Review for Articles of Confederation to

Constitution

List weaknesses of the Articles of confederation.

1. Each state had only one vote.2. Small Rhode Island had as much power as large Virginia.3. Laws required 9 of the 13 states to agree.4. No President or executive. No bossman5. No Courts6. Power over money not given to Congress.7. No ability to levy taxes on imports.8. Any 1 of the 13 states could ignore a treaty written by the

new govt.9. States coined their own money10. National money was worthless

What does the saying “worthless as a constitutional dollar” mean?

• Each state able to create its own money and value along w/ the Continental money.

• “not worth a Continental.”

Who was Daniel Shay?

• Farmer

• Veteran of the Revolutionary War

• Suffering in the Depression

What 2 conditions of his time was Daniel Shay rebelling against?

• Foreclosure of homes by banks/courts in the depression

• Non-payment of wages to revolutionary War vets

• Non-representation in congress

What happened during Shay’s Rebellion?

• leads disgruntled farmers and former vets in a rebellion against the Massachusetts Courts.

• Occupy the courthouse for 3 days.

Who put down Shay’s Rebellion?

• Massachusetts Militia

How did Daniel Shay’s rebellion end?

• Veterans disbanded and government either pardoned or did not got after the ringleaders

How did Daniel Shays’ Rebellion led to a call for a

stronger central government?

• People see that the nation is in need of a stronger government or people like Shay may take it down

What did the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 make provision for?

How to control, How to settle, How to govern, and How to handle Indians in the west of the Appalachian Mountains territories

What was the main argument used by the Anti-Federalists against ratifying the new Constitution?

• There was nothing guaranteeing the rights of American citizens

What was the advantage of the Land Ordinance of 1785?

• Continental Congress agreed that all the new western states would be admitted on equal terms as the original 13 thereby stopping what could have been a great cause of conflict

What amendment of the Bill to the Bill of Rights confirms the principle

of Federalism?

• 10th Amendment- Powers not delegated to the United States government are reservedreserved to the states.

Why did the land west of the Appalachians give the new

government so many problems?

• Many Pioneers moved out west at the end of the Revolution and there were no rules on how to control them, the Indians, the land .

What Ordinance settled the western land problems after the

Revolutionary war?

• Land Ordinance of 1785

What is a depression?

• Sharp decline in business activity and jobs.

How are states added to the union?

By the Northwest Ordinance of 1787

1. Ruled by a governor and 3 judges appointed by Congress. (Territory Status)

2. Population reached 5,000 free, voting age males- legislature could be elected and a non-voting delegate could be sent to Congress.

3. Population reached 60,000 free inhabitants, people could draft a constitution and apply for statehood.

List the 2 groups who did not receive the freedoms guaranteed in

the Declaration of Independence

• Women

• Slaves

What was the states’ argument against strong central governments

after the Revolution?

• We do not want any strong centralized government such as the British used to abuse us.

The Second Continental Congress was the American government

during what period?

• American revolution

The Virginia Plan favors who? The New Jersey plan favors who?

• VA favors large states

• NJ favors small states

What amendment states that one must have a search warrant

to search a citizen’s house?

•Fourth

What amendment states that you have a Right to a jury trial?

•7th

What amendment states that you have a Right to keep arms

•2nd

What amendment states that you are not required to give

housing to troops?

•3rd

The New Jersey Plan wanted what kind of Congress?

– One-house legislature.– Each state would have equal # of

representatives.– One state- one vote.

The Great Compromise wanted what kind of Congress?

• Two houses of Congress.– Senate- each state gets 2 Senators.– House of Representative- # determined by the

population of the state.• All “money” bills must come from the House.

3/5th Compromise stated what?

• Slaves would be counted as 3/5th of a person for both representation and taxation.

How long does the chief executive serve?

• Serve for 4 year terms with unlimited reelection until FDR dies and then it is changed to only 2- 4 year terms

Once the Constitution had been written, what had to be done with

it?

• Ratification

What would it take to make the Constitution, “the supreme law of

the land”?

• 9 states votes

Federalists Favored what?

• A strong central government and Constitution

Anti-Federalists Opposed what?

• A strong central government and the Constitution

Name the 4 things wrong with the Constitution as the Anti-Federalists

saw it.

• No guarantee of rights

• Not enough freedom for slaves.

• Surrendering too much power.

• Not enough voter control.

The Federalist Papers; What are they?

• Series of brilliant essays defending the Constitution.

Who wrote the Federalist Papers?

• Written by Alexander Hamilton

James Madison John Jay

What is the Separation of powers?

• Each branch of government is separated by function

What are checks and balances?

• Each branch of government is given certain powers that can restrain or “place a check” on another branch of government to create a balance.

List and describe the function of the 3 branches of government

• Judicial- determines the constitutionality of Law

• Legislative-makes the laws

• Executive-carries out the laws

Name 3 Delegated powers

• Power to tax.• Power to regulate commerce.• Power to raise an army.

Name 3 Reserved powers

• Control over roads, marriages, public education.

Ratification means what?

• Approval

Why was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?

• In order to get the Anti-federalists to ratify or vote for the Constitution

What is a Constitutional amendment?

• 2/3rds of both houses of Congress or 2/3rds of the States may propose an Amendment to the Constitution.

• 3/4ths of the States must ratify the Amendment.

Name 3 Shared powers

• Taxes• Police

force• Courts

What was the role of Alexander Hamilton in the making of the

Constitution?

• Proposed it, wrote in the Federalist Papers, argued it brilliantly, was adamant about his position

What was the role of James Madison in the making of the

Constitution?

• Father of the Constitution

• Came to the Congressional Congress with his idea for a Constitution already in place

Who was the Constitution developed by and where?

• 55 delegates, mainly educated, veterns of the War and farmers with medium to large size spreads

• in Philadelphia because the Articles of Confederation did not work and had led to Shay’s rebellion

What was the goal of the Constitutional Convention?

A Republican form of government– Power rests in the voters who elect

representatives to run the government.

What is limited government?

• Power does not reside in only one part or person or branch of a government

• Power is shared among the branches of a government

How was the issue of slavery settled at the Constitutional

Convention?

States may continue to import slaves until 1808, but after that, they must decide how to handle the issue.

What is the protector of citizen’s rights in America?

• The Bill of Rights

Why is the American Constitution one of the most enduring

documents in the Western World?

• Its flexibility due to the ability to add amendments

How long is the term that senators serve?

• 6 year terms

How many justices serve on the Supreme Court?

• 9

This man said that slavery was, “as repugnant to humanity as it

is inconsistent with the Bible and destructive of liberty.”

• Patrick Henry

Qualifications for President

• No person except a natural born citizen, or a citizen of the United States, at the time of the adoption of this Constitution, shall be eligible to the office of President; neither shall any person be eligible to that office who shall not have attained to the age of thirty-five years, and been fourteen years a resident within the United States

Qualifications for Senator

• 1) each senator must be at least 30 years old, 2) must have been a citizen of the United States for at least the past nine years, and 3) must be (at the time of the election) an inhabitant of the state he or she seeks to represent

Speaker of the House

• The Speaker of the United States House of Representatives presides over the lower house of Congress, the House of Representatives

• House may choose its own Speaker

US Federal judge serves how long?

• A federal supreme court judge can hold office from the day he becomes elected until the day he dies. Of course he can take a leave

Ex post facto

• retroactive law- is a law that retroactively changes the legal consequences (or status) of actions committed or relationships that existed prior to the enactment of the law. In reference to criminal law, it may criminalize actions that were legal when committed

• Not legal in America as it goes against the rule of law

Citizenship- law made by Congress

• Live in the U.S. for at least 5 years legally (or 3 years if married to and living with a U.S. citizen).• Be present in the U.S. for at least 30 months out of the past 5 years (or 18 months out of the past 3 years if married to

and living with a U.S. citizen).• Live within a state or district for at least 3 months before you apply.

Who prints money?

• The Federal Reserve

• The Federal Reserve System, even though it sounds like a government agency (Federal), is a privately owned corporation

• It controls the US Bureau of Engraving and Printing

habeas corpus

• a writ, or legal action, through which a person can seek relief from unlawful detention, or the relief of another person. The writ of habeas corpus protects persons from harming themselves, or from being harmed by the judicial system.

THE END