Historical Foundations of US Constitution

The postage stamp below shows a committee of the Second continental Congress drafting the Articles of the Confederation. Why did this committee create a weak central government?

• To encourage more trade between states
• To preserve the powers of the individual states
• To promote national security against foreign invasion
• To permit the taxation of citizens to pay the nation’s debt.

How did Americans’ experience under British rule influence the form of government they established under the Articles of Confederation?

•  The new legislature had two houses, just like the British Parliament
• The states were sovereign, just as the colonies had been under British rule.
• The new central government was not given any power to direct the military.
• The new central government was not able to tax citizens as the British government has tried to do.

By 1786, why did many merchants want the Articles of Confederation to be replaced?

• Several states were taxing the activities of the Confederation.
• States were discouraging trade by taxing one another’s goods.
• Congress was forcing the states to contribute to its general fund.
• The Confederation Congress printed so much money that it lost its value.

Which was NOT a concern that led Americans to strengthen their national government in 1787?

• Britain refused to abandon its forts in the Northwest.
• Americans feared that the French might retake Canada.
• Spain was challenging America’s borders to the Southwest.
• American ships sailing along the coast of Africa were being attacked by pirates.

The illustration below, from a popular almanac in 1787, show Captain Daniel Shays. Why did his rebellion send a wave of fear among wealthy merchants and landowners?

• Officers worried about losing their back pay.
•  Shays planned to take money from the rich and give it to the poor.
• There was no national army to put down domestic unrest if it spreads
• Bankers and other lenders feared the loss of loans to their national government.

Which weakness of the Articles of Confederation was addressed by the Constitution?

• The continuation of slavery
• The lack of a national court system
• The absence of a balanced budget
• The need to strengthen the power of the states

What was one of the Anti-Federalists’ strongest arguments against the Constitution?

• It did not create a national executive.
• It did not include a list of protected rights for individuals.
• The new central government would be too dependent on the states.
• The new central government would be too weak to protect American interest abroad.

What was on outcome of the debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalist over the ratification of the Constitution?

• The later addition of the Bill of Rights
• The acquisition of Florida from Spain
• The spread of slavery into Western territories
• The acquisition of Louisiana Purchase from France.