Topic 3.7: The Articles of Confederation (1777)
What were the Articles of Confederation (1777)?
The Articles of Confederation were documents made post-2nd Continental Congress, influenced by existing State Constitutions. The Articles of Confederation focused power into the Legislative Branch to prevent any extreme amount of power at a National level and ensure that power was held by states/people.
What was the difference between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan?
The Virginia Plan proposed representation based on state population in a bicameral legislature, while the New Jersey Plan called for equal representation for all states in a unicameral legislature.
What was the Constitutional Convention? What document did they replace the Articles of Confederation with?
The Constitutional Convention developed a new founding document to give more power to the Federal Government due to the failure of AOC. It established the Constitution.
What was Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality?
Washington's Proclamation of Neutrality of 1793 declared that the United States would remain neutral in the conflict between revolutionary France and Great Britain.
Question from (3.10)
What did Washington's presidency set a precedent for?
It set a precedent for a 2 term presidency
What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
The Articles of Confederation ensured there was no executive power. Each state had a vote and a veto on changes to the Articles of Confederation, but needed supermajority meaning it could rarely be changed
What was the Great Compromise of 1787?
The Great Compromise of 1787 established a bicameral legislature, balancing representation for both large and small states in the U.S. Congress.
What was the Supremacy Clause?
The Supremacy Clause, found in Article 6 of the U.S. Constitution, establishes that federal law takes precedence over state laws when there is a conflict.
What was Jay's Treaty?
Jay's Treaty in 1794 was a diplomatic agreement between the US and Great Britain that averted war, resolved post-Revolutionary disputes, and established trade relations.
Question from (3.10)
What did Washington advise with his Farewell Address?
In his Farewell Address, George Washington emphasized the importance of national unity, warned against political factions, and advised against foreign entanglements.
What was the Northwest Ordinance (the only good thing that came out of the Articles of Confederation)?
There was a large issue with Westward Expansion post-Revolutionary war which was matched with more Native resistance.
The ONLY GOOD THING OF AOC was the Northwest Ordinance, which abolished slavery in the Northwest Territory and set means for areas in the West could get population and apply for statehood
What was the 3 Fifth's Compromise?
The Three-Fifths Compromise was an agreement in 1787 to count three-fifths of enslaved individuals for purposes of representation and taxation in the U.S. Constitution.
What is the Separation of Powers? How do Checks and Balances play into separating powers?
Separation of Powers split power between the Legislative Branch(writes laws), Judicial Branch (interprets laws based on the Constitution), and Executive Branch (enforces laws)
Checks and balances allow each branch of government to limit the powers of the others, ensuring that the separation of powers effectively prevents any single branch from dominating.
What was Pickney's Treaty?
It set gave U.S. citizens the right to freely navigate the Mississippi River through Spanish territory, and allowed them to store goods tax‑free at New Orleans. This helped American farmers and merchants move goods to markets and encouraged westward expansion
Question from (3.10)
Following George Washington, John Adams took over as the 2nd Federalist president. What was his foreign policy?
XYZ Affair - Adams sent diplomats to France to negotiate, but French delegates would only talk after being given bribes; outrage shared by both parties
Quasi-War - The Quasi-War was an undeclared naval conflict between the United States and France from 1798 to 1800
Alien and Sedition Acts - the first, which allowed the government to deport/imprison non-citizens, and the second made it illegal to criticize the government publicly. Dem-Reps were outraged over the violation of Constitutional rights. The Alien Acts targeted Irish and Scottish immigrants who didn’t like Adams’ policies, and Sedition
What was Shay's Rebellion?
Shays's Rebellion was an armed uprising in western Massachusetts (1786–1787) by farmers protesting high taxes, debt, and economic injustices, highlighting weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation.
Who were the Federalists, and what did they believe? Who were the Anti-Federalists, and what did they believe?
Federalists, including figures like HAMILTON, supported a strong central government and the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, believing it would create unity and stability among the states.
Anti-Federalists, including figures like Thomas Jefferson and George Mason, opposed the Constitution, fearing it would undermine individual liberties and states' rights by concentrating power in a central authority.
Question from (3.10)
Who made up George Washington's Cabinet?
George Washington's cabinet consisted of ...
- Thomas Jefferson (Secretary of State)
- Alexander Hamilton (Secretary of the Treasury)
- Henry Knox (Secretary of War)
- Edmund Randolph (Attorney General)
What was the Whiskey Rebellion? How did it contrast with Shay's rebellion?
The Whiskey Rebellion occurred when Hamilton got Congress to tax whiskey, angering western Farmers in Pennsylvania. These angered farmers rebelled against federal tax collectors.
In comparison to Shay’s rebellion with no Government Response, George Washington was able to direct troops into battle and stop the rebellion
Question from (3.10)
What were the Virginia and Kentucky resolutions?
The Virginia and Kentucky resolutions said states had the right to nullify any law passed by Federal Government if it overreached constitutional powers
How did Shays rebellion show the weakness of the Articles of Confederation to consolidate federal power?
The uprising was put down by the Massachusetts militia instead of federal forces, which showed the weakness of the AOC to consolidate federal and Executive power. This showed the need to replace the AOC with another document
What were the Federalist Papers? Who wrote them :)?
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay published the Federalist Papers to explain the necessity and argue for the Constitution
Question from (3.10)
What was the "Necessary and Proper Clause"/Elastic Clause?
The Necessary and Proper Clause, also known as the Elastic Clause, grants Congress the authority to enact laws deemed necessary to execute its enumerated powers, allowing for flexibility in federal legislation.
A 2 party system emerged with 2 distinct parties.
What were these parties and their differences?
Federalists: led by Hamilton:
- Pro strong central government
- Loose Interpretation
- Favored by Urban/elite
- supported neutrality with France
Democratic Republicans: led by Jefferson and Madison:
- Pro state governments
- Strict interpretation of the Constitution
- favored by rural and farmers
- supported France
What was the effect of Republican Motherhood on the extension of Women's rights?
It led to expansions in education for Women as this argued that Women need to be educated for them to educate children in liberty (ex. Schooling expanded to all children in Mass) However, only white women experienced this, Black women still enslaved, and Native Women had diminished role as matrilinealism decreased while