates refused to sign the document, including George Mason, who had strong objections. Benjamin Franklin, on the other hand, argued in support of the Constitution.

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Federal government role

The US Constitution is sometimes called a "bundle of compromises" because delegates had to make several concessions on key points to create a government charter acceptable to each of the 13 states. The Federal government's role was a key point of debate, with Federalists and Anti-Federalists holding opposing views.

Federalists, who were mainly wealthier merchants and plantation owners, favoured a strong central government to maintain order. They recognised that a weak federal government could not effectively lead the country. On the other hand, Anti-Federalists, who were farmers, tradesmen and local politicians, favoured a weaker national government and stronger state governments. They feared losing their power to a national government and argued that states should protect their independence.

One of the key compromises was the Great Compromise, which established a bicameral legislature, or a Congress made up of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. Each state has two Senators, but representation in the House of Representatives is based on population. This assured smaller states that they would have equal representation in the Senate while allowing more populous states to send more representatives to the House.

Another compromise was the Commerce Compromise, which allowed tariffs on imports but not on exports, balancing the interests of the North and South. The federal government would regulate interstate commerce, but all commerce legislation had to be passed by a two-thirds majority in the Senate, giving more power to the South.

The issue of slavery also led to a compromise. Northern states wanted to end the importation and sale of enslaved people, while Southern states felt that slavery was vital to their economy. Northern states agreed to wait until 1808 before Congress could ban the slave trade, and the legality of slavery was left to the states. The Fugitive Slave Law required Northern states to deport any freedom seekers. In the Electoral College, enslaved people were counted as three-fifths of a person for determining congressional representation and voting power.

Ratification obstacles

The US Constitution is sometimes referred to as a "bundle of compromises" due to the numerous concessions made by delegates to create a government charter acceptable to each of the 13 states. One of the main obstacles to ratification was the conflict between Federalists and Anti-Federalists. Anti-Federalists opposed the ratification of the Constitution, believing it gave too much power to the national government.

Another major obstacle was the issue of slavery. The delegates debated whether enslaved people should be counted towards representation. Delegates from Northern states felt that enslaved people should not be counted, while Southern states fought for them to be included. This was because the South had a larger population of enslaved people, and including them in the count would give them greater representation. The compromise, known as the Three-Fifths Compromise, stated that every five enslaved people would be counted as three individuals for representation purposes.

The issue of the slave trade was also contentious. Some delegates proposed an outright ban on the Atlantic slave trade, but this was rejected. Instead, a compromise was reached that allowed Congress to ban the international slave trade but only after 20 years, on 1st January 1808. During this time, the number of enslaved people imported into the United States exceeded 200,000.

Another compromise was the Commerce Compromise, which allowed tariffs on imports but not on exports, balancing the interests of the North and the South. The North was industrialised and produced many finished goods, while the South had an agricultural economy and imported many finished goods from Britain. The North wanted to impose tariffs on imports to protect against foreign competition and encourage the South to buy Northern goods.

The delegates also debated how the president would be elected. Some suggested that the president be elected through each state's Senate. Ultimately, a compromise was reached, and the Electoral College was created, made up of electors roughly proportional to the population. Citizens vote for electors, who are bound to a particular candidate and then vote for the president.

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