Which founding father wrote the Declaration of Independence?
Thomas Jefferson
Which Enlightenment thinker is associated with natural rights similar to those listed in the Declaration of Independence?
John Locke
The Northwest Ordinance was originally adopted under which government?
The Articles of Confederation
Where was the Constitutional Convention held?
The Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, now called Independence Hall.
Article I of the Constitution establishes which branch of government?
Congress / Legislative Branch
What does the opening of the Declaration of Independence announce has become necessary?
For one people to dissolve the political bands connecting them with another.
Which Enlightenment thinker is associated with the idea of the Social Contract?
Thomas Hobbes
The Articles of Confederation failed largely because of what major problem?
A weak central/national government that could not efficiently establish laws or collect taxes from the states.
What compromise created a House of Representatives based on population and a Senate with equal representation for each state?
The Great Compromise
Article II establishes which two executive officers?
The President and Vice President
What is the purpose of the Declaration of Independence?
To state the causes that have made the colonies find it necessary to become independent.
According to the Declaration of Independence, what need of the colonies was King George not providing?
Safety and Happiness
The Northwest Ordinance was a major influence on what other American primary document?
The United States Constitution
What compromise allowed southern states to count three-fifths of their enslaved population for representation?
The Three-Fifths Compromise
Article III creates the Supreme Court and allows which branch to create lower federal courts?
Congress / Legislative Branch
What three unalienable rights are listed in the Declaration of Independence?
Life, liberty, and the pursuit of happiness.
What term describes professional soldiers who fight for money rather than loyalty to a country or cause?
Mercenaries
What five states were established within the Northwest Territory as a result of the Northwest Ordinance?
Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan, and Wisconsin
What did the Constitutional Convention agree to do about the slave trade?
Allow the slave trade to continue until 1808.
How long do federal judges on the Supreme Court serve?
Lifetime, during good behavior, until death or retirement.
What phrase from the Declaration describes the King of Great Britain's pattern of wrongdoing against the colonies?
"A long train of abuses and usurpations."
Who used mercenaries in colonial conflicts before and during the Revolutionary War?
King George and Great Britain
What did Article 6 of the Northwest Ordinance establish about slavery in the Northwest Territory?
Slavery was prohibited in the territory, while runaway slaves could be returned to their southern owners.
What was the major disagreement over representation that led to the Great Compromise?
Large and small states disagreed over how states should be represented in Congress.
Name some powers given to the President under Article II.
Command the armed forces, make judicial appointments, make treaties with Senate approval, enforce federal law, and grant pardons.