The Electoral College
What was one argument in favor of having Congress choose the president?
Trustworthy, knowledgeable leaders would make the best choice
What did Southern states want when counting enslaved people for representation?
Each enslaved person to count fully toward the population.
Which group wanted a list of guaranteed freedoms added to the Constitution
(Anti-Federalists: Jefferson, Henry, Mason.)
Where was the U.S. capital originally located?
(New York City.)
How many branches of government did the Constitution establish?
(Three: Executive, Legislative, and Judicial.)
What was one argument in favor of a direct popular vote?
The president would reflect the people’s will and listen to them
What did Northern states argue about counting enslaved people?
(They should not be counted since they were not treated as citizens.)
Which group argued that a separate list of rights was unnecessary?
(Federalists: Hamilton, Madison, Jay.)
Why did Southern states oppose the federal government assuming state war debts?
(The South had already paid its debts and didn’t want to help the North.)
What is the purpose of checks and balances?
(To ensure no single branch becomes too powerful.)
How did the Electoral College compromise work?
Each state chooses electors, who then vote for the president; the number of electors equals the state's total number of senators and representatives.
What was the outcome of the 3/5 Compromise?
(Every 5 enslaved people would count as 3 for population representation.)
What did the Anti-Federalists fear about a strong central government?
(It could threaten individual liberty, like King George had.)
What did Alexander Hamilton propose about war debt?
(The federal government should assume all state debts.)
What are the first three words of the Constitution?
(“We the People.”)
Why was the issue of choosing a president so important?
The new nation needed a leader after the Constitution was created
How did the 3/5 Compromise affect the House of Representatives?
(It gave Southern states more power by increasing their population count.)
What was the compromise that led to the Bill of Rights?
(Anti-Federalists agreed to ratify the Constitution if a Bill of Rights was added.)
What compromise was made about the capital’s location?
(The capital moved south to Washington, D.C., in exchange for assuming war debts.)
How many states had to ratify the Constitution for it to take effect?
(9 out of 13.)
What was one argument for having state legislatures elect the president?
(It would protect state authority and prevent the national government from becoming too strong.)
When did the international slave trade officially end?
(1807)
How many amendments were included in the Bill of Rights?
(10)
Who were the key figures in the debate over the nation’s capital?
(Alexander Hamilton and James Madison.)
Who is known as the "Father of the Constitution"?
(James Madison.)