What would have happened if...

[LLR]

What would've happened if in 1787 Congress had decided to redraw the borders of the 13 states so that they had population equality? Theoretically, the Senate wouldn't need to exist any more, but what else? What would the states look like? How equal would they be today?

[Boston Bread]

Depends a lot on if slaves counted as population.

[LLR]

Depends a lot on if slaves counted as population.

Let's say the 3/5 compromise remains, horrible as it was.

[jimrtex]

Depends a lot on if slaves counted as population.

Let's say the 3/5 compromise remains, horrible as it was.

What happens when Vermont joins the Union?

[jimrtex]

What would've happened if in 1787 Congress had decided to redraw the borders of the 13 states so that they had population equality? Theoretically, the Senate wouldn't need to exist any more, but what else? What would the states look like? How equal would they be today?

(1) NH + MA(part, Maine + 1/2 of Essex)
(2) MA (most, except parts in (1), above; and (3), below.
(3) MA (part, Plymouth, Bristol, Barnstable, Dukes, Nantucket, i.e. SE) + RI + CT(most, except (4)).
(4) CT (part, Fairfield, Litchfield, New Haven) + NY (part, everything from Dutchess and Orange south).
(5) NY (part, everything from Columbia and Ulster, north and west) + PA (interior).
(6) NJ + DE + PA (Delaware, Chester).
(7) PA (southeastern)
( PA (small part), Maryland (most).
(9) VA + small part of Maryland, perhaps Delmarva.
(10) VA
(11) VA (western, including KY) + NC (western)
(12) NC (except (11, above).
(13) SC + GA.

[LLR]

Depends a lot on if slaves counted as population.

Let's say the 3/5 compromise remains, horrible as it was.

What happens when Vermont joins the Union?

All new states would presumably be admitted with population and size equality in mind, but I don't know which would take precedent out west.

[jimrtex]

What would've happened if in 1787 Congress had decided to redraw the borders of the 13 states so that they had population equality? Theoretically, the Senate wouldn't need to exist any more, but what else? What would the states look like? How equal would they be today?

They didn't actually redraw the state borders, but provided for the election of senators from districts that elected between 2 and 4 senators. The total number of senators would be 3 times the number of States (39 in total).

The initial senate districts provided in the text of the Constitution were:

Massachusetts + New Hampshire (7, in 2 districts): NH+ME 3 senators; MA proper 4 senators.
Connecticut + Rhode Island (4)
New York (3)
New Jersey + Delaware (3)
Pennsylvania (5, in 2 districts) The eastern district elected 3 senators, the western district 2.
Maryland (3)
Virginia (6, in two districts)
North Carolina (3)
South Carolina (3)
Georgia (2)

Senators were elected by legislators from their district, Rhode Island, Delaware, and Maine were guaranteed one senator - and based on the population that is all they received. All senators were elected in 1788/1789, and then when they met in 1789, they drew for classes.

I: two year;
II: four year;
III: six year.

(ME) II
NH I, III
MA I,I,II,III
RI III
CT I,II,III
NY I,II,III
NJ I,III
PA(E) I,II,III
PA(W) I,II
DE II
MD I,II,III
VA(E) I,II,III
VA(W) I,II,III
NC I,II,III
SC I,II,III
GA II,III

[jimrtex]

Following the 1790 Census, Congress reapportioned the 13 senate seats. The losses tended to be concentrated in the smaller states, which had apparently been apportioned too much power in the original document.

Losses: CT+RI, NH+DE, SC, GA
Gains: NY, VA(2), NC

Georgia no longer had the population for its own district, so it was merged with South Carolina. To keep the number of districts at 13, the largest district, Massachusetts proper, was divided into two districts.



Congress adopted the principle that a senator from a state that was losing a seat should be able to serve the remainder of their term. Class I senators had originally drawn a two-year term, and thus had run for full terms in 1790.

CT and RI both had Class III senators, so that one of them was eliminated.
NJ had Class I and III senators, so that the next to come up for election would be the Class III senator in 1794 when it would be eliminated.
GA had Class II and Class III senators. If the Class II senator was eliminated, Georgia would go 6 years without an election, so it was decided to eliminated the Class III senator. This resulted in the elimination of the Class II senator in SC.

So there were 3 Class III positions, and 1 Class II positions to be assigned.

Since Virginia was gaining two positions, it was assigned the position in Class II and a position in Class III. NY and NC then were given the remaining Class II positions.

ME      92
NH          94  96
MA(E)       94  96
MA(W)   92      96
RI          94
CT      92  94x 96
NY      92  94+ 96
NJ          94x 96
DE      92
PA(E)   92  94  96
PA(W)   92      96
MD      92  94  96
VA(E)   92+ 94  96
VA(W)   92  94+ 96
NC      92  94+ 96
SC      92x 94  96
GA      92  94x 96

Population data and shapefiles courtesy of:

Minnesota Population Center. National Historical Geographic Information System: Version 2.0. Minneapolis, MN: University of Minnesota 2011.

NHGIS website

[LLR]

Great work jim, super cool.

[jimrtex]

We were a bunch of farmers.

In 1790 the most populous counties (adjusted for 3/5 rule) were:

(Lincoln)
Rockingham
Hampshire
Providence
Litchfield
Albany
Hunterdon
Philadelphia
Sussex
Frederick
Culpeper
Rowan
Charleston
Wilkes

Kings County, NY was about 1/3 slave.