No power to tax
No executive branch and the federal level
No power to enforce the laws the federal government passed.
What are weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
This ordinance outlawed slavery in the newly created territories.
What is the Northwest Ordinance?
This man was selected to be the president of the Convention.
Who is George Washington?
This was created to try and settle the issue of slavery and state representation in the federal government. It is considered to be one of the worst pieces of law in our history.
What is the 3/5ths Compromise?

The ability to remove a sitting President from office is an example of this constitutional principal.
What is checks and balances?
This lost state, while never admitted in the United States, exposed a weakness in the Articles of Confederation were too weak.
What is the Lost State of Franklin
This law allowed for settlers to purchase western land that was formally owned by the government.
What is the Land Ordinance of 1785?
This man is considered the "Father of the Constitution."
Who is James Madison?
This part of the US Constitution starts with "We the people in order to create a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility..."
What is the Preamble?
This amendment to the US Constitution protects a citizens rights to freedom of speech, freedom of religion, right to peacefully assemble and petition the government.
What is the 1st Amendment?
These two events demonstrated the inability of the national government, under the Articles of Confederation, to solve problems of the new nation.
What are Lost State of Franklin and Shays' Rebellion?
This ordinance established a path to statehood for the newly created NW Territory.
What is the Northwest Ordinance of 1787
This plan called for a unicameral legislature with each state having equal representation-which is a benefit for the "smaller" states.
What is the New Jersey Plan?
This constitutional principal is included in the US Constitution with the opening statement in the Preamble; :"We the People."
What is Popular Sovereignty?
This ability of the federal and state government to issue an income tax is in line with this constitutional principal.
What is Federalism?
Created a federal government with only one branch, the legislature.
What is the Articles of Confederation?
This ordinance allowed for the selling of western lands to citizens to help pay off American debt.
What is the Land Ordinance of 1785
This plan called for a bicameral legislature where state representation was based upon population; benefited "larger" states.
What is the Virginia Plan?
These powers are reserved to the states.
What are the reserved powers?
This group of American founders insisted that the US Constitution must include a Bill of Rights in order to ensure citizens liberty and freedoms were protected.
What are the Anti-Federalists?
The farmer led rebellion demonstrated that federal governments need to be able to suppress violent rebellions.
What is Shays' Rebellion?
Created a system in which newly admitted states would be on equal in the federal government to the original states.
What is the Northwest Ordinance of 1787?
This famous compromise created the bicameral legislature of the Federal government; one house based on population and a senate where every state has two senators.
What it the "Great Compromise?"
This constitutional principal ensures that no one branch of government has too much power by dividing federal power into 3 different branches.
What is separation of power?
This branch of the federal Government has the power and responsibility to enforce our nations laws.
What is the Executive Branch?