Jonah Patel
The US Constitution is often 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. The delegates, representing 12 of the 13 original states, met in Philadelphia in 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation, but soon decided to overhaul the government entirely. The Great Compromise, for instance, resolved the issue of representation in Congress by establishing the House of Representatives, which was apportioned by population, and the Senate, which represented the states equally. Another compromise, the Three-Fifths Compromise, addressed the issue of how slaves would be counted for congressional representation, with three-fifths of enslaved people in each state counting toward representation. This compromise, however, had unintended consequences, as it led to the perpetual overrepresentation of slaveholding states in national politics. The delegates also compromised on the slave trade, allowing it to continue for 20 years after the ratification of the Constitution. These compromises, while necessary to form a union, had unintended consequences and reflected the deeply entrenched slavery system in the United States at the time.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of compromises | 4 or 5 |
| Reason for compromises | To bridge the gaps between different interests and viewpoints |
| Compromises on | Congressional representation, slavery, state vs federal powers, executive power, commerce |
| Great Compromise | Bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate |
| Three-Fifths Compromise | 3/5 of enslaved population counted for determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives |
| Commerce Compromise | Congress would control domestic and international trade, but not the slave trade for at least 20 years |
| Compromise on electing the president | Electoral College |
| Outcome | Constitution was ratified by the required number of states |
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What You'll Learn
The Three-Fifths Compromise
The proposal to count slaves by a three-fifths ratio was first presented on June 11 and was agreed to by nine states to two with only a brief debate. It was then debated at length between July 9 and 13, when it was initially voted down by the members present at the Convention six to four. A few Southern delegates then proposed full representation for their slave population, but most states voted against this. The ratio of three-fifths was brought back and agreed upon by eight states to two.
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The Great Compromise
The large states, such as Virginia, argued for representation based on population, while smaller states, like New Jersey, demanded equal representation for every state. The Great Compromise combined both plans, establishing a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate. This compromise allowed for the creation of today's system of congressional representation.
One of the lingering political effects of the Great Compromise is the disproportionate power it grants to smaller states in the Senate. As populations have grown and diversified across states, the disparity in representation has become more pronounced. Smaller states now have a disproportionately larger voice in Congress, with the same number of votes in the Senate as more populous states. This has resulted in certain interests in smaller states, such as mining or agriculture, receiving more attention and funding from the federal government.
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Commerce Compromise
The Commerce Compromise, also known as the Commerce Clause, was a key aspect of the US Constitution. It focused on how the new federal government should regulate business. The Commerce Compromise allowed tariffs on imports but not on exports, balancing the interests of the North and the South. The compromise mandated that the federal government would regulate interstate commerce, and that all commerce legislation be passed by a two-thirds majority in the Senate, giving more power to the South and countering the influence of the more populous Northern states.
The Commerce Clause gave Congress the power "to regulate Commerce with foreign Nations, and among the several States, and with the Indian Tribes". This allowed Congress to control domestic and international trade, but not the slave trade for at least 20 years. The Commerce Clause also restricted states from impairing interstate commerce. This was a controversial aspect of the Constitution, as some states were worried that a central government with this authority might favour some states over others. However, others recognised the need for a central authority to control commerce to avoid trade conflicts and guarantee the efficient operation of the national economy.
Before the Commerce Compromise, the power to regulate commerce was held by state legislatures, who enacted laws to relieve debtors of their debts, undermining the rights of creditors and the credit market. State legislatures also erected trade barriers to protect their businesses from out-of-state competition, which led to a nationwide economic downturn. The Commerce Compromise addressed these issues by granting Congress the power to regulate interstate commerce and enter into trade agreements with foreign powers.
The Commerce Compromise had unintended consequences, particularly regarding the slave trade. While the Commerce Clause gave Congress the power to abolish the slave trade, it did not give them the power to abolish slavery itself, which was allowed by state governments within their borders. The Three-Fifths Compromise, which was part of the Commerce Compromise, also had unintended consequences. It provided that three-fifths of enslaved people in each state would count toward congressional representation, increasing the number of congressional seats in Southern states and giving them more political power.
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The Electoral College
The Great Compromise of 1787, also known as the Connecticut Compromise or Sherman Compromise, was a plan for representation in Congress. It proposed two national legislatures in a bicameral Congress: the House of Representatives, with members allocated according to each state's population and elected by the people; and the Senate, where each state would have two representatives, regardless of its size, and state legislatures would choose senators. This ensured that the interests of rural and small-town America were preserved.
The Founding Fathers also assumed that most elections would be decided by the House of Representatives, not the people or the electors. This has happened only twice in US history, most recently in 1824.
Additionally, the Three-Fifths Compromise, which counted three-fifths of the enslaved Black population towards allocating representatives and electors, gave Southern states with large slave populations more electoral power.
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Federal vs State powers
The U.S. Constitution, produced after the Constitutional Convention of 1787, 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. One of the central issues at the Convention was whether the federal government or the states would have more power.
The delegates were wary of centralised power and loyal to their states, so they wanted to create a powerful central government. However, they also wanted to ensure that the federal government did not have too much power and oppress its citizens. As a result, they compromised by allotting specific responsibilities to the federal government while delegating all other functions to the states. The delegates also decided to elect the president through the Electoral College, which is made up of electors roughly proportional to the population.
The Commerce Compromise focused on how the new federal government should regulate business. The compromise dictated that Congress would have the authority to control domestic and international trade, but not the slave trade for at least 20 years. This was a controversial issue, as some states were worried that a central government with this authority might favour some states over others. On the other hand, other states recognised the necessity for a central authority to control commerce to avoid trade conflicts and guarantee the efficient operation of the national economy.
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, addressed the issue of state representation. It established a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate. This compromise combined the Virginia Plan, which provided representation based on each state's population, and the Jersey Plan, which proposed equal representation for every state.
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Frequently asked questions
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement that three-fifths of the enslaved population would be considered when determining representation in the House of Representatives and direct taxation. This compromise gave slaveholding states greater representation in national politics.
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, established a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate.
The issue of slavery threatened to divide the Union during the Constitutional Convention. The Three-Fifths Compromise and the compromise to delay the abolition of the slave trade until 1808 were made to appease Southern slaveholders. However, these compromises had the unintended consequence of perpetuating slavery and delaying its abolition.
