1. Governor Edmund Randolph (VA) proposes they scrap the Articles and replace it.
1.1. 5 plans are drafted, 2 are debated officially
1.1.1. Virginia Plan
1.1.1.1. Favored large states
1.1.1.1.1. Seats in legislature based on population
1.1.1.1.2. President chosen by legislature
1.1.1.1.3. Judges appointed by legislature
1.1.1.1.4. Acts of government would override state law
1.1.2. New Jersey Plan
1.1.2.1. Favored small states
1.1.2.1.1. One-house legislature
1.1.2.1.2. Each state receives one vote
1.1.3. *Remember, people felt an allegiance to their state at this time, not the country as a whole.
1.2. The Great Compromise
1.2.1. Roger Sherman (CT) proposed:
1.2.1.1. Bicameral legislature
1.2.1.1.1. House of Representatives
1.2.1.1.2. Senate
1.2.2. Also called the "Connecticut Compromise"
1.2.3. Had also been tested in the state legislatures already
2. The Three-Fifths Compromise
2.1. Issue: How to count citizens for taxation
2.1.1. Census would be taken every 10 years.
2.1.2. Southern states wanted slaves counted, so they could earn more seats in the national legislature
2.1.2.1. Some states had over 40% of their population as slaves.
2.1.3. Compromise:
2.1.3.1. Slaves would be counted as 3/5 of a person
2.1.3.1.1. Already existed under the Articles
2.1.3.2. 5 slaves would count as 3 whites
3. The Sectional Compromise
3.1. Issue: slavery and commerce
3.1.1. The South was concerned that northern states would use the national government's economic powers to end slavery by regulating commerce
3.1.2. They proposed that all commerce-related legislation be approved by a 2/3 "super-majority" vote.
3.1.3. The north disagreed
3.1.4. Compromise:
3.1.4.1. Trans-Atlantic slave trade protected for 20 years
3.1.4.2. Commerce remained a simple majority vote