Jonah Patel
The United States Constitution, ratified by all 13 states in 1789, is often referred to as a bundle of compromises due to the numerous concessions made by delegates to create a government charter acceptable to all states. Three major compromises include the Great Compromise, which established a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate; the Three-Fifths Compromise, which counted each slave as three-fifths of a person for congressional representation and taxation purposes; and the Commerce Compromise, which gave Congress authority over domestic and foreign trade but excluded control over the slave trade for a minimum of 20 years.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Great Compromise | Established a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate |
| Three-Fifths Compromise | Each slave was counted as three-fifths of a human being to determine congressional representation |
| Commerce Compromise | Congress was given the authority to control domestic and foreign trade but not the slave trade for at least 20 years |
| Electoral College Compromise | The president would be elected by the Electoral College, which is made up of electors roughly proportional to population |
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What You'll Learn
The Great Compromise
The adoption of the United States Constitution and the structure of the federal government as we know it today are attributed to this agreement. The Great Compromise set the groundwork for the federal government's operations and contributed to establishing the current power dynamics between the states and the federal government.
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The Three-Fifths Compromise
The Southern delegates, who were slaveholders, wanted their entire population to be counted to determine the number of Representatives they could elect and send to Congress. On the other hand, the Northern delegates, who were free states, wanted to exclude the counting of slave populations in slave states, since those slaves had no voting rights. The Southern delegates 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 based on a state's free population plus three-fifths of its enslaved population. This agreement was reached to resolve the impasse between the Northern and Southern states. The compromise counted three-fifths of each state's slave population toward that state's total population for the purpose of apportioning the House of Representatives, effectively giving the Southern states more power in the House relative to the North.
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Commerce Compromise
The Commerce Compromise was one of the key agreements made during the Constitutional Convention that allowed for the adoption of the United States Constitution. This compromise addressed the question of how the new federal government should regulate business and commerce.
At the time of the Constitutional Convention, the North was industrialised and produced many finished goods, while the South still had an agricultural economy, importing many finished goods from Britain. The Northern states wanted the federal government to be able to impose import tariffs on finished products to protect against foreign competition and encourage the South to buy goods made in the North. They also wanted export tariffs on raw goods to increase revenue flowing into the United States. However, the Southern states feared that export tariffs on their raw goods would hurt their trade, which they heavily relied on.
The Commerce Compromise dictated that tariffs were only allowed on imports from foreign countries and not on exports from the United States. This compromise also established that the federal government would regulate interstate commerce and that all commerce legislation would be passed by a two-thirds majority in the Senate, giving more power to the less populous Southern states.
Additionally, the Commerce Compromise addressed the issue of the slave trade. It was decided that Congress would have the authority to control domestic and international trade, but not the slave trade for at least 20 years. This aspect of the compromise was controversial, as some states were worried that a central government with this authority might unfairly favour some states over others. On the other hand, supporters of the compromise recognised the necessity for a central authority to control commerce and ensure the efficient operation of the national economy.
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The Electoral College Compromise
The delegates at the Constitutional Convention had differing views on how the president should be elected. Some believed that the president should be popularly elected, while others feared that the electorate would not be informed enough to make that decision. The delegates considered various alternatives, such as having each state's Senate elect the president. Eventually, the two sides reached a compromise and created the Electoral College.
The Electoral College is made up of electors roughly proportional to the population of each state. Citizens vote for electors who are bound to a particular candidate, and these electors then vote for the president. Each state is given a number of electors equal to their congressional delegation, with a minimum of three electors per state, regardless of population. This gave smaller states a stronger role in presidential elections and helped balance the interests of the states and the federal government.
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Tariffs and interstate commerce
In contrast, the South, with its agricultural economy, relied heavily on trade and feared that export tariffs on their raw goods would negatively impact them. They also imported many finished goods from Britain and did not want to be forced to buy more expensive Northern products. The compromise that was reached addressed these conflicting interests.
The compromise mandated that tariffs could only be imposed on imports from foreign countries and not on exports from the United States. This protected Southern exports while also giving Northern industries some protection from foreign competition. Additionally, it was agreed that the federal government would regulate interstate commerce, giving Congress the authority to control domestic and international trade.
To pass commerce legislation, a two-thirds majority in the Senate was required. This gave more power to the less populous Southern states, as it countered the influence of the more populous Northern states. The issue of tariffs and interstate commerce was a significant point of contention between the North and the South, and the compromise was an important step in balancing their economic interests and ensuring the unity of the nation.
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