AP US History in 1 Minute Daily: The Constitutional Convention & Compromises (Day 60/309)

Welcome to today’s explanation of the Constitutional Convention & Compromises in my series- APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!

Independence Hall, 1787, Center for Civics Education

As a result of financial challenges especially exposed by Shays’ Rebellion, there were calls for a stronger federal government. Washington, Hamilton, and Madison persuaded delegates to meet to revise the Articles.

Constitutional Convention, Bill of Rights Institute

In the summer of 1787, the Constitutional Convention was held with 55 delegates. All members were white males, mostly young and college educated and wealthier than the average American.

Compromise over Representation, Created by apushladyboss

Quickly issues over representation were debated. The Great Compromise resolved the tensions. It included a two-house legislature with the House of Representatives having proportional representation and the Senate having equal representation.

Three-Fifths Compromise, Students of History

The other most controversial subject was slavery. To delay the debate, delegates guaranteed that enslaved persons could be imported for 20 more years. Additionally, in the Three-Fifths Compromise they determined that each enslaved person would count as ⅗ of a person for representation and taxation purposes.

Despite significant controversy, the delegates of the Constitutional Convention negotiated and compromised on issues such as representation and slavery to propose a stronger replacement for the Articles of Confederation.

Join me tomorrow as I explain Aspects of the Constitution in our next APUSH in 1 Minute Daily!