What Where The major debates during the Constitutional Convention ?

Answer 1

There were many differences which came to light during the convention and reading James Madison’s notes on the convention is the best source to understand both the individual parts and the whole. Not the least of these differences were the cultural elements of civility and rules of common discourse which could cause initial dislike of proposals made by others without understanding content.

While generalizing doesn’t present the full flavor of these individuals, you might place Alexander Hamilton as representing the urbane north easterners with a loud, stentorian approach to presenting a position, and on the other could be the Virginian Edmund Randolph with a more genteel, softer approach. However, it would be a mistake to consider either (or any of the delegates) as less than intelligent, educated, and fully able to present their positions. Over the time of the convention they didn’t all agree, but they did come to at least a grudging respect of each other and were able to engage in discourse both within the hall during sessions and at the taverns during the evenings.

Probably the most significant subject came to be known as the great debate which placed the Sherman Compromise against the New Jersey Plan. This dealt with real nub of any changes in national government whether it was alterations to the Articles of Confederation or a new form of government, that is, what would be the relationship between the national general government and the State governments. This was intensified by the fact that each State already had their own Constitutions and in the 1783 Treaty of Peace signed between Great Britain and the general government of the Articles of Confederation, in Article One each State was named and declared free, Independent, and Sovereign.

Those such as Alexander Hamilton wanted a strong, central national government, while others such as Edmund Randolph preferred the continued ascendancy of the States over a general government. To a large extent this concern was that a new general government would gain too much power over the States and that some States would exert power over other States through they power in the new Congress. In other words, how would voting be determined in the Congress. Most had pretty much agreed that there should be two congressional houses, even so, how would voting be defined. Rutledge of South Carolina proposed the vote in the lower house be based on taxes paid by States, the more taxes paid the more votes. Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts proposed that, if taxation (involved with property ownership were to be used, and since blacks are property and are used in the South as horses and cattle to the Northward, why then should not horses and cattle have the right of representation in the North.

The point here is that, with the exclusion of such as Hamilton, nearly all delegates were tied to the concept of their State and not to a national identity. States were considered free, independent, and sovereign and no State (or its citizens) would give that up. While the final solution was not perfect, it did protect the integrity of the States.
A lower house with the members elected by citizens of a specific district within a State and the number of districts determined by population, that is, a form of people representation but entirely within the context of State.
The upper house with 2 members from each State and those members selected by the legislatures of their individual States, that is a true set of “State” representatives.
A president elected by members of the Electoral College who’s members were selected by State legislatures in numbers conducive with the number of districts, that is, a president of the States.

Further, and agreement was made to ensure the integrity of those States (and the people) from an over zealous general government. That agreement was that “if” the Constitution was ratified, on of the first orders of business would be to amend it with a Bill of Rights. Something that many States already had and existed in historical agreements. This came to pass but it was constructed quite differently (and with different intent) than it is viewed in current times. Its final ratification was only 10 of the 12 proposed articles. Of those ten the first 8 were exclusionary in nature. That is they excluded the general government from specific acts and they did not apply to the States. The final two were declarative truths meant to apply at all times and in all places.

While in the intervening years since ratification the Constitutional franchise has been expanded to include more and more peoples, the general government has extended its extra-Constitutional intrusive acts to the point that the true intent of the Founders (to bind a general government in the chains of the Constitution) is no longer applicable. The debates of the Convention have dried up and blown away.

Answer 2

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RE:
What Where The major debates during the Constitutional Convention ?

Answer 3

Actually, the major debates during the Constitutional Convention revolved around two key issues:
A) Slavery: The North didn't want it, the South did. They kept it to keep the South (most thought it would die out soon anyway). For the census, they compromised and made slaves only 2/3 of a person.
B) Legislature: Population based versus state based. The New Jersey compromise made two houses of the legislature: one population based (House of Representatives) and the other two representatives per state (the Senate).

Answer 4

Slavery was a huge issue, to the point that it was ignored in the final draft to be sure the South agreed to sign the Constitution. Also, the power of the federal government versus the state governments was a big point of contention. The fact that slavery wasn't addressed, and the South's belief that the states should have been given more rights, were the two main issues that eventually led to the Civil War (or as they call it in the South, the War of Northern Aggression).

Answer 5

The Federalists and anti-Federalists debated about federal and state power. Anti-federalists feared that investing too much power in the federal (national)government would result in its abuse, and put the liberty and freedoms of states and individuals at risk. A compromise was reached when the Federalists agreed to the anti-Federalist request for some very specific rights that can NEVER be taken from the states and the people, no matter how powerful the federal government becomes: that being, the Bill of Rights, or the first ten amendments to the Constitution. That eased the fears of the anti-Federalists enough so that they agreed to the formation of a strong central government, with executive, legislative, and judicial branches.

Answer 6

Who was buying the beer!