Delegates From The Smaller States example essay topic

May 25, 1787 Fifty five delegates from twelve of the thirteen states met in Philadelphia today. Rhode Island is the only state of the thirteen that chose not to attend the revising of the Articles of Confederation. Though, after the delegates reviewed the articles, they agreed that they were not worth saving. The delegates agreed to make a new document, a constitution, that would bring an entirely new type of government. Since they decided to create a new constitution, the meeting is to b e called the Constitutional Convention. The delegates of the Constitutional Convention were not ordinary American people.

They were all professionals and businessmen, and they were all white men. More than half of the delegates are under 40. They all have education and experience, which will soon prove to be two important qualities of writing a constitution. The delegates are well educated in politics, philosophy, and economics. More than half of the delegates were members in congress under the Articles of Confederation. George Washington is one of the delegates of Virginia.

He led the American army through a winning battle against the Great Britain army. He was chose to preside over the meeting because of his great skills as a leader. Several important decisions were made at the start of the convention. Each state would have one vote, not one vote for each delegate.

Also, a simple majority of seven votes would determine an issue. The delegates met in secrecy to replace the Articles of Confederation. The Virginia delegates proposed a plan of government which included a president, courts, and a congress with two houses. Representation in each house would be based on each states population.

Which meant that the larger states would have more votes than the smaller states. Delegates from the smaller states disliked the Virginia plan, because the large states would control congress. The delegates from the smaller states proposed a new plan called the New Jersey plan. This plan called for a governemtn similar to the Articles of Confederation.

It had a one house congress in which each state would have equal representation and therefore, equal votes. The larger states didn't like the New Jersey plan, they felt that the larger states should have more power than the smaller states. The Great Compromise was made to settle the dispute. The Connecticut delegates proposed that the new congress would have two houses, one which each state would have equal representation, and the other would be based on each states population. Both the large states and small states agreed to this suggestion. Another compromise was that an enslaved person would count as three fifths of other persons.

The electoral college would choose the president and vice president. The voters choose the members of the electoral college.