Question

Identify and explain the three main issues that arose during the debates at the Constitutional Convention.

Answer 1

The three main issues that arose at the debates during the Constitutional Convention include: slavery, Congressional Representation (in favor of big or small states), and the new Executive branch.

Smaller states and larger states debated over representation in Congress and put forth the New Jersey plan (in favor of smaller states) and the Virginia plan (in favor of smaller states). States debated whether representation should be decided by state wealth, size, and/or population. Also debated was the issue of slavery. Many southern state economies depended on slaves and slave labor, yet many northern states asserted that slavery was unconstitutional and/or immoral. States also debated on the amount of power that should be given to the executive branch, the length of presidential terms, and how the president would be elected.