Chapter 2 Government Test

Amos Singletree, a delegate to the Massachusetts constitutional ratifying convention, made this statement:"These lawyers, and men of learning, and monies men, that talk so finely and gloss over matters so smoothly, to make us poor illiterate people, swallow down the pill, expect to get into Congress themselves; they expect to . . . get all the power and all the money into their own hands, and then they will swallow up all us little folks . . . just as the whale swallowed up Jonah."What was he expressing?

The Anti-Federalist concern that the central government would become too powerful.

Use the quotation to answer the question.". . . it is expedient that on the second Monday in May next a Convention of delegates who shall have been appointed by the several States be held in Philadelphia for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation. . . ." —The Continental Congress, 1787 This quotation is historically significant because at this meeting, the Framers

met to address the Articles of Confederation but ended up creating a new form of government.

Use the chart comparing the Virginia and the New Jersey plans to answer the question. A third difference between the plans was concerned with which topic?

the way States would be represented in Congress

Use the excerpt to answer the question....whenever any Form of Government becomes destructive of these ends it is the Right of the People to alter or to abolish it, and to institute new Government, laying its foundations on such principles and organizing its powers in such form, as to them shall seem most likely to effect their Safety and Happiness." —The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America To what concept of government does this excerpt refer?

the social contract

In 1754, Ben Franklin drew this cartoon. For what purpose did he draw it?

to unite the colonists against French and Native American attacks

Geography played a crucial role in the political relationship between the colonies and England. How did it influence the colonists' attitudes toward Britain? How did it influence the king's and Parliament's attitudes toward the colonists?

The people wanted to be free of the kings power, and the colonies being so close together and the king so far away, the colonies could easily unite and fight back. The king could see that he was slowly losing control of his colonies across the sea.

Early on, the Constitutional Convention adopted the following proposal."Resolved...that a national government ought to be established consisting of a supreme Legislative, Executive, and Judiciary."What debate among the delegates to the Convention was solved by this resolution?

whether the Articles of Confederation should be revised or replaced

Which of the following events happened FIRST?

The colonies rejected Benjamin Franklin's Albany Plan of Union.

What was the main difference between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan?

Virginia Plan was created to help the bigger states and state's population. The New Jersey Plan favored the smaller states and equal representation.

Based on this chart, which of the following explains why some States supported the Three-Fifths Compromise?

Virginia and South Carolina had the highest slave populations and could add three-fifths of each slave to their population for representation.

In describing the problems created by the Articles of Confederation, George Washington said, "...we are one nation today and 13 tomorrow. Who will treat with us on such terms?" Which of the following most accurately restates this idea?

We claim to be one nation, but are on the verge of splitting into 13 separate states. No other nation will want to deal with such an unstable country.

Which of the following BEST explains the relationship between the ancient Babylonians and the English of the mid-sixteenth century?

Some of the basic concepts of English government originated with the ancient Babylonians.

The colonists built their governments based on customs and ideas borrowed from England and early civilizations, including unwritten, judge-made law developed over centuries. This type of law is known as

common law.

Explain the dispute that arose over representation in Congress, and how the Connecticut Compromise resolved this dispute.

Some people believed all states should be equal. However some states had 10X the population so others suggested states with greater populations should have more representation. The compromise was to do a little bit of both. IN the Senate, there would be 2 representatives from every state. This was equal. However, in the House, representatives were based on population. So bigger population state were greater represented.

Describe one of the debates that arose among the members of the Second Continental Congress during the writing of the Articles of Confederation.

A second area of debate involved voting power of the states in congress

What central ideas did the Magna Carta, the Petition of Right, and the English Bill of Rights have in common? How did these ideas influence the governments that the English settlers established in the colonies?

All 3 documents show that a monarch rules only by consent of the people.

Use the chart to answer the question. What can you infer from the policies described in this chart that may have contributed to the unrest in the colonies?

Colonists became increasingly resentful and frustrated by the onslaught of taxes and acts imposed by Britain.

What was the significance of the Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise?

Commerce and Slave Trade Compromise: Agreed not to act on the slave trade for another 20 years. This ensured that the Southern states would accept Congress' commerce of power.

Use the graphic organizer to answer the following question. Which of the following was another way the colonists protested against British policies?

Declaration of Rights and Grievances

In the early years of settlement in North America, most settlers, traders, and explorers were French, Dutch, Spanish, and Swedish. Based on the chart, what is the best summary of the population much later, in 1790?

English, African, Irish, German

Use this excerpt to answer the question.". . . Doctor Franklin, looking towards the President's chair, at the back of which a rising sun happened to be painted, observed to a few members near him, that painters had found it difficult to distinguish in their art a rising sun from a setting sun. 'I have,' said he, 'often and often in the course of the Session . . . looked at that behind the President without being able to tell whether it was rising or setting: But now at length I have the happiness to know that it is a rising and not a setting Sun."—Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787, James Madison Which of the following best summarizes Franklin's thoughts on the future of the new United States?

Franklin initially had some doubts about the ability of the delegates to create a government but eventually came to see a bright future for the new country.

Why did the British see the Second Continental Congress as an "unlawful assembly"?

It was a gathering of the Colonial Rebel leaders

Use the photo to answer the question. How does the event depicted in this painting fit into the sequence of events leading to independence?

George Washington led troops across the Delaware River at the same time Congress worked on the Articles of Confederation.

Use the excerpt from The Federalist essays to answer the question."[A] people descended from the same ancestors, speaking the same language, professing the same religion, attached to the same principles of government, very similar in their manners and customs, and who . . . have nobly established general liberty and independence.This country and this people seem to have been made for each other . . . united to each other by the strongest ties, should never be split into a number of unsocial, jealous, and alien sovereignties" —The Federalist No. 2, John Jay Based on this excerpt, which statement best describes the Federalist view of the proposed Constitution?

The Federalists believed that similarities of the people in the United States was a source of strength and should be further strengthened by a strong national government.

How did the political philosophies of James Madison influence the development of the U.S. government?

He became known as the "father of the constitution". He also wrote the federalist 10. He believed in a strong central government, but also believed their powers should come from the people, and the government should not abuse its power.

This chart shows one main feature of the Connecticut Compromise. What was the compromise's other main feature?

In the Senate, the States would be represented equally. In the House, the States would be represented based on population.

Which of the following are considered to have contributed the MOST to creating the Constitution?

James Wilson and James Madison

Which of the following was one compromise related to the Declaration of Independence that was agreed to by the delegates to the Second Continental Congress?

Language condemning the slave trade was removed.

Use the quotation to answer the question."The end of law is not to abolish or restrain, but to preserve and enlarge freedom. For in all the states of created beings capable of law, where there is no law, there is no freedom." —John Locke, The Second Treatise of Government, 1690 Which statement BEST reflects Locke's meaning?

Laws actually make people more, not less, free.

In 1643, a group of colonies banded together to form a confederation, or league of friendship against Native American groups. Identify the areas on the map in which this Confederation was formed.

Massachusetts Bay, Plymouth, New Haven, and Connecticut

What were the Federalist Papers, who wrote them, and why were they written?

The Federalist papers were a series of essays urging citizens of New York to ratify the new US constitution. It was written by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay.

The Articles of Confederation set up a government in which each colony, regardless of size or population, had one vote. What does this suggest about how the colonies were approaching their new national government, their relationship to this government, and their relationship to one another?

No state became more powerful than the other, no nation of unity.

Use the map to answer the question. In deciding the population of a State for purposes of representation, a disagreement arose as to whether enslaved persons should be counted. Study the map. Which statement is consistent with what the map shows?

North and South Carolina probably favored counting enslaved persons as part of their populations.

Read the excerpt and answer the question."We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all Men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights, . . ."—The Unanimous Declaration of the Thirteen United States of America Which of the following BEST paraphrases this statement?

People are born with certain rights that no one can take from them.

What were the common features of the first State constitutions?

Popular Sovereignty, Limited Government, Civil Rights and Liberties, and Separation of Powers and Checks and Balances.

Which of the following BEST explains the main differences among royal, proprietary, and charter colonies?

Royal colonies had governors appointed by the king, proprietary colonies were organized by a person who was granted land, and charter colonies were led by governors elected by male property owners.

Give at least two reasons why the Articles of Confederation were inadequate to meet the needs of the time.

The Congress was unable to tax the states without their consent, The Articles only guaranteed the rights to the states, Central government was weak, No chief executive, No court system, Trade between states was unregulated, States imposed tariffs on goods traded, Each state made its own currency.

After the Constitution was signed, Benjamin Franklin said:"...I agree with this Constitution with all its faults, if they are such;...I doubt... whether any other Convention we can obtain, may be able to make a better Constitution. For when you assemble a number of men to have the advantage of their joint wisdom, you inevitably assemble with those men, all their prejudices, their passions, their errors of opinion, their local interests, and their selfish views.... It therefore astonishes me, Sir, to find this system approaching so near to perfection as it does..."—Benjamin Franklin Which of the following is the most accurate rewording of his statement?

The Constitution is not perfect, but considering all the different points of view of the men at the convention, it is remarkably good.

Which of the following accurately summarizes the different purposes of the First and the Second Continental Congresses?

The First Continental Congress was held to determine a response to British policies, while the Second Continental Congress governed the nation during the Revolutionary War.

John Jay represented New York at the First and Second Continental congresses. He was a moderate and favored a cautious approach to a formal separation from Britain.Which of the following actions by the Second Continental Congress shows John Jay's influence?

The Olive Branch petition was written, signed, and sent to King George III.

Use these excerpts from the text to answer the question."In October of 1765, nine colonies—all except Georgia, New Hampshire, North Carolina, and Virginia—sent delegates to a meeting in New York, the Stamp Act Congress.""Delegates from every colony except Georgia met in Philadelphia on September 5, 1774. . . . For nearly two months, the members of that First Continental Congress discussed the worsening situation and debated plans for action."What does the difference in the number of colonies that sent delegates to the Stamp Act Congress versus the First Continental Congress indicate about what was happening in the colonies?

The conflicts with Britain were slowly uniting the colonies.

How did the weakness of the Articles of Confederation lead to problems for the new nation?

The weakness of the Articles of Confederation was that Congress was not strong enough to enforce laws or raise taxes, making it difficult for the new nation to repay their debts from the Revolutionary War.

In 1787, Congress called on the States to send delegates to Philadelphia "...for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation and reporting to Congress and the several legislatures such alterations and provisions therein as shall when agreed to in Congress and confirmed by the States render the [Articles] adequate to the exigencies of Government and the preservation of the Union."What does this request reveal about the general attitude in Congress toward the Articles of Confederation?

The general idea was that the Articles of Confederation needed revision, but not complete replacement.

Define each of the three concepts of government (representative, ordered, limited) brought from England by the colonists.

The idea of limited government, that is, that government should not be all-powerful. The concept of representative government — a government that serves the will of the people. Ordered government is an orderly regulation of government in which they created several local governments based on those the colonists had known in England.

Use this excerpt from the English Bill of Rights to answer the question."...that the pretended power of suspending the laws, or the execution of laws, by regal authority, without consent of Parliament is illegal...that levying money for or to the use of the Crown... without grant of Parliament...is illegal...that it is the right of the subjects to petition the king... and that prosecutions for such petitioning are illegal..." —English Bill of Rights

The king needed the consent of Parliament in order to tax people.

Use this excerpt from the text to answer the question."The Virginia Plan set the agenda for much of the convention's work. Its major support came from the three most populous States: Virginia, Pennsylvania, and Massachusetts. But some delegates—especially those from New York (then only the fifth most populous State) and the smaller States of Delaware, Maryland, and New Jersey—found it too radical. Soon they developed their counter proposals."What does this suggest was an important factor in determining how alliances among convention delegates were formed?

The population of a State was a major factor.

Evaluate these various explanations of the Boston Tea Party. Which account(s) best accord with the description of the Tea Party from Topic 2? Which do(does) not agree with that account? In what way? Does the description of the Boston Tea Party in Topic 2 leave any matters uncertain? Explain your answer.

The second account best accords with the description from topic 2. Ebeneezer Stevens' account does not agree with Topic 2. He claims that they were careful and nobody was dressed as an Indian. Since it is coming from an American history book, the account could possibly be biased.

Use the quotation to answer the question."We must all hang together, or assuredly we shall all hang separately."—Benjamin Franklin What message was Franklin trying to convey to the Second Continental Congress when he spoke these words?

The thirteen colonies should work together to better their chance of success of winning independence from Great Britain.

What does the Three-Fifths Compromise suggest about the thinking at the time related to the belief expressed in the Declaration of Independence that "all men are created equal"?

The three-fifth compromise increased the South's representation in congress and the Electoral Collage. In 12 of the first 16 presidential elections, a southern slave owner won.

The cartoon shows columns representing those States that had ratified the Constitution being placed in a row by the Hand of God (on the column representing North Carolina). In what way does this cartoon illustrate the notion of federalism?

This is a Federalist cartoon that suggests that the States should stand together to build a strong country.

The Magna Carta established the idea that

a monarch's power was not absolute

Use this quotation to answer the question."No freeman [person] shall be taken or imprisoned, . . . or outlawed, or banished, or in any way destroyed, unless by the lawful judgment of his peers, or by the law of the land. . . ."—Magna Carta, 1215Which of the following principles does this quotation from the Magna Carta explain?

guarantee of due process

Laws passed by the legislatures in the royal colonies had to be approved by the governor and the Crown. This went AGAINST which of the following basic concepts of government?

limited government

Which of the following is MOST directly related to the idea that government should be restricted in what it can do?

limited government

Which of the following did all of the first State constitutions have in common?

limited government, separation of power, checks and balances

Which plan foresaw the benefits of colonial unity? Who proposed it?

the Albany Plan; Benjamin Franklin

The guarantee of religious liberty found in this proposed law is the sort of guarantee of individual rights that Anti-Federalists demanded be added to the Constitution."We the General Assembly of Virginia do enact, that no man shall be compelled to frequent or support any religious Worship place or Ministry whatsoever, nor shall be enforced, restrained, molested, or burdened [burdened] in his body or goods, nor shall otherwise suffer on account of his religious opinions or belief, but that all men shall be free to profess, and by argument to maintain their opinions in matters of religion, and that the same shall in no wise [way] diminish, enlarge, or affect their civil capacities." —Virginia General Assembly, 1777 This resulting listing of basic liberties in the Constitution is called

the Bill of Rights.

Which event led to the historic incident illustrated in this painting?

the Boston Massacre

Which of the following MOST DIRECTLY led to the calling of the First Continental Congress?

the Intolerable Acts

Read this excerpt from the Connecticut royal charter."...there shall be One Governor, One Deputy-Governor, and Twelve Assistants, to be from time to Time constituted, elected and chosen out of the Freemen...which said Officers shall apply themselves to take Care for the best disposing and ordering of the general Business and affairs of and concerning the Land...and the Government of the People thereof..." —Charter of Connecticut, 1662

the means by which government leaders would be chosen

Use this excerpt from the text to answer the question."John Adams, a rising lawyer in Boston, was also present [at the First Continental Congress]. Adams had defended the British officers accused of murder in the Boston Massacre, despite his opposition to British colonial policies. By the time of the First Continental Congress, he had become a staunch supporter of independence as well as a brilliant political analyst."By making sure the British officers got a fair trial, Adams upheld which cornerstone of English law?

the right to due process