Constitutional Convention 8-3.

South Carolinas leaders played an important role in the Constitutional Convention, supporting
the Three-Fifths Compromise and the Commerce Compromise. The ratification of the
Constitution did lead to some division among South Carolinians.
The problems of the U.S. government under the Articles of Confederation were similar to the
economic problems faced by South Carolinians after the Revolutionary War. Shays Rebellion
was a backcountry rebellion that occurred in Massachusetts which called for a stronger central
government.
1. How do you think it would
have felt to be a representative
from South Carolina at this
convention?
Image from:
http://declaringamerica.com/01/media/Constitution
al_convention_900x60016.jpg

South Carolinians were involved in the writing of the Constitution in 1787, the Philadelphia
Convention. The meeting was called to fix problems under the Articles of Confederation.

South Carolinians supported the establishment of a stronger national government with three
branches of government, the legislature, judiciary, and executive. South Carolinians along with
larger states supported the Virginia Plan which based representation on population, this would
give states such as South Carolina more power in the national government. The other plan,
known as the New Jersey Plan, called for equal representation. South Carolina eventually
supported the Great Compromise, also known as the Connecticut Compromise. This set up
the Senate, which had equal representation, and the House of Representatives, which was
based on a states population.
2. Why do you think large and small
states were so divided on
representation in the U.S. national
government?
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http://apgovernmentchs.wikispaces.com/file/view/gr_co
mp2.gif/366566204/338x317/gr_comp2.gif

The Great Compromise raised the issue of whether or not slaves should be counted for the
purposes of determining representation in the new government. South Carolina and other
slaveholding states wanted slaves to be counted toward their states population. Northern
states, many of which were freeing their slaves, did not. South Carolina did not support the
Three-Fifths Compromise that resolved this argument. South Carolina delegates were also
concerned that a stronger national government might attempt to regulate trade. Since South
Carolina relied on exporting its cash crops and wanted to continue importing slaves, they did
not want trade to be regulated by the national government. A compromise was reached,
known as the Commerce Compromise, which promised that the federal government would not
tax exports or attempt to regulate the international slave trade for at least 20 years.

South Carolinians supported a strong president that would serve a term for six or seven years,
rather than the 4 year term included in the Constitution. As wealthy land owners, South
Carolinians favored representatives who owned property. Although South Carolina delegates
did not get everything they wanted in the Constitution, they were satisfied with the new
document and returned to South Carolina in favor of ratification.
3. At South Carolinas ratifying convention,
would you have voted for or against the
Constitution? Why or why not?
Image found:
http://www.ohwy.com/history%20pictures/ratification2.jpg

Political tensions between the Lowcountry and the Upcountry influenced ratification of the
Constitution. The South Carolina ratifying convention was held in Charleston despite the fact
that the state capital had already been moved to Columbia. Once again, the Lowcountry elite
had more representation as the Upcountry men lived too far away to vote. These backcountry
opponents were called anti-Federalists because they opposed a stronger federal government.
They feared that the elite would have too much power in such a government and abuse the
rights of the people. They also feared that the national government would be located far away
from the people who had enough trouble influencing their own state government. Charles
Pinckney and other members of the elite, called themselves Federalists, argued for a
strong government that could be powerful in foreign affairs and establish better trade
relations. South Carolina ratified the Constitution, making it the 8th state to join the United

States of America. Opposition by anti-Federalists, led the Federalists to promise to add a Bill of
Rights to the Constitution.