Four Compromises

1. What problem was addressed by the Great Compromise?

• The importation of slaves
• How representation in the legislature would be decided (how many representatives would each state get?)
• How many slaves would count towards a state's population when determining representation in the legislature
• Making a stronger central government

2. The Great Compromise blended the Virginia and New Jersey Plan together, for what reasons? Check the three answers that apply.

• Small states wouldn’t have to fear being powerless against larger states
• To have a three house legislature
• Make the number of representatives in the legislature more equal so no states or regions had too much power in the government
• Larger states would have more representation in Congress than smaller states

3. What was the main difference between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan?

(a)  

4. What was the 3/5ths Compromise? Check all that apply.

• A compromise between the north and the south.
• A compromise that allowed the south to count 3/5ths of the slave population when deciding how many representatives each state would get in Congress.
• A compromise that allowed the northern states to gain more power in the legislature.
• A compromise that also made the south agree to pay more national taxes based on their populations.

5. The south agreed to help pay northern Revolutionary War debts in exchange for which of the following.

• Moving the national capital to Boston
• Keeping the capital in Philadelphia
• Moving the capital to New York
• Moving the capital to Washington, D.C. on the Potomac River

6. Federalists believed the Constitution did not need a Bill of Rights because it had a system of ____________ and _______ that would stop any one branch from becoming too powerful.

(a)  

7. Federalists and Anti-Federalists argued over how much power the national government should have. What was one compromise that helped resolve this?

• a)The central government was intentionally kept weak.
• b) More power was given to the government, but the Bill of Rights was passed protecting citizens' rights.
• c)Nothing was done so citizens felt concerned because they thought their rights were unprotected.
• d) They agreed to keep the Articles of Confederation the way it was.

11. Overall, what did the delegates we discussed this week feel was more important than ending slavery when writing the Constitution? Use text evidence from one of quotes below to support your answer. Write a paragraph response that restates the question, answers the question, cites evidence, and explains your evidence.

Answer explanation