It was the first form of government of the newly independent United States.
100
This convention was held in order to do what?
First it was to fix the Articles of Confederation, then it was to replace the old government altogether.
100
Who were the Federalists?
People who favored the Constitution and wrote the Federalist Papers to support the new form of government.
100
Dividing the government into 3 branches is called ________
Separation of powers
100
How many amendments are part of the Bill of Rights?
10
200
Under the Articles of Confederation, the central government was _______.
Under the Articles of Confederation, the central government was weak.
200
What was the Great Compromise?
It was a compromise to settle how states would be represented in Congress. 2 houses, based on population and equal votes.
200
What kind of government do we have under the Constitution?
A limited, democratic, representative government
200
What is the job of the legislative branch?
To write and create laws
200
Who would not sign the Constitution without a Bill of Rights?
Anti-Federalists
300
To change the Articles of Confederation, how many states had to agree?
All states had to agree (unanimous vote)
300
How were slaves counted for representation in Congress?
For every 5 slaves, 3 were counted (3/5)
300
Supporters of the Constitution thought that the government needed to be ________ in order to unite the states and to avoid problems the country faced under the Articles of Confederation.
Strong
300
What is the job of the Executive Branch?
To carry out and enforce the law
300
Why is the Bill of Rights important?
It protects individual liberties.
400
Under the Articles of Confederation, the government did not have a president, but it DID have a ______________.
Congress (legislative branch)
400
The Constitutional Convention resulted in the creation of this document.
The US Constitution
400
What is the significance of "We the People" in the Preamble?
Government gets its power from the people (Power of the people)
400
What is the job of the Judicial Branch?
To interpret or explain the law
400
What freedoms does the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights guarantee?
Freedom of speech, assembly, petition, press, religion
500
What major event led by farmers caused people to want to fix the Articles of Confederation?
Shays Rebellion
500
What did the delegates at the convention decide about the issue of slavery?
3/5 Compromise; slavery would still be allowed even though many states wanted to abolish it
500
How did the Magna Carta influence the US Constitution?
It gave an example of limited government
500
Separation of powers is important because it prevents each part of the government from becoming too powerful. This is called ________.
Checks and balances
500
Why was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?
To protect the rights of citizens and to limit government.