Articles of Confederation
Under the Articles of Confederation, who had the most power?
the states
This man led hundreds of men in a forced shutdown of the Supreme Court in Massachusetts.
Daniel Shays
What was the original purpose of the Constitutional Convention?
fix the Articles of Confederation
official approval
(all three authors)
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay
What was the only branch of the national government under the Articles of Confederation?
legislative / congress
What was Britain's trade policy towards the US?
- closed ports
- forced US merchants to pay tariffs
What was the main idea of the Virginia Plan?
two house legislature, with representation based on population
What is an amendment?
an official change or addition
Who were the first and last states to ratify the Constitution?
1st - Delaware
Last - Rhode Island
What procedure was established by the Northwest Ordinance of 1787?
how to admit states in to the Union
What caused inflation in the US?
states printed large amounts of paper money that was not backed up by gold/silver reserves
What was the main idea of the New Jersey Plan?
one house legislature with an equal number of votes for each state
What do we call the first 10 amendments to the Constitution, created to protect the rights of citizens?
Bill of Rights
In what city was the Constitutional Convention held?
Philadelphia
Name two documents or earlier models of government that influenced the development of the Articles of Confederation (and the Constitution)
Magna Carta, English Bill of Rights, Mayflower Compact, VA Statute for Religious Freedom, New England town meetings, VA House of Burgesses, Declaration of Independence, Fundamental Orders of CT
What was the trade relationship between the US and Spain like?
Spain closed the lower Mississippi River/New Orleans to US shipping
How did the Constitution compromise about slavery?
3/5 of slave population counted when determining representation
importation of slavery could continue until 1807, but slavery itself remained legal
What were the Federalist Papers?
a series of essays that supported, explained, and defended the Constitution
What was the purpose of checks and balances?
to prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful
Why did Maryland originally refuse to sign the Articles of Confederation?
other states had large western land claims; MD wanted them given up in case voting was based on population later on
What were two weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation revealed by challenges the country faced?
most power held by the states, only one branch of government (no executive or court system), no checks and balances
central government has little power- cannot regulate interstate commerce, can only request (not demand) money/soldiers/etc, cannot tax
What is federalism?
the sharing of power between a central government and the states
What do we call the people who opposed the new Constitution?
Antifederalists
What were the terms of the Great Compromise?
two house legislature
- upper house (Senate) with two representatives per state
- lower house (House of Representatives) with the number of representatives based on population