Question

What major compromises led to the final approval of the Constitution? Who benefitted, and who did not, from these compromises and why?

Answer 1

• During the Constitutional Convention, many debates arose about what a new Constitution and new US government should look like.
• Connecticut Compromise:- An agreement that large and small states reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, that in part defined the legislative structure and representation that each state would have under the Constitution.
• Great compromise-Two plans were put forth during the Constitutional Convention to create the new branches of government. The Virginia Plan wanted a strong national government with three branches. The legislature would have two houses. One would be directly elected by the people and the second would selected by the first house from people nominated by the state legislatures.
• Further, the president and national judiciary would be chosen by the national legislature. On the other hand, the New Jersey Plan wanted a more decentralized plan amending the old Articles yet allowing for a somewhat stronger government. Each state would have one vote in Congress.
• The Great Compromise combined these two plans creating our current legislature with two houses, one based on population and elected by the people and the other house allowing two senators per state being appointed by state legislatures.
• Three-Fifths Compromise:- An agreement between Southern and Northern states that allowed a portion of the slave population to be counted for representation purposes regarding both the distribution of taxes and apportionment of members of the House of Representatives.
• Commerce Compromise-Northern states wanted the government to be able to impose import tariffs on finished products to protect against foreign competition and encourage the South to buy goods made in the North and also export tariffs on raw goods to increase revenue flowing into the United States. However, the Southern states feared that export tariffs on their raw goods would hurt the trade upon which they heavily relied.
• The compromise mandated that tariffs were only to be allowed on imports from foreign countries and not exports from the U.S. This compromise also dictated that interstate commerce would be regulated by the federal government. It also required that all commerce legislation be passed by a two-thirds majority in the Senate, which was a win for the South since it countered the power of the more populous Northern states.
• Slave Trade Compromise-Those who opposed slavery in the Northern states wanted to bring an end to the importation and sale of slaves. This was in direct opposition to Southern states, which felt that slavery was vital to their economy and did not want the government interfering in the slave trade.
• In this compromise, Northern states, in their desire to keep the Union intact, agreed to wait until 1808 before Congress would be able to ban the slave trade in the U.S. (In March 1807, President Thomas Jefferson signed a bill abolishing the slave trade, and it took effect on Jan. 1, 1808.) Also part of this compromise was the fugitive slave law, which required Northern states to deport any runaway slaves, another win for the South.