Omar Bennett
The American 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 since the American Revolution. However, they soon realised that a more comprehensive overhaul was required, and they set out to create a new constitution. The delegates had to navigate a range of opinions and conflicting interests, from the structure of the legislature to the issue of slavery, to create a government charter acceptable to each of the 13 states.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Nature of the executive | A compromise between a limited monarchy and a single, strong national executive |
| Selection of the president | The Electoral College |
| Congressional representation | The Great Compromise: Proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate |
| Counting of slaves towards representation | The Three-Fifths Compromise: Counting every five enslaved people as three individuals |
| Tariffs | Mandated that tariffs were only allowed on imports from foreign countries and not exports from the U.S. |
| Commerce | Federal government would regulate interstate commerce and all commerce legislation to be passed by a two-thirds majority in the Senate |
| Slavery | Left to the states to decide on its legality |
| Importation of slaves | Banned by Congress after 1808 |
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What You'll Learn
- The Great Compromise: Bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate
- The Three-Fifths Compromise: Counting each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person for congressional representation
- The Electoral College Compromise: Electors proportional to population vote for president
- Commerce Compromise: Federal government regulates domestic and international trade, not the slave trade for 20 years
- State Sovereignty Compromise: Balancing state sovereignty with popular sovereignty tied to population
The Great Compromise: Bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was a key part of the U.S. Constitution, which was a document produced after the Constitutional Convention and ultimately ratified by all 13 states in 1787. The Constitution is sometimes referred to as a "bundle of compromises", as delegates had to reach agreements on numerous key points to create a government charter acceptable to each of the 13 states.
The Great Compromise was a unique plan for congressional representation that resolved the most controversial aspect of the drafting of the Constitution. It was a proposal put forward by delegates from Connecticut, a small population state, that struck a compromise between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan. The Virginia Plan, drafted by James Madison and introduced by Edmund Randolph, proposed the creation of a bicameral national legislature, with representation of each state based on its population or wealth. The New Jersey Plan, proposed by William Paterson, suggested a unicameral (one-house) legislature in which each state had a single vote.
The Connecticut Compromise combined both plans, providing for a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate. This meant that the upper house would have equal representation from each state, while the lower house would have proportional representation based on a state's population. This compromise was approved on July 16, 1787.
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The Three-Fifths Compromise: Counting each enslaved person as three-fifths of a person for congressional representation
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement reached during the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention. The agreement pertained to the inclusion of slaves in a state's total population. This total population count was significant as it would determine 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.
The delegates from the Northern states, where the economy did not rely heavily on the enslavement of African people, felt that enslaved people should not be counted toward representation. This was because counting them would provide the Southern states with a greater number of representatives. On the other hand, Southern states, where slavery was a significant part of the economy, fought for enslaved individuals to be counted in terms of representation.
The delegates from the North had failed to secure the abolishment of slavery. As a result, they sought to make representation dependent on the size of a state's free population. Southern delegates, on the other hand, threatened to abandon the convention if enslaved individuals were not counted. 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 Compromise also had implications for taxation. The federal government could only impose tariffs on imports from foreign countries and not on exports from the United States. Additionally, the federal government would regulate interstate commerce, and all commerce legislation would be passed by a two-thirds majority in the Senate, which was a win for the South as it countered the power of the more populous Northern states.
The Three-Fifths Compromise has been interpreted in different ways by historians, legal scholars, and political scientists. Some argue that it supported the notion that slaves were considered three-fifths of a person ontologically, not just demographically. This interpretation is based on the precedent that one man was equivalent to one vote, and the compromise tied personhood to votes. However, others dispute this claim, arguing that the three-fifths designation was purely statistical and used to determine congressional representation.
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The Electoral College Compromise: Electors proportional to population vote for president
The American Constitution was formed through a series of compromises, including the Electoral College Compromise, which pertains to the election of the President. This compromise was established as a middle ground between the election of the President by a vote in Congress and a popular vote of qualified citizens. The Electoral College consists of 538 electors, with each state having the same number of electors as it does Members in its Congressional delegation. These electors are chosen by the state's citizens, who vote for a particular candidate, and the electors then cast their votes for President and Vice President.
The number of electors in each state is proportional to the state's population, with each state having one elector for each Member in the House of Representatives, plus two Senators. This means that more populous states have a greater number of electors. For example, California has 55 electors, while Wyoming has only 3. This system ensures that the votes of citizens in larger states carry more weight in the election of the President.
The Electoral College process can be considered a form of proportional representation, where the number of electors a state receives is roughly proportional to its population. This is in contrast to a direct popular vote, where each citizen's vote would carry equal weight. The Electoral College system also allows for the representation of smaller states, as each state is guaranteed a minimum of three electors, regardless of its population.
The Founding Fathers established the Electoral College as a way to balance the interests of small and large states and to ensure that the President was chosen through a process that was independent and free from "intrigue" or "faction". The Electoral College has been a controversial aspect of the American political system, with some criticising it for being undemocratic and allowing for the possibility of a candidate winning the Electoral College but losing the popular vote.
The Electoral College Compromise was a key part of the creation of the American Constitution, reflecting the complex nature of the founding of the nation and the need to balance the interests of different states and populations.
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Commerce Compromise: Federal government regulates domestic and international trade, not the slave trade for 20 years
The Commerce Clause of the U.S. Constitution, which grants Congress the power to regulate commerce with foreign nations and among the states, was a significant compromise that addressed the issue of interstate trade barriers and the ability to enter into trade agreements. This clause, included in Article I, Section 8, gave Congress the authority to regulate international and interstate commerce, including the power to abolish the slave trade.
However, the regulation of the slave trade itself was a highly contentious issue during the Constitutional Convention, with strong positions taken by both Northern and Southern states. The Southern states, where slavery was pivotal to the economy, fought against any interference from the government and wanted to protect the existing property rights of slaveholders. On the other hand, Northern states, where the economy did not heavily rely on slavery, wanted to end the importation and sale of enslaved individuals.
A compromise was reached, known as the Slave Trade Clause or the "Twenty Years' Compromise," which prohibited Congress from banning the slave trade for 20 years after the adoption of the Constitution. This compromise, proposed by Charles Cotesworth Pinckney and seconded by Gorham, passed with a vote of 7–4, despite Madison's objection. The compromise allowed Congress to tax enslaved individuals as property, but not to restrict the slave trade until 1808.
During those 20 years, popular support for the abolition of the slave trade and slavery itself grew in the United States and internationally. The UK, in particular, led efforts to regulate the slave trade on the high seas through a network of international treaties. By the time the 20-year period ended in 1808, Congress had the political support to abolish the slave trade, which it did on January 1st of that year.
While the Commerce Compromise did not directly address the morality or profitability of the slave trade, it reflected a pragmatic approach to forming a stronger national government and preserving the union between the states. It was a compromise that, while unsustainable in the long term, was essential to the ratification of the Constitution and the formation of the United States of America.
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State Sovereignty Compromise: Balancing state sovereignty with popular sovereignty tied to population
The U.S. Constitution was produced after the Constitutional Convention and was ratified by all 13 states in 1789. It is sometimes referred to as a "bundle of compromises" because delegates had to find common ground on numerous key points to create a government charter acceptable to each of the 13 states.
One of the key issues was state representation. Two plans emerged to tackle this issue. The Virginia Plan suggested representation based on each state's population, while the New Jersey Plan proposed equal representation for every state. The Great Compromise (also known as the Connecticut Compromise) combined both plans. It dictated that the upper house (or Senate) would include two people from each state regardless of size, while the lower house (the House of Representatives) would have different numbers of representatives from each state determined by population. This compromise reflected a victory for small states, ensuring that state sovereignty was balanced with popular sovereignty tied to population.
Another issue that required compromise was the method of electing the president. The delegates considered various alternatives, such as going through each state's Senate to elect the president. Ultimately, they created the Electoral College, which consists of electors roughly proportional to the population. Citizens vote for electors dedicated to a specific candidate, who then votes for the president.
The issue of slavery also required a compromise. Delegates from Northern states, where the economy did not rely heavily on slavery, felt that enslaved people should not be counted towards representation. In contrast, Southern states fought for enslaved individuals to be counted in terms of representation. The Three-Fifths Compromise was reached, where every five enslaved people would be counted as three individuals concerning representation.
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Frequently asked questions
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement that three-fifths (60%) of enslaved people in each state would count towards congressional representation. This was a compromise between Northern and Southern states, as the North did not want enslaved people to be counted towards representation, while the South did.
The Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise, was a proposal put forward by delegates from Connecticut that balanced state sovereignty with popular sovereignty tied to actual population. It proposed that the upper house (or Senate) would include two people from each state regardless of size, while the lower house (the House of Representatives) would have different numbers of representatives from each state determined by population.
The legality of slavery was left to the states, and the delegates agreed that the slave trade could continue until 1808. This was a pragmatic compromise as it allowed for the formation of a new Union and a stronger national government.
The delegates debated the selection of the president at length and ultimately compromised on the Electoral College, which is made up of electors roughly proportional to population.
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