Question

In 200 words : What major compromises were made at the Constitutional Convention, and what issues did they settle? What issues remained unsettled?

Answer 1

Due to the Constitutional Convention the U.S. Constitution has also been known as "bundle of compromises". Here are the most important compromises made at the Constitutional Convention: -

• Great Compromise - From 1781 to 1787 each state was represented by one vote in congress. During the convention two strategies were debated. First was the representation grounded on the population of each state and second was the equal representation for every state. Thus, both plans were united which we also know as the Great Compromise. Thus, it was agreed that there would be a chamber for the Senate which will be based on the equal number of representation for every state and other chamber for the House of Representatives which will be based on the population of each state.
• Three-Fifths Compromise – During the convention, representatives found one more issue which was totalling of slaves. The Northern states’ economy did not depend on profoundly on slavery and thus their delegates noticed that slaves must not be counted for the representation because it would d offer the South with a more number of representatives. Thus, this compromise was known as the three-fifths compromise because in terms of representation only three individuals would be counted for every five slaves.
• Commerce Compromise - This compromise authorized that charges were only to be permitted on imports from overseas countries and not exports from the U.S. This compromise also verbalized that regional commerce would be controlled by the central government. It also mandated that all trade regulation must be approved by a two-thirds majority in the Senate.
• Election of the President: The Electoral College - During the convention there was a disagreement over how the president should be elected to office. In the end, the two sides compromised with the creation of the Electoral College, which is made up of electors roughly proportional to population. Citizens actually vote for electors bound to a particular candidate who then votes for the president.

The issues of immigration, slavery, naturalization and women's rights were left unsettled.