Jonah Patel
The US Constitution was created through a series of compromises, with the aim of balancing state sovereignty and popular sovereignty. One of the most significant compromises was the Connecticut Compromise, or the Great Compromise, which addressed the issue of state representation. The Virginia Plan proposed representation based on each state's population, while the Jersey Plan suggested equal representation for every state. The Connecticut Compromise combined both plans, resulting in a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the lower house and equal representation for each state in the upper house. Another key compromise was the Three-Fifths Compromise, which agreed that three-fifths of a state's enslaved population would be counted for determining representation in the House of Representatives and direct taxation. This compromise aimed to address the conflicting interests of the Northern and Southern states regarding the slave trade and the economic impact of import tariffs. The delegates also compromised on the selection of the president, agreeing on the Electoral College system, and on the regulation of interstate commerce, with the federal government taking on specific responsibilities while delegating other functions to the states.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| State representation | The Great Compromise, or Connecticut Compromise, combined the Virginia Plan and the Jersey Plan. It established a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the lower house and equal representation of the states in the upper house. |
| Electoral College | A compromise between those who wanted the direct popular election of the president and those who supported other presidential selection systems. |
| Slavery | The Three-Fifths Compromise allowed slaveholding states to count three-fifths of their enslaved population toward representation and taxation, increasing their political power. The international slave trade was also protected until 1808. |
| Tariffs and interstate commerce | Tariffs were only allowed on imports, and the federal government would regulate interstate commerce. Commerce legislation required a two-thirds majority in the Senate. |
| Central government | The Constitution established a stronger central government with national powers, including the ability to pass supreme law, raise taxes, and control commerce. |
Explore related products
$11.29 $19.99
What You'll Learn
- The Three-Fifths Compromise: Enslaved people counted as three-fifths of an individual
- The Great Compromise: Two chambers in Congress—the Senate and the House of Representatives
- The Electoral College: Electors, proportional to the population, vote for the president
- Interstate commerce: The federal government regulates commerce between states
- Taxation: Direct taxes apportioned by state population, including three-fifths of enslaved people
The Three-Fifths Compromise: Enslaved people counted as three-fifths of an individual
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement reached during the 1787 United States Constitutional Convention regarding the inclusion of slaves in counting a state's total population. This agreement was made to resolve the issue of representation in Congress. Delegates from 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 because counting them would provide the Southern states with a greater number of representatives. Southern states, on the other hand, fought for enslaved individuals to be counted in terms of representation as their economy was dependent on slavery.
The Three-Fifths Compromise stated that for purposes of apportioning the House of Representatives, three-fifths of each state's slave population would be counted toward that state's total population. This effectively gave the Southern states more power in the House relative to the North. The compromise also tied taxation to the same ratio, so that the burden of taxation on the slave states was reduced.
The Three-Fifths Compromise has been interpreted in two ways. One interpretation is that it supported the notion that slaves were considered three-fifths of a person, ontologically and demographically. This interpretation is based on the precedent that one man was equivalent to one vote, and the compromise tied personhood to votes. The other interpretation is that the three-fifths was purely a statistical designation used to determine the number of representatives for the Southern states in Congress.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was a contentious issue that threatened to tear the Union apart. It was a compromise that allowed for the preservation of the republic while also confronting the moral and systemic evils of slavery. It was a compromise that reduced the representation of slave states relative to the original proposals but improved it over the Northern position.
The Constitution: Lost in Translation?
You may want to see also
The Great Compromise: Two chambers in Congress—the Senate and the House of Representatives
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was a crucial agreement that helped shape the US Constitution. It addressed the contentious issue of congressional representation, balancing the interests of states with larger populations and those with smaller populations.
During the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, delegates grappled with two opposing plans for state representation. The Virginia Plan, proposed by James Madison, advocated for representation based on each state's population, favouring larger states. On the other hand, the Jersey Plan, or the New Jersey Plan, suggested by William Paterson, proposed equal representation for every state, benefiting smaller states.
The Great Compromise emerged as a creative solution to this dispute. It proposed a bicameral Congress, consisting of two chambers: the Senate and the House of Representatives. In the Senate, each state, regardless of size, would have two representatives, ensuring equal representation for smaller states. Meanwhile, the House of Representatives would be based on population, with each state having a varying number of representatives proportional to its population, giving larger states a stronger voice.
This compromise was a delicate balance between state sovereignty and popular sovereignty tied to actual population. It reflected a victory for small states, ensuring their representation in the Senate, while also granting larger states greater representation in the House based on their larger populations. The Great Compromise played a pivotal role in shaping the US political system, influencing legislation, representation, and the Electoral College during presidential elections.
Loan Eligibility: Who Qualifies for a Loan?
You may want to see also
The Electoral College: Electors, proportional to the population, vote for the president
The United States Constitution was created through a series of compromises, with the founding fathers navigating a complex path to a document that would satisfy both large and small states, as well as those reliant on slavery and those opposed to it. One of the key compromises was the creation of the Electoral College, which would elect the president.
The Electoral College was a compromise between those who wanted the direct popular election of the president and those who supported other selection systems. James Wilson, for instance, preferred direct election by popular vote, while many framers wanted the president to be chosen by members of Congress. Other suggestions included electors selected by lottery, state governors, or an electoral college.
The delegates considered various alternatives, such as electing the president through each state's Senate. Eventually, the two sides agreed on the Electoral College, which is made up of electors roughly
The Electoral College was not without its critics. It took no fewer than 60 votes before the delegates agreed upon it as the method of selecting the president. However, the unspoken knowledge that George Washington would be the first president helped ease concerns, as he was trusted to define the role.
American Democracy: Dahl's Constitutional Critique
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Interstate commerce: The federal government regulates commerce between states
The US Constitution was created through a series of compromises and debates, with the aim of balancing state sovereignty and popular sovereignty. One of the key compromises that emerged from the Constitutional Convention was the agreement that the federal government would regulate interstate commerce. This was a significant issue, as it addressed the tensions between the Northern and Southern states, which had differing economic systems and priorities.
The Southern states, with their agricultural economies, relied heavily on the importation and sale of enslaved people, and did not want the federal government to interfere. Meanwhile, the Northern states, with their industrialised economies, sought to protect their finished goods from foreign competition and wanted the government to impose import tariffs.
The compromise reached allowed the federal government to regulate commerce between the states, while also granting the power to pass commerce legislation to the Senate, where each state had equal representation. This balance of power between the federal government and the states, and between large and small states, was a key feature of the Constitution.
The issue of slavery was central to the debates over commerce and representation. The Three-Fifths Compromise, which stated that three-fifths of the enslaved population would count towards representation and taxation in the House of Representatives, was a concession to the Southern states. This compromise, while not explicitly mentioning slavery, ensured the perpetuation of the slave trade and the overrepresentation of slaveholding states in national politics.
The delegates at the Constitutional Convention also grappled with the question of representation, with large and small states advocating for different plans. The Virginia Plan, backed by large states, proposed representation based on population, while the Jersey Plan, favoured by small states, called for equal representation for each state. The Connecticut Compromise, or the Great Compromise, resolved this issue by establishing a bicameral legislature: the Senate, with equal representation for each state, and the House of Representatives, with representation based on population.
Overexpression vs Constitutive Activity: What's the Difference?
You may want to see also
Taxation: Direct taxes apportioned by state population, including three-fifths of enslaved people
The Three-Fifths Compromise was one of the key compromises that helped create the U.S. Constitution. The issue of slavery threatened to tear apart the union even before the Civil War. Delegates from Northern states, where the economy did not rely heavily on the enslavement of people, felt that enslaved people should not be counted toward representation because counting them would give the South a greater number of representatives. Southern states fought for enslaved individuals to be counted in terms of representation, threatening to abandon the convention if this did not happen.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was a compromise between these two sides. It stated that three-fifths of the enslaved population would be counted when determining direct taxation and representation in the House of Representatives. This meant that slaveholding states would be overrepresented in national politics. However, this same 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 also known as Article I, Sect. II, Cl. 3:
> 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.
The compromise also included a provision for a law permitting the recapture of fugitive slaves, along with a moratorium until 1808 on any congressional ban against the importation of slaves. This clause protected the slave trade until 1808, and between 1788 and 1808, the number of enslaved people imported into the United States exceeded 200,000.
WISC-V Core Subtests: Understanding the Fundamentals
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise, was a compromise between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan. The Virginia Plan proposed representation based on each state's population, while the New Jersey Plan proposed equal representation for every state. The Great Compromise resulted in the establishment of a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the lower house (the House of Representatives) and equal representation of the states in the upper house (the Senate).
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement between delegates from the Northern and Southern states. It stated that three-fifths of the enslaved population would be considered for representation in the House of Representatives and direct taxation. This gave the Southern states with a larger enslaved population more seats in Congress.
The delegates from the North wanted to block the expansion of slavery and did not want to include explicit protections for slavery in the Constitution. A compromise was reached, and Congress was given the power to ban the international slave trade 20 years after the ratification of the Constitution, which it did in 1808.
The Electoral College was a compromise between those who wanted direct popular election and those who supported other presidential selection systems. The Electoral College is made up of electors who are roughly proportional to the population, and citizens vote for these electors, who then vote for the president.
