Government Structure
Why did many states create two-house legislatures?
To ensure lawmakers had to share their power
What was the western border of the Northwest Territory?
Mississippi River
What is the three-fifths clause?
The clause the counted the three-fifths of enslaved persons for representation and taxation
What makes up the Bill of Rights?
The first ten amendments of the Constitution
Which happens first in the process of a bill becoming a law?
The bill is given a number
What does the Judicial Branch do?
interprets laws
What makes up part of the southern border of the Northwest Territory?
Ohio River
What did the slave importation clause allow Congress not to do before 1808?
It meant Congress couldn't prohibit the importation of enslaved people before 1808
Why did small states quickly ratify the Constitution?
The representation was equal to that of large states
What happens if a bill passes in the Senate?
It goes to the House Floor for debate and a vote
Why did states want lawmakers to share power?
To ensure lawmakers shared power and prevent concentration of power
What makes up much of the northern border of the Northwest Territory?
The Great Lakes (Lake Superior, Michigan, Huron, Erie)
Why does the word "slave" not appear in the Constitution?
The framers avoided the word because it would have tainted the Constitution; slavery conflicted with Declaration ideals
What concern did Mercy Otis Warren have about the Constitution?
She worried it didn't prevent a tyrannical government.
Why can a bill be introduced in either the House or the Senate?
Because both are lawmaking bodies and either can introduce legislation
Who was Daniel Boone and how did he help westward expansion?
Boone helped create a road through the Appalachian Mountains (Wilderness Road)
What does Cumberland Gap help settlers pass through?
Cumberland Gap helps settlers pass through the Appalachian Mountains
What was the effect of the fugitive slave clause on free black people?
It led to illegal kidnapping and return to slavery of free black people; allowed escaped slaves to be captured in the North
What is one protection the Ninth and Tenth Amendments provide? (brief)
Ninth protects unspecified personal freedoms; Tenth reserves powers not listed to states/people
What can the president do if he/she does not want a bill to become law?
Veto the bill
Which problem revealed the Articles of Confederation's weaknesses?
The national government's inability to address rebellions revealed weaknesses of the Articles of Confederalist
Explain how the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers served as borders of the Northwest Territory.
The Ohio River is the southern border and the Mississippi River is the western border
Explain how the Constitution addressed slavery (use multiple clauses).
The Constitution protected slave owners via the slave importation clause, the fugitive slave clause counted enslaved people as 3/5 for representation and gave federal power to suppress insurrections.
Why is freedom of the press important?
Freedom of the press protects citizens' right to publish criticism of the government
Describe the committee stage in how a bill becomes a law.
Committee hears viewpoints, marks up the bill, votes; then bill goes to floor for debate and amendments