Articles of Confederation
What was the main weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
The federal government was too weak.
What is a federal system?
A system where power is shared between the national and state governments.
What was the Great Compromise?
An agreement that created a two-house legislature.
What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?
It counted enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for representation.
What power did the federal government lack (did not have) under the Articles?
The federal government lacked (did not have) the power to tax.
Why is state governance important?
It allows states to make their own laws based on local needs.
How did the Great Compromise satisfy both large and small states?
It gave larger states more representatives in one house and equal representation in the other.
Why was the Three-Fifths Compromise created?
It was created to resolve how to count enslaved people in the population.
How did the Articles affect trade between states?
It made trade difficult between states.
How do states and the federal government share power?
Both levels can create laws, but federal laws are supreme.
What two houses make up Congress, as established by the Great Compromise?
The House of Representatives and the Senate.
How did the Three-Fifths Compromise affect representation in Congress?
It gave Southern states more representation in Congress.
What was one reason the Articles were considered ineffective?
It couldn't enforce laws.
Give an example of a state law that might be different from a federal law.
Laws about education can vary by state.
Why was the Great Compromise important for the Constitution?
It made it possible to create a functioning Congress.
What was one major consequence of the Three-Fifths Compromise?
It increased the political power of slaveholding states.
What event highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles?
Shays' Rebellion highlighted the weaknesses.
Why was it important for states to have some power during the Constitution’s creation?
It helped balance power and prevent tyranny.
What was one key debate that led to the Great Compromise?
The debate over representation between large and small states.
Why do you think the Three-Fifths Compromise was controversial?
It was controversial because it involved the issue of slavery.