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Period: to
Constitutional Convention
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The Committee of the Whole Commences
-The Committee accedes to Resolve 1 stating that the national government should be comprised of 3 branches: executive, legislative, and judicial.
-The delegates discuss Resolve 2 which asks whether representation should be based on population or monetary contribution by state -
Virginia's Resolves are Further Discussed
Resolves 3, 4, and 6 are approved but Resolution 5 remains defeated. -
National Executive is Agreed Upon
Resolve 7 is unanimously accepted, giving a National Executive, whose term will be seven-year, the capability to designate officers as well as to execute laws. -
Single Executive Gets the Veto
Resolve 7 passes with a single executive decision.
Executive gets the power to veto from Resolve 8.
Resolve 9 allows for Supreme Court and minor tribunals to exist. -
Resolved and Postponed Resolves
Resolve 9, 10, and 12 are agreed upon but 11, 13, 14, and 15 are postponed. -
Property Qualifications and Resolve 4
Delegates discuss property qualifications for those with governing positions and Resolve 4. Resolve 4 received negative votes that day and wasn't passed. -
Resolve 6
One remaining part of Resolve 6 is rejected. This part stated "'that the national legislature should have authority to negative all laws which they should judge to be improper.'" -
Resolve 4 is Reconsidered
Delegates discuss the issue of proportional voting -
Voting and 3/5
Members of the Convention further discuss whether voting should be equal or proportional. The question of how slaves should be included in population counts is discussed as well. -
Discussed Details of Future Congress
Discussed matters regarding the future Congress such as length of term (which delegates agreed to being three-year) and their pay.
Decided to give Congressmen a salary from the National Treasury.
Decided that a Senator's term should be three years. -
Amended Virginia's Resolves
These 19 resolves were reviewed and read aloud. -
William Paterson Of New Jersey Asks for Time
Delegate Paterson from New Jersey solicits some extra time to prepare another plan. It is granted and the Convention ends early. -
New Jersey's Plan is Introduced
With the plan, delegates are dismissed early again to compare and analyze the plan. -
New Jersey Plan is Officially Discussed
Members of the Convention speak and contemplate about the New Jersey plan. One striking difference between the two plans is that New Jersey wants a "single legislative body". -
Hamilton Articulates for 6 Hours
Alexander Hamilton introduces his own plan which no one took any part in that day, for or against it. -
Madison Destroys Hamilton's Plan and the New Jersy
Madison gives his harsh opinion of Hamilton's Plan.
Delegates decide to get rid of the New Jersey Plan. -
Many Decisions to Make
Delegates discuss the word "national" in Virginia's First Resolve.
They decide to abrogate the word from the clause.
Members also discuss whether it is reasonable for congressmen to occupy other jobs in the government.
Delegates also agree on a six-year term for Senators. -
Revision on the Legislation
Delegates further discuss the legislations structure and settle with two branches.
They also decide to reduce the term for the First Branch to two years. -
Small States
Delegates including Ellsworth and Wilson fight out about whether the small states should have equal representation in Congress. -
A New Committee is Formed
Due to the tie when voting for how state representation would function, a committee (Gerry Committee) was elected to propose a compromise. They would have three days. -
Gerry Committee Reports
The results from the Gerry Committee were disliked by everyone and for the next three days, there would be tension in the Convention. No one could agree. -
Future Western States
Delegates argue over regulation of the admission of new states and to limit representation in these new states. The latter was voted negative. -
Great Compromise is Passed
The Great Compromise which allows for the House to be proportional and the Senate to be equal. -
Details of the President
Delegates of the Convention discuss how the President is to be elected and how long.
They decide that electors chosen by state legislators would select a President and they agreed that six-year was a reasonable term. -
Impeachment Becomes Reality
The Convention members agreed upon the existence of the power of impeachment upon the President. -
Committee of Detail
The Convention members select a few to form the Committee of Detail. This committee is assigned to prepare and organize the altered "resolves, suggestions, amendments, and propositions". They would have eleven days to do so and meanwhile, the Convention would have a break. -
Period: to
Brief Time of Adjournment
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Slave Trade
The delegates give their opinion on the slave trade; there was much disagreement.
Members agree that the electors should have to live in the U.S. for seven years before being nominated. -
Two Senators per State
The members of the Constitutional Convention agree to each state having two Senators, each posessing one vote. -
House of Representatives Debate
Hamilton suggests to abolish seven-year citizenship before applying to become a representative. It is turned down and after much debate, a seven-year citizenship becomes official. -
Compensation Discussion
Members accede to payments for legislative employees to be distributed from the National Treasury. -
Military Matters
The Convention members explore matters regarding the military/Navy. -
Bill of Rights and the Topic of Treason
Delegates of the Convention discuss on this day the topic of treason. They go over what will be considered treason and the ramifications of performing treason. On this day, they also talk over the Bill of Rights, introduced by Pinckney. -
Slave Importation Until 1808
The Convention decided to let the slave trade continue for the next twenty years. Afterward, the deal was that Congress would be allowed to interfere -
Ratification
The Convention reviewed and spoke about the ratification process for this Constitution on this day. They decided a minimum of nine states would have to ratify in order for the Constitution to be official.
They also discussed who would ratify it. No conclusion was then made. -
The Executive
The delegates concur with the idea of the President and Vice President to have a four-year term. -
Nearing the End
Delegates vote for the Vice President and other governmental officers to be susceptible to impeachment as well.
The Committee of Style and Arrangement of five delegates is created. -
Arranged Constitution is Read Aloud
The soon-to-be-with-a-few-more-alterations Constitution was read aloud to the delegates. -
Bill of Rights
The proposal to include a Bill of Rights is turned down by delegates. -
Period: to
Time of Revision
During these three days, the delegates of the Constitutional Convention worked and shred "the plan" into pieces before patching it up again to their liking. Many revisisions and voting took place -
The Constitution is Signed
On this historic day, the delegates of the Constitutional Convention (forty were present) signed the Constitution.