The Constitutional Era

Why did Anti-Federalists demand a bill of rights be added to the U.S. Constitution?

• Protect individual freedoms from the federal government

• Strengthen the authority of the federal government

• Improve the organization of the judiciary

• Give each state an equal amount of power

Federalists and the Democratic-Republicans created different political parties because they disagreed on:

• economic development

• enforcing the Monroe Doctrine

• how the nation should admit new states

• approving the Declaration of Independence

What was the primary conflict between Federalists and Anti-Federalists over the ratification of the US Constitution?

• The difficulty of the annexation process

• The difficulty of the amendment process

• How to divide power between federal and state

• How to divide power between the House of Representatives and the Senate

Why did the Federalists supported a strong central government?

• To consolidate national power in one agency

• To ensure a monarchical form of government

• To prohibit states from forming their own governments

• To provide economic and military protection for the states

Describe the Three-Fifths Compromise?

• A federal law enforcing the return of fugitive slaves.

• A portion of the slave population was counted for legislative representation.

• The census bureau was established to help apportion representation.

• The election of senators was delegated to state legislatures.

Federalists believed in ______________ while Anti-Federalists wanted ______________.

• a strong national government; states rights
• a Bill of Rights; the Constitution without a Bill of Rights 
• states rights; a strong national government
• monarchy; democracy

What was the result that combined the New Jersey Plan and the Virginia Plan for representation in Congress?

• Virginia Plan

• Bill of Rights

• Great Compromise

• Articles of Confederation

Why was the Great Compromise necessary at the Constitutional Convention?

• Small states worried larger states would dominate the federal government.

• Large states wanted small states to control the legislative branch.

• Southern states wanted a government that preserved slavery.

• Northern states wanted to abolish slavery and the slave trade entirely.

Patrick Henry opposed ratifying the U.S. Constitution because he believed that under it—

• States would surrender too much power to the federal government.

• Alliances could not be formed with other countries.

• Courts would not be able to hold government officials accountable.

• Individuals would exercise too much power over the federal government.

In the debate over the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, which point would have been made by a Federalist?

• “The existing national government lacks the power to perform essential functions.”
• “The existing national government lacks the ability to add new states to the union.”
• “The states are in danger of losing the ability to raise revenue.”
• “The states are unable to protect the rights of the people.”