2. So, what do you think
you know about the
Constitution?

3. Articles of Confederation
• America’s first form of government
• Confederation: loosely allied states
–Each state keeps their independence but
will work with other parts of the
confederacy
(Where have you heard the word
“Confederacy” or “Confederate” before?)
• This system didn’t work very well

5. Constitutional Convention
• Met in Philadelphia in 1787 to discuss
the problems with the Articles of
Confederation
• Henry Laurens and Charles Pinckney
were sent as delegates (Laurens got sick and
couldn’t attend) along with Pierce Butler,
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, and John
Rutledge

6. South Carolina Positions on the Issues
• Writing a new Constitution
– Supported a stronger national government
• Government
– Three branches: legislature, executive, judiciary
• Strength of the President
– Strong executive; single term of 6-7 years
• Representation
– Only elite could hold office
• Supported the Virginia Plan (representation based on population)
instead of the New Jersey Plan (equal representation between
states)
• Also supported the Great Compromise (equal
representation in the Senate, proportional representation in the
House)

7. But what about the slaves….
• South Carolina and other slaveholding states
wanted to use their slaves to their advantage by
counting them in the population to determine
representation.
• Northern states opposed this resulting in the 3/5
Compromise….each slave would be counted as 3/5
of a person.
• South Carolina also worried that the federal
government would try to regulate the slave trade
through import/export regulations.
– Agreed that federal government would not interfere
with slave trade for 20 years.