Articles of Confederation
Under the Articles of Confederation, the United States did not have which of the following? A. President B. A court system C. A president or court system D. A way to declare war
C. A president or court system.
What was the main purpose of the Constitutional Convention?
The main purpose was to revise the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. Instead, they created the Constitution.
What is the Preamble?
The Preamble is the introduction to the Constitution, it outlines exactly what the document is striving to achieve.
What is the Three-Fifths Compromise?
The Three-Fifths Compromise created a plan to count three-fifths of the slave population for representation and taxation.
Name one Federalist.
Famous Federalists included Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.
Under the Articles of Confederation, what power did the national government have?
The national government could declare war, conduct foreign affairs, manage Native American relations, and issue currency.
What is a Framer?
A Framer is someone who participated in the drafting of the Constitution.
What are the three branches of government?
Executive, Legislative, and Judical
What is the difference between the Virginia and New Jersey Plans?
- Virginia - representation based on population
- New Jersey - equal representation
Why did Anti-Federalists oppose the Constitution?
Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution because they feared it created a strong central government that could become tyrannical and lacked a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties.
What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
Weaknesses included no power to tax, no national court system, and inability to regulate interstate commerce.
What key issue did the delegates face regarding representation in Congress during the Convention?
The key issue faced by the delegates regarding representation in Congress was whether representation should be based on population or equal for each state.
What is the system of checks and balances?
The system of checks and balances splits up federal powers among the three branches to ensure that no one branch becomes too powerful.
What compromise allowed the continued importation of slaves for a certain number of years after the Constitution was ratified?
What were the Federalist Papers?
The Federalist Papers were a series of essays written to support the ratification of the Constitution.
How did Shays’ Rebellion contribute to the creation of the Constitution?
Shays’ Rebellion was an uprising by disgruntled farmers that highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles and the power that the government actually had.
How many states needed to ratify the Constitution?
9 out of 13
What does each branch of government do?
- Legislative - makes laws
- Executive - enforces laws
- Judicial - interprets laws
Describe the Northwest Ordinance of 1787.
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 established a framework for governing new territories and admitted new states. It also banned slavery in the new territory.
Describe Elitism.
Elitism is the belief that elites (the wealthy, educated) should have more control in government.
Name one success of the Articles of Confederation.
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787, the Treaty of Paris 1783, Winning the Revolutionary War.
How did the Great Compromise settle the debate over representation?
- Bicameral Legislature
- One House = Senate, equal representation
- One House = House of Representatives, representation based on population
What are the primary protections provided by the First Amendment in the Bill of Rights? (5)
Freedom of Speech
Freedom of Religion
Freedom of the Press
Right to Assemble
Right to Petition the Government
How was slavery dealt with in the Constitution? (clauses too)
It was compromised on.
- 3/5ths clause
- The Fugitive Slave Clause
- The Slave Trade Clause
What did the debate between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists achieve? (2-3 things)
Federalists achieved a strong national framework: the Constitution. Anti-Federalists ensured protections for the people: the Bill of Rights.
Their conflict created the balanced system of government we have today.