The US Constitution
The Articles of Confederation allowed Congress to establish official weights and measures. What purpose did that serve?
It created standards for trade and building.
Which of the following was a weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
It did not create a national court system.
Which of the following was a shortcoming of the Articles of Confederation?
It did not give the government power to enforce laws.
Which of the following summarizes the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
It didn't allow the government to collect taxes, enforce laws, or have a court system.
This quote describes which of the following qualities of the Constitution?
It is a living document.
Who wrote the first draft of the Articles of Confederation and was nicknamed the "Penman of the Revolution"?
John Dickinson
Where did the Constitutional Convention take place?
Philadelphia, PA
Twelve of the thirteen original states sent delegates to the Constitutional Convention. Which of the states did not send delegates?
Rhode Island
Why did Shays' Rebellion make some believe that a stronger government was needed?
Some elites feared that the rebellion exposed national instability.
What are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution called?
The Bill of Rights
Why did the Framers of the Constitution want the separation of powers?
to make sure that no single branch of government had too much power
What was the purpose of the Articles of Confederation?
to provide the first set of written rules for the American states
Why did Rhode Island refuse to send a delegate to the Constitutional Convention?
worry about losing its rights as a state because of national rules
How many senators does each state elect?
2
In what year did the Constitution officially become U.S. law?
1789
What is the role of the judicial branch?
to interpret the laws and settle disputes
Reading the quote, what is the meaning of "the supreme law of the land?"
Everyone has to follow the Constitution.
Compare and contrast: What is the main difference between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution?
The Constitution allowed the government to raise money through taxes, while the Articles did not.
Which amendment ended officially ended slavery in 1865?
The Thirteenth Amendment
Why were the Articles of Confederation intentionally weak?
The states wanted to avoid a strong central government.
Why did politicians in early American mostly ignore the opinions of white women and black men and women?
They could not vote, so politicians didn't feel the need to listen to them.
Why did the Founders choose to create a whole new Constitution, rather than amend the Articles of Confederation?
They decided that too many amendments would be necessary, and these changes were unlikely to happen under the Articles.
The Constitution is sometimes called a living document because it can be changed. What are changes to the Constitution called?
amendments
Who was Daniel Shays?
an army captain and bankrupt farmer
Each branch of government can exercise some power over the other two branches. This is called __________.
checks and balances
Which best describes the delegates to the Constitutional Convention?
educated white men
In the Constitution, what is the "separation of powers"?
having three branches of government
What are the three branches of government?
legislative, judicial, executive
Which groups were most likely to support a stronger central government after Shays' Rebellion?
merchants and creditors
The right to elect your own representatives is also called __________.
republicanism
At the time of Shays' Rebellion, wealthy people with high social status saw _________ and __________ as signs of trouble for America.
rising costs; unstable currency
The phrase "popular sovereignty" means __________.
rule by the people
The word "federalism" means __________.
that power is shared between national and state governments
Which document replaced the Articles of Confederation in 1788?
the United States Constitution
What were the Articles of Confederation?
the first U.S. Constitution
