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What does the U.S. Constitution primarily do?
A. Elect the president
B. Establish the structure and powers of government
C. Create political parties
D. Regulate international trade
B. Establish the structure and powers of government
What did American colonists believe they were entitled to as English subjects?
A. Free land in the colonies
B. The rights and privileges found in English constitutional documents
C. Seats in the British Parliament
D. Exemption from all taxes
B. The rights and privileges found in English constitutional documents
1. What event produced the Original U.S. Constitution?
A. The First Continental Congress
B. The Constitutional Convention of 1787
C. The Boston Tea Party
D. The French and Indian War
B. The Constitutional Convention of 1787
What was the primary purpose of the Declaration of Independence?
A. To write a new Constitution
B. To declare the colonies “free and independent States”
C. To create a national army
D. To elect George Washington
B. To declare the colonies “free and independent States”
What was the main disagreement between large and small states at the Constitutional Convention?
A. How states would be represented in Congress
B. Whether to keep the Articles of Confederation
C. Whether to have a president
D. How many branches of government to create
A. How states would be represented in Congress
2. What document is described as the source of “America’s Creed”?
A. The Articles of Confederation
B. The Bill of Rights
C. The Declaration of Independence
D. The Emancipation Proclamation
C. The Declaration of Independence
Which right did colonists view as essential to constitutional government?
A. The right to elect the king
B. The right to not be taxed without their consent
C. The right to form their own army
D. The right to print their own money
B. The right to not be taxed without their consent
Why did the Founders avoid using state legislatures to ratify the new Constitution?
A. Legislatures refused to meet
B. The Articles banned amendments
C. They knew legislatures would likely reject a stronger national government
D. Congress ordered them not to
C. They knew legislatures would likely reject a stronger national government
Which philosopher most influenced the ideas in America’s Creed?
A. Thomas Hobbes
B. Jean‑Jacques Rousseau
C. John Locke
D. Voltaire
C. John Locke
What did the Virginia Plan propose?
A. Equal votes for each state
B. A single‑house legislature
C. Representation based on population
D. No national legislature
C. Representation based on population
3. Which major change occurred after the Civil War?
A. The Constitution was abolished
B. The Constitution was rewritten to protect slavery
C. The Constitution was amended to oppose slavery and support racial equality
D. States gained the power to secede
C. The Constitution was amended to oppose slavery and support racial equality
What event triggered Britain’s decision to tax the American colonies?
A. The Boston Tea Party
B. The French and Indian War
C. The Glorious Revolution
D. The signing of the Magna Carta
B. The French and Indian War
How did the Founders justify bypassing the Articles of Confederation’s amendment rules?
A. They claimed the king approved
B. They said Congress had emergency powers
C. They appealed to popular sovereignty
D. They argued the Articles were lost
C. They appealed to popular sovereignty
According to the Creed, what is the purpose of government?
A. To expand territory
B. To secure natural rights
C. To protect the king
D. To regulate trade
B. To secure natural rights
What did the Great Compromise create?
A. A monarchy
B. A unicameral legislature
C. A bicameral Congress with two different representation systems
D. A system where only large states could vote
C. A bicameral Congress with two different representation systems
4. What principle is expressed in the Constitution’s Preamble?
A. Judicial supremacy
B. Popular sovereignty
C. Divine right of kings
D. Military authority
B. Popular sovereignty
4. Why did colonists oppose the Stamp Act?
A. It was the most expensive tax in British history
B. It banned colonial newspapers
C. It was taxation without representation
D. It forced colonists to buy British tea
C. It was taxation without representation
How many states were required to ratify the new Constitution under the Founders’ plan?
A. All 13
B. Ten
C. Nine
D. Seven
C. Nine
What does “consent of the governed” refer to?
A. Citizens must obey all laws without question
B. Government power comes from the people ✔️
C. Only wealthy people can vote
D. The king approves all laws
B. Government power comes from the people
Why were Southern slave states worried during the Convention?
A. They feared losing land to the North
B. They feared a Northern antislavery majority would threaten slavery
C. They wanted to abolish slavery immediately
D. They opposed having a national government
B. They feared a Northern antislavery majority would threaten slavery
. Why did the Founders include amendment procedures in the Constitution?
A. They wanted to make change impossible
B. They expected future generations to revise the Constitution
C. They planned to rewrite it every year
D. They feared state governments
B. They expected future generations to revise the Constitution
What did the Declaratory Act of 1766 assert?
A. Colonies could elect members to Parliament
B. Parliament had full authority to make laws for the colonies “in all cases whatsoever”
C. Colonies were free to govern themselves
D. Britain would end all taxation in America
B. Parliament had full authority to make laws for the colonies “in all cases whatsoever”
What major challenge forced delegates to compromise at the Convention?
A. Disagreements over foreign policy
B. Conflicts between large and small states, and between North and South
C. Lack of a meeting place
D. Disputes over who should write the Preamble
B. Conflicts between large and small states, and between North and South
What does the Creed say people may do if government becomes destructive of their rights?
A. Ignore the government
B. Move to another country
C. Pay higher taxes
D. Alter or abolish the government
D. Alter or abolish the government
How did most antislavery delegates justify compromising with slave states?
A. They believed slavery was morally acceptable
B. They thought the union was more likely to end slavery in the long run
C. They wanted to protect Southern economies
D. They feared Southern military power
B. They thought the union was more likely to end slavery in the long run