Eleanor Finch
The United States Constitution, ratified in 1789, is known as a bundle of compromises due to the various concessions made by delegates to create a government charter acceptable to each of the 13 states. One of the key compromises was the Three-Fifths Compromise, which dictated that every five enslaved people would be counted as three individuals for representation purposes, addressing the disagreement between Northern and Southern states. Another compromise, known as the Commerce Compromise, allowed tariffs on imports but not on exports, balancing the interests of the North and the South. The ratification of the Constitution was a close call, with the Massachusetts Compromise or the vote now, amend later compromise in Massachusetts being a pivotal turning point.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of ratification | 1789 |
| Number of states needed for ratification | 9 out of 13 |
| First state to ratify | Delaware |
| Compromises | Three-Fifths Compromise, Commerce Compromise, Connecticut Compromise, Massachusetts Compromise |
| Concerns | Weakness of central government, lack of bill of rights |
| Key figures | Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, George Washington, John Adams, John Jay |
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What You'll Learn
- The Three-Fifths Compromise counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person
- The Commerce Compromise allowed tariffs on imports but not exports
- The Connecticut Compromise restructured Congress
- The Massachusetts Compromise led to the Bill of Rights
- The 1808 Compromise delayed banning the slave trade by 20 years
The Three-Fifths Compromise counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person
The Three-Fifths Compromise was one of several key compromises that led to the ratification of the US Constitution. The Constitution, produced after the Constitutional Convention and ratified by all 13 states in 1789, has been described as a "bundle of compromises" due to the various concessions that the delegates had to make to create a government charter acceptable to each of the 13 states.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement between delegates from Northern and Southern states regarding the representation of enslaved people in Congress. Delegates from Northern states, where the economy did not rely heavily on the enslavement of African people, argued that enslaved people should not be counted towards representation because counting them would give the South a greater number of representatives. Southern states, on the other hand, wanted enslaved individuals to be counted in terms of representation. As a compromise, it was agreed that every five enslaved people would be counted as three individuals concerning representation.
At the time of the Constitutional Convention, the North was industrialized and produced many finished goods, while the South still had an agricultural economy and imported many finished goods from Britain. The North wanted the government to impose import tariffs on finished products to protect against foreign competition and encourage the South to buy goods made in the North. The South, meanwhile, wanted to continue importing goods from Britain without tariffs.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was a temporary solution to the issue of slavery, which threatened to derail the Union. The delegates to the Constitutional Convention were divided between those who wanted to protect the existing property rights of slaveholders and those who wanted to block the expansion of slavery and prevent explicit protection for slavery in the Constitution. Ultimately, the legality of slavery was left to the states, and the slave trade was allowed to continue until it was abolished by Congress in 1808.
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The Commerce Compromise allowed tariffs on imports but not exports
The Commerce Compromise was one of several key compromises that allowed for the ratification of the U.S. Constitution. The Constitution is often referred to as a "bundle of compromises" because delegates representing different interests and views had to make concessions to create a government charter acceptable to each of the 13 states.
The Commerce Compromise addressed the issue of tariffs on imports and exports. Northern states, which had an industrialised economy, 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 produced in the North. The South, with its agricultural economy, relied on importing many finished goods from Britain.
The Commerce Compromise allowed tariffs on imports but not on exports, balancing the interests of the North and the South. This compromise also dictated that the federal government would regulate interstate commerce and that all commerce legislation be passed by a two-thirds majority in the Senate, giving the South a greater voice in these matters and countering the power of the more populous Northern states.
The Commerce Compromise was an important step in the creation of the U.S. Constitution, allowing for the ratification of a document that balanced the interests of different regions and paved the way for the formation of a stronger, more centralised government.
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The Connecticut Compromise restructured Congress
The United States Constitution is often referred to as a "bundle of compromises". One of the most important compromises that led to its ratification was the Connecticut Compromise, which restructured Congress.
The Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise, was proposed by delegates including Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut at the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The Convention was convened to address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, which was the original governing document of the United States. The Articles of Confederation had created a weak national government with limited powers, and the states’ disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart.
The Connecticut Compromise addressed the issue of representation in Congress. There were disputes between small states and large states over how the states were to be represented in the new government. The Compromise proposed a bicameral legislature, with two chambers: the House of Representatives and the Senate. This was intended to balance the interests of both large and small states.
In the House of Representatives, representation would be apportioned based on population, with each state having one representative for every 30,000 people. This gave more power to the larger states, which had greater populations. On the other hand, the Senate provided for equal representation, with each state having two senators regardless of population. This ensured that smaller states would still have a significant voice in the government.
The Connecticut Compromise also addressed the issue of slavery, which was another contentious topic at the Constitutional Convention. The delegates agreed that enslaved Africans would be counted as three-fifths of a person in terms of representation. This compromise, known as the Three-Fifths Compromise, was a concession to the Southern states, which had a larger population of enslaved people and wanted them to be counted for representation.
Overall, the Connecticut Compromise played a crucial role in restructuring Congress and resolving disputes between the states, ultimately leading to the ratification of the Constitution.
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The Massachusetts Compromise led to the Bill of Rights
The United States Constitution is often referred to as a "bundle of compromises" due to the delegates having to give ground on numerous key points to create a government charter acceptable to each of the 13 states. One of the most notable compromises that led to the ratification of the Constitution was the Massachusetts Compromise, also known as the "vote now, amend later" compromise.
The Massachusetts Compromise was reached in February 1788, after some states voiced opposition to the Constitution on the grounds that it did not provide protection for certain rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. The terms of the Massachusetts Compromise stipulated that amendments to that effect—what became known as the Bill of Rights—would be immediately proposed.
The compromise was successful in securing the ratification of the Constitution in Massachusetts and played a crucial role in convincing the final holdout states. As a result, the Constitution was ratified by the required nine out of thirteen states, with New Hampshire becoming the final state to ratify it on June 21, 1788.
Following the ratification, Madison introduced seventeen amendments to the Constitution, born from the Massachusetts Compromise. Twelve of these amendments were adopted by Congress on September 25, 1789, and sent to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791, and became an integral part of the United States Constitution.
The Massachusetts Compromise, therefore, played a pivotal role in ensuring the ratification of the Constitution and the subsequent creation of the Bill of Rights, which guaranteed the protection of fundamental rights for all Americans.
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The 1808 Compromise delayed banning the slave trade by 20 years
The United States Constitution, produced after the Constitutional Convention, is often referred to as a "bundle of compromises". This is because delegates from each of the 13 states had to make concessions on several key issues to create a government charter that was acceptable to all. One of the most contentious issues was that of slavery and the slave trade.
At the Constitutional Convention in 1787, delegates from the Northern and Southern states held opposing views on the issue of slavery. The Southern states, with their economies dependent on agriculture and slave labour, wanted enslaved individuals to be counted towards representation. On the other hand, the Northern states, which had industrialised economies, disagreed and did not want the Southern states to have a greater number of representatives. This disagreement was resolved through the Three-Fifths Compromise, where it was agreed that every five enslaved people would count as three individuals in terms of representation.
Another compromise related to the slave trade was reached regarding the banning of the international slave trade. The delegates agreed that the importation of slaves would be prohibited, but not until 1808. This delay of 20 years was due to the Southern states' reliance on the slave trade and slavery for their economies. During this period, individual states could choose to ban the slave trade, and some did so.
The Act Prohibiting Importation of Slaves, also known as the Act of 1807, was passed by Congress and took effect on January 1, 1808. This federal law made it a crime to import slaves from abroad, even on foreign ships. However, it is important to note that this act did not end slavery or the domestic sale and trade of slaves within the United States.
The issue of slavery and the slave trade remained a divisive topic in American politics even after the ratification of the Constitution. The Compromise of 1850 addressed some of these issues, including the banning of the slave trade in Washington, D.C., and the admission of California as a free state.
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Frequently asked questions
The Commerce Compromise allowed tariffs on imports but not on exports, balancing the interests of the North and the South.
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement that, concerning representation, every five enslaved people would be counted as three individuals.
The Massachusetts Compromise, also known as the "vote now, amend later" compromise, stipulated that amendments would be proposed to protect rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press.
The Connecticut Compromise was an agreement that each state would have one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate.
