Lesson 4.2 Drafting a Constitution

Why is James Madison called the “Father of the Constitution”?

• He was the president of the Convention.

• He wrote most of the document.

• He was well prepared and greatly influenced other delegates.

In the context of the Constitutional Convention, what constituted a “large” state?

• its population

• its physical size

• its economic well-being

The Great Compromise involved a new way of

• organizing the executive branch.

• organizing the legislative branch.

• voting for delegates.

What did the northern states use as their reason for not wanting to count slaves as part of a state’s population?

• Slaves were already counted for taxes.

• Slaves were not citizens.

• Slaves could not vote.

How many states had to approve the Constitution for it to be ratified?

• nine

• eight

• seven

What was the original purpose of the Constitutional Convention of 1787?

• to decide who the leaders of the country should be

• to revise the Articles of Confederation

• to decide between the Virginia and New Jersey plans

What was the main subject of debate among delegates to the Convention?

• who should be the head of the executive branch

• how many branches of government to have

• how the legislature would be structured

The Three-Fifths Compromise

• determined how slaves would be counted in the population.

• gave Congress the power to ban slavery in individual states.

• expanded the powers of the executive branch and the President.