A New Government

Thursday, November 29, 2007

Do now: Answer the question on the handout.

Reading asignment pgs 165-169

Reading from pg 165

Upon the swearing in of George Washington as president the United States Government came into existence. The Revolutionary War had been a long and bitter struggle and the struggle to create a government while short had been just as bitter.

As the delgates of the Constitutional Convention met their plan was to only amend the Articles of Confederation not create a new document. However the delegates knew that the articles were unworkable and that a new set of laws were needed.

Virginia Plan

As the convention proceeded the delegates broke into two camps. Those delgates that favored a bi-cameral house. or a legislature that was broken into two sections where the states's population determined the amount of representatives that it would have within this body.

New Jersey Plan

The other side favored a plan where each state had the same amount of delegates regardless of population. It also favored the idea of having a weak central government.

As the delegates argued the merits of their own plan it became obvious that a compromise was needed.

Called the Great Compromise this plan called for a bi-cameral house that consisted of a house of representatives and a senate.

The House of Representatives would be based on the state's population while the Senate would allow each states to have two senators regardless of population.

Assignement draw a representation of the first the Virginia Plan then the New Jersey Plan then finally the Great Compromise Due in 10 min.