That Was a Great Idea, Until it Wasn't
After winning independence from Britain, the states needed a system of government that would unite them without creating another powerful central authority
What are the Articles of Confederation?
This rebellion by Massachusetts farmers became an important example of the weakness of the national government under the Articles.
What is Shays' Rebellion?
The Convention originally met with this goal in mind, but delegates eventually decided the Articles needed to be replaced.
What is revising the Articles of Confederation?
This group supported ratification of the Constitution and generally favored a stronger national government.
Who are the Federalists?
This opening section of the Constitution explains its purposes and goals.
What is the Preamble?
Under this first national government, most political power remained with the individual states rather than the national government.
What is a confederation?
A government unable to collect this would have difficulty paying its debts and operating effectively.
What are taxes?
This plan favored large states because representation would be based on population.
What is the Virginia Plan?
This group worried that the new national government would become too powerful and pushed for protections for individual rights.
Who are the Anti-Federalists?
This state became the first of the original 13 states to ratify the Constitution.
What is Delaware?
Under the Articles, every state received this many votes in Congress, regardless of its population.
What is one vote?
The Articles created no national version of this branch to enforce laws passed by Congress.
What is the executive branch?
This plan appealed to small states by giving each state equal representation in Congress.
What is the New Jersey Plan?
Hamilton, Madison, and this third writer produced the essays known collectively as the Federalist Papers.
Who is John Jay?
The Constitution officially went into effect after this state became the ninth to ratify it.
What is New Hampshire?
If Congress needed money under the Articles, it could ask states for contributions, but it could not force them to provide this.
What are taxes?
Imagine Missouri and California each receiving exactly one vote despite their different populations. This illustrates which weakness of the Articles?
What is equal representation for every state regardless of population?
This compromise created a House based on population and a Senate in which every state receives two senators.
What is the Great Compromise?
(Connecticut Compromise)
Federalist #10 focuses on the problem of these competing groups within a political society.
What are factions?
The first ten amendments to the Constitution are collectively known by this name.
What is the Bill of Rights?
Name three major powers the national government lacked under the Articles.
What are the powers to tax, regulate interstate trade, and enforce laws through an executive branch?
Why did events such as Shays' Rebellion convince many Americans that the Articles needed to be replaced rather than simply followed?
What is the national government was too weak to effectively respond to major problems and maintain order?
Delegates reached this controversial agreement about how enslaved people would be counted for purposes of representation and taxation.
What is the Three-Fifths Compromise?
Federalist #51 argues that dividing government power among branches and allowing them to check one another helps prevent this.
What is one branch becoming too powerful?
This is the current total number of amendments that have been added to the U.S. Constitution.
What is 27?