The Articles of Confederation
Why did James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington fear that the country was on the brink of collapse?
They believed the weak national government under the Articles of Confederation was failing, as disputed threatened to tear the young country apart.
Where and when did the Constitutional Convention take place?
The Constitutional Convention took place in Philadelphia in May of 1787.
How did the delegates decide to count enslaved individuals for representation?
They agreed to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person (The Three-Fifths Compromise).
On what date was the Constitution signed?
The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787.
Why did the founders bypass state legislatures for ratification?
They believed state legislatures would be reluctant to give up power to a national government, so they called for special ratifying conventions instead.
What powers did the Articles of Confederation give to the Confederation Congress?
The Articles of Confederation gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states.
Why did the delegates swear secrecy and shutter the windows during the Constitutional Convention?
They wanted to speak freely without outside influence.
Why was slavery considered a 'thorny question' at the convention?
It was a divisive issue that threatened to derail the Union.
How many delegates signed the Constitution?
Thirty-eight delegates signed the Constitution.
How many states were required to ratify the Constitution for it to take effect?
Nine of the thirteen states needed to ratify the Constitution.
What were the main weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
The federal government had no enforcement powers, couldn’t regulate commerce, or print money.
What major decision did the delegates make by mid-June of 1787?
They decided to completely redesign the government rather than just revise the Articles of Confederation.
How did the delegates temporarily resolve the issue of the slave trade?
They agreed that the slave trade could continue until 1808.
Who signed the Constitution on behalf of an absent delegate?
George Reed signed for John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39.
What did the Federalists believe?
The Federalists believed a strong central government was necessary to face the nation's challenges.
What were some of the disputes among the states under the Articles of Confederation?
States were in conflict over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade.
What was one of the fiercest arguments during the Constitutional Convention?
The debate over congressional representation—whether it should be based on population or equally divided among states.
What was the purpose of the Committee of Detail?
The Committee of Detail was appointed to put the decisions of the convention into writing.
What was "extraordinary" about the final outcome of the Constitutional Convention?
The delegates were originally tasked with revising the existing government, but instead, they created an entirely new one.
Why did the Anti-Federalists oppose the Constitution?
The Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution because it created a powerful central government that reminded them of the British rule they had just overthrown, and it lacked a bill of rights.
Who helped convince Congress to organize the Grand Convention, and what was its original purpose?
Alexander Hamilton helped convince Congress to organize the Grand Convention, originally intended to revise the Articles of Confederation.
How did the delegates resolve the debate over congressional representation?
They created a compromise in which each state would have one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate.
What was the role of the Committee of Style and Arrangement in finalizing the Constitution?
This committee refined and condensed the Constitution from 23 articles into seven in less than four days.
How did the delegates balance concerns about centralized power with the need for a strong federal government?
They created a powerful central government while incorporating compromises to address different interests and state loyalties.
What compromise helped secure the ratification of the Constitution in Massachusetts?
The “vote now, amend later” compromise helped gain support, ensuring that amendments (such as the Bill of Rights) could be added later.