Government Ch. 2/3

Shay's Rebellion

*(1786-1787) the revolt led by former Revolutionary War captain Daniel Shays to prevent judges in Massachusetts from foreclosing on the farms of farmers who could not pay taxes the state had levied

Northwest Ordinance

*(1787) legislation passed by Congress to establish a plan for settling the Northwest Territory, which included areas that are now in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, and Wisconsin *created a system for admitting new states to the Union *It banned slavery in the territory *It included a Bill of Rights that guaranteed representative government, religious freedom, trial by jury, and other freedoms to settlers

Articles of Confederation

*Nation's first Constitution *(1777) the document that created the fi rst central government for the United States; it was replaced by the Constitution in 1789

What were the powers of Congress under the Articles of Confederation?

*coin and borrow money *admit new states and divide western lands *request money from states *raise an army *appoint military officers *establish a postal system *declare war and make peace *conduct foreign affairs

ratified

*formally approved

What were the limits on Congress under the Articles of Confederation?

*no president or executive branch *no national court system *no power to tax or raise national funds *no power to regulate trade or currency *no power to prohibit states from conducting foreign affairs *major laws required the approval of nine states to pass

The first legislature in what became the United States was the? A. Virginia House of Burgesses B. Constitutional Convention C. First Continental Congress D. Annapolis Convention

A

Which of the following was a weakness of the Articles of Confederation? A. Congress lacked the power to tax B. Congress was not allowed to coin money C. Congress was not allowed to conduct foreign policy D. The president had too much power

A

Which of the following was a weakness of the government under the Articles of Confederation? A. it required a unanimous vote to amend the document B. it had a bicameral legislature C. the executive branch could be checked by a legislative override D. the judges on the national courts were not elected by the people

A

Which of the following was not a power granted to Congress under the Articles of Confederation? A. power to regulate trade and currency B. power to raise an army C. power to declare war and make peace D. power to admit new states and divide western lands

A

Which of the following was not a weakness of the Articles of Confederation? A. Congress was to establish a postal system. B. Congress did not have the power to raise money. C. Congress did not have the sole power to coin money. D. Congress was required to have 9 of the 13 states agree on any policy or law

A

What was the name of Benjamin Franklin's first proposal that would have brought about greater colonial unity had it been accepted by the crown at the outbreak of the French and Indian War?

Albany Plan of Union

Explain why a peaceful settlement of differences was not possible between the colonies and Great Britain by 1776?

American grievances with British rule, British refusal to acknowledge colonial arguments, and the colonists' acceptance of Locke's and Paine's ideas

In May 1787, delegates arrived in Philadelphia to revise the?

Articles of Confederation

For what reasons might some Americans have wanted a weak central government after gaining their independence?

As colonists many Americans had resisted what they considered the abuse of power by the British government. The state constitutions they wrote all limited the power of government. In addition, the states did not wish to surrender their sovereignty

The Articles of Confederation went into effect in 1781 after all thirteen states? A. ceded them B. ratified them C. inspected them D. legalized them

B

The __________ declared the thirteen former colonies to be sovereign states in a "perpetual union" called the United States of America. A. Declaration of Independence B. Articles of Confederation C. Magna Carta D. U.S. Constitution

B

To establish the Northwest Territory, states did this? A. voted for a unicameral Congress B. ceded territories C. ratified the Articles of Confederation D. joined the Constitutional Convention

B

Which of the following demonstrated the weaknesses of the Confederation Congress and of the Articles of Confederation? A. the Mount Vernon Meeting B. Shay's Rebellion C. passage of the Northwest Ordinance D. the publication of Common Sense

B

According to the Articles of Confederation, this power was granted to Congress? A. to regulate trade B. to enforce laws C. to amend the Articles of Confederation D. to levy taxes

C

According to the Articles of Confederation, this was the purpose of Congress? A. to unify the executive branch B. to regulate trade C. to make laws D. to levy taxes

C

Which of the following challenges did the Articles of Confederation deal with successfully? A. a sluggish economy B. war debts C. settling the Northwest Territory (Correct) D. civil unrest

C

Many Americans wanted a strong national government after? A. the economic depression B. the Annapolis Convention C. the Northwest Ordinance D. Shay's Rebellion

D

The Articles of Confederation did not provide for A. an executive office. B. a national court system. C. a means to tax or raise national funds. D. all of the above

D

The first battles of the Revolutionary War were fought at? A. Washington D.C. and Boston B. Annapolis and Concord C. Boston and New York D. Lexington and Concord

D

The government set up by the Articles of Confederation was one in which? A. there was a bicameral legislature B. there was a judicial and an executive but no legislature C. the national government was stronger than the state governments D. the national government had a unicameral legislature

D

T/F The Articles of Confederation provided for a strong national government with extensive power over the states.

F

What were the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

It had no executive or judicial branch; the Confederation could not levy taxes, enforce its laws, or regulate commerce between states; all states had to agree before the Articles could be changed

How did national and state powers differ under the Articles?

National powers were limited and specifically cited in the Articles of Confederation. State powers were all the other powers that were not specifically cited.

The __________was one of the Confederation Congress's greatest accomplishments.

Northwest Ordinance

What events caused leaders to want to revise the Articles of Confederation?

Shay's Rebellion; interstate trade disputes; inability to levy taxes and pay war debts

By modern standards, how democratic were the governments of the English colonies in America?

The colonies were not democratic by modern standards. Although legislatures of elected representatives existed, every colony had a property qualification for voting, and suffrage was denied to blacks and women. In addition, some colonies had official religions and religious freedom was limited.

What is the significance of such historic landmark documents such as the Magna Carta, Petition of Right, and the English Bill of Rights?

The historic landmark documents all contain elements of limited government which would later influence the writing of the U.S. Constitution, particularly the Bill of Rights