Articles of Confederation
What was the first form of national government in the U.S.?
The Articles of Confederation.
Which law organized land for sale in the Northwest Territory?
The Land Ordinance of 1785.
Where did the Constitutional Convention take place?
Philadelphia.
What was the main argument of the Anti-Federalists?
The Constitution gave too much power to the federal government.
Under federalism, how is power divided?
Between the federal and state governments.
Why did Congress struggle to pay off war debts under the Articles?
Because it lacked the power to tax the states directly.
What law outlined the steps for statehood in the Northwest Territory?
The Northwest Ordinance of 1787.
Which issue most divided the delegates at the Convention?
Representation in Congress.
What promise of the anti-federalists helped persuade key states to ratify the Constitution?
The addition of a Bill of Rights.
Which principle prevents one branch from gaining too much power?
Checks and balances.
What event involving farmers revealed the weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
Shays’s Rebellion.
Put these events in order: Constitutional Convention, Treaty of Paris, Ratification, Shays’s Rebellion, Articles take effect.
Treaty of Paris → Articles → Shays’s Rebellion → Convention → Ratification.
What did the Great Compromise do?
Created a bicameral legislature—Senate (equal) and House (population).
What were the Federalist Papers?
Essays written to promote ratifying the Constitution.
What was the main purpose of checks and balances?
To limit government power and prevent tyranny.
Why was the Government broke under the Articles of Confederation?
The national government couldn’t collect taxes.
Which state was the first to ratify the Constitution?
Delaware.
What was the purpose of the Three-Fifths Compromise?
To decide how enslaved people would count toward population and representation.
Who wrote most of the Federalist Papers?
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.
What did James Madison mean when he said, “If men were angels, no government would be necessary”?
People aren’t perfect, so government needs checks and balances.
How did the weaknesses of the Articles lead to the creation of the Constitution?
The inability to tax, regulate trade, or enforce laws caused national problems that the Constitution aimed to fix.
What document officially ended the American Revolution?
The Treaty of Paris (1783).
Who is known as the “Father of the Constitution”?
James Madison.
How did the Federalist and Anti-Federalist debate shape the Constitution?
It led to the inclusion of the Bill of Rights to protect individual freedoms.
How did the Constitution strengthen the government compared to the Articles?
It allowed Congress to tax, regulate trade, enforce laws, and raise an army.