Wealth No Longer a Factor

Franklin Court, Dr. Franklin’s home in Philadelphia

Independence National Historical Park

Wealth No Longer a Factor

"[Doctor Franklin] showed me a curiosity…a snake with two heads…he was then going to mention a humorous matter that that day taken place in Convention, in consequence of his comparing the snake to America…"[but] he seemed to forget that everything in Convention matters was [to be held in strict confidence] which stopped him, and deprived me of the story he was going to tell."

-Manasseh Cutler in the Life, Journals and Correspondence of Manasseh Cutler

The delegates continued debating the report of the July 2 committee recommending the Connecticut compromise--proportional representation in the House and equal representation by state in the Senate. Old issues were rehashed and progress seemed slow.

Edmund Randolph of Virginia moved to drop wealth as a factor in fixing each state's representatives in Congress and use free population plus 3/5 of the slave population as a basis for representation. Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania opposed it saying that if slaves were people they should be fully represented and if they were property then the word "wealth" should remain.

Randolph's motion passed 9-0-1.

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Saturday, July 14, 1787
Still No Vote on Representation

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