Compromises of the US Constitution

One of the commonly heard theories about the United States constitution is that it is made up almost entirely of compromises. Some feel that these compromises were put into place in order to satisfy the wants, and make an attempt at canceling out the fears held by the American people. The negotiations dealt with many areas of the country and ranged from the power given to the government, to the individual rights and duties of the US citizens.

One of the biggest and most obvious compromises made within the constitution, was known as the “Great Compromise.” This bill, ratified on July 16, 1787, had mostly to do with finding a way of establishing new branches of the United States government. The first of two plans presented was the Virginia Plan, which called for the government to be split into three separate branches. The legislature would consist of two houses; one would be elected by the people, and the other chosen by the first house from those nominated by the state legislators. Along with this, the national legislator would choose the President and National Judiciary. The New Jersey Plan on the other hand, wanted to amend the articles in order to allow for a stronger overall government. Also they felt that in order to be fair, each state should only be able to have a single vote in the Congress. The Great Compromise wanted to satisfy everyone, so the final agreement was a mixture of both the Virginia and New Jersey Plans. The legislature would be made up of two houses; one based on population and elected by the people, and the other house allowed two senators per state to be appointed.

Another compromise made was the Northwest Ordinance and along with this, the three-fifths clause. This mainly had to do with Southern states, and their demands that their escaped slaves be returned to them. This then allowed for the free slaves to be chased up into the Northern states and be recaptured for the use of labor. This also resulted in the illegal kidnapping of thousands of free black slaves throughout the entire country. After this occurred, the government authorized the three-fifths clause which made it so that three-fifths of all slaves would count towards population in terms of taxation and representation. The North did not take that much issue with this change, because they felt it best not to further antagonize any southerners. Their main goal was to create a new government, and they believed that slavery would have absolutely no economic potential whatsoever.