The Road to the Constitution: Making

Compromises

Compromise: a settlement of differences by using give and

take strategies to reach a blending of two or more ideas

The Rules of the Convention

• The delegates agreed that Washington would lead the convention.

• Delegates from at least 7 states must be present in order reach an agreement.

• All discussions within the convention were to be kept confidential.

Who was missing?

• Representatives from one state were missing. Which state did not send a delegate to the convention?

• Rhode Island did not because they opposed a stronger central government.

The Great Compromise

Problem: How to determine the number of representatives per state?

Solution: A bicameral (two chambered) Congress. The House of Representatives is based upon state population and the Senate has a set number of representatives per state.

Three-Fifths Compromise

• Problem: Should slaves be included in the population count when determining representatives?

•Solution: Three-Fifths of the states slave population will be included in the total population.

Slave Trade Compromise

• Problem: Northern states wanted to limit the number of slaves in America and the Southern states wanted no limits because their economy and lifestyle was dependent on slavery.

•Solutions: The slave trade will continue for 20 years and then national government will be able to ban or limit slave importation.

Commerce Compromise

• Problem: Taxing exports makes U.S. products harder to sell and taxing imports made foreign products more expensive.

•Solution: The federal government can tax imports but not exports.

Election Compromise

• Problem: Some felt that Congress should elect the president while others thought the people should vote on the president.

• Solution: The Electoral College was created. The Electoral College is a group of people named by each state legislature to select the president and vice president