Unit 2 Rey, Emani, Isacc, Sarah, Aaron

Unit 2 Rey, Emani, Isacc, Sarah, Aaron

Bullet 1: What major conflicts required the Framers at the Philadelphia Convention to make compromises?

There are major conflicts at the Philadelphia Convention that required compromises. A compromise they made was about was about the legislative branch. It was called the Great Compromise. It said that Congress had 2 houses: the Senate and the House of Representatives. The senate has 2 people from every state and the House had 1 person for so many people. The Senate is fair game. The House favors big states.

Another conflict is about slavery. They had to make compromises so that the south states will join. The compromises they made were that a slave is worth 3/5 of a person. The slave trade could stop in 1808. And slavery is mentioned in the Constitution. Slaves had to be returned to their owners. You could send more people to the house but the owners had to pay more taxes. The constitution does not have the word slave in it. These are the top 2 compromises that the Founders agreed upon.

Bullet 2: Why was it so hard for the Framers to reach agreement about how to resolve their conflicts?

It was hard for the Framers to settle the conflicts between them because they knew they needed to protect people’s rights. The problem was they didn’t always agree whose rights should be protected.

For example, slave owners felt they should have the right to own slaves. In their eyes, slaves were tools, they were property. People who were against slavery thought slaves should have the same rights as their owners. John Locke said that every person is born with natural rights—the right to life, liberty, and property. Slave owners felt they had the right to own property, and they considered slaves property. Anti-slavery people felt slaves were having their liberty taken away. Also, slaves’ right to life, the right to live without the fear of death or injury, was taken. Finally, a slave’s right to property, the right to own things or do to what you want for a living, was taken as well.

An example where a slave’s liberty was denied is the Supreme Court ruling of Dred Scot v. Sanford (1857). In this case, Dred Scot moved with his owner moved to a free state and he wanted to sue his owner to gain his freedom. The Supreme Court said if they freed him, the court would be denying Sanford’s right to property. The 5th Amendment says a person cannot be denied life, liberty or property without “due process” of law. Also, the government cannot take a person’s property without “just compensation,” or being paid for the item taken. This is called “eminent domain.”

Bullet 3 How did the compromise of later adding a Bill of Rights affect our Constitution?

How did the compromise of later adding a bill of rights affect our constitution?

The adding of the bill of rights changed the constitution. Most citizens wanted a bill of right so that they would have more rights. Tell what rights the B.O.R. actually protected.Describe some of the amendments. Pick a court case, too.

A bill if rights is a piece of paper that explains the rights of the people. It explains the first 10 amendments.

Bullet 4: Do you agree with the Framers' decision to keep the proceedings of the Philadelphia Convention secret? Why or why not?

We agree with the decision to keep the proceedings of the Philadelphia Convention secret. Sometimes secrecy is required. For example, the citizens of Philadelphia might have pressured the Framers during that summer of 1787. The might have made the Framers feel they could not freely discuss their ideas. The Framers might have changed their minds during debates and they might not have accepted the new Constitution. It wasn’t easy for the Framers to reach the agreements they did. Slavery and representation weren’t easy to discuss between the 55 people at the Convention. Imagine how hard it would be to discuss this issue with the 40,000 people living in Philadelphia at the time!

Secrecy can still be important today. An example of this involves former Elk Grove City Council Member Michael Patrick Leary. He was arrested in October 2009 for suspicion of “defrauding,” or stealing, money from his former girlfriend. The Sheriff’s Department said they “could not comment on the reason for Leary’s dismissal.” The sheriff’s department would not discuss someone else’s business because it is a personnel matter involving employer and employee. Also, this is supposed to go to court this month. It’s important to keep court cases and evidence secret until the trial begins.

Bullet 5 Was the group that assembled at the Philadelphia Convention a fair representation of the the people? Why or why not?

The delegates of the Philadelphia convention also known as the Framers were a fair group of people. They organized and help wrote the constitution. About ¾ had served in Congress. Most of them were leaders in their states.

Most of the delegates were not chosen from all of the states. There was no black, woman, farmers, and American Indians. The average age was 42. Some were rich but most were not. Rhode Island didn’t bring any delegates. 3 important delegates were George Washington, James Madison, and Benjamin Franklin. George Washington was the most respected man in America. His friends urged him to go to the Philadelphia Convention. James Madison was called the “Father of our Constitution”.