The bigger states, like Massachussetts and Virgina, wanted more representation in vote. Beforethe constitutional convention, each state got only one vote when deciding issues. The bigger states wanted to have weighted votes depending on population. So Massachussetts, being busy and heavily populated, would have more votes than, say, Rhode Island.
The bigger states got their wish granted. That's why, even to this day, our state electoral votes are weighted on population. California and Texas have much more electoral votes than Kansas or Rhode Island.
Some states, like Georgia and South Carolina, wanted their slave population to be included. In the southern states, blacks were 50% of the population. However, they did not want the slaves to be counted as part of their population for taxes. Finally, a compromise was made that one-third of the slave population wouldbe accounted for in both the votes and taxes.
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I want to know who was the chairman of the 2nd constitutional convention?
Because it might be considered that he had a political motive.
George Washington hesitated to go to the Constitutional Convention because he was suffering from Rheumatism, he had just lost his brother, he had to manage Mount Vernon, he doubted that the convention was going to accomplish very many things and he thought alot of other men with high stature were going to attend.
Rhode Island (The Providence Plantations of Rhode Island). The State's leaders refused to participate in the Constitutional Convention because they believed it was a conspiracy to overthrow the current government, which was operating under the Articles of Convention. Patrick Henry, who would have been their delegate, declared he "smelt a rat," and didn't want to participate in a project that threatened state sovereignty. Rhode Island also became the last of the original states to ratify the Constitution, on May 29, 1790.
The convention delegates did not want to upset the sensibilities of the people in the Northern states.