Creating a Constitution

After the Revolutionary War, British merchants caused problems for American artisans and manufacturers by

• flooding the country with inexpensive goods.

• refusing to trade with the states.

• taxing American products sold in Britain.

• negotiating a treaty with France.

A major weakness of the Articles of Confederation was that the Congress

• could not declare war.

• had no power to impose taxes

• was unable to raise armies.

• did not have authority to sign treaties.

Under the Articles of Confederation, each state began to

• promote trade with other states.

• negotiate treaties with other countries.

• weaken property rights.

• act as an independent country

A proposal to scrap the Articles of Confederation and create a new national government with the power to raise money through taxes and make laws binding upon the states was called the

• Virginia Plan.

• Connecticut Compromise.

• New Jersey Plan.

• Three-Fifths Compromise.

By determining how the states would be represented in the two houses of Congress, the Connecticut Compromise resolved differences between

• states with large populations and states with small populations.

• the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan.

• Southern states and Northern states.

• supporters of a national government and supporters of state governments.

Which of the following is the system created in the Constitution to prevent any one of the three branches of government from becoming too powerful?

• popular sovereignty

• amendments

• checks and balances

• impeachment

The framers sought to limit the federal government by dividing power among the branches of government as well as

• among the state governments.

• between the Congress and the president.

• among different geographic regions.

• between the federal government and the states.

Opponents of ratification argued that the Constitution endangered the independence of the

• judicial system.

• states

• trade system

• pioneers

The Federalist influenced the debate over ratification by

• arguing that the Constitution did not protect basic rights.

• explaining why the Constitution was needed.

• showing that important people supported the Constitution

• offering an alternative to the Constitution.

Supporters of the Constitution included large landowners and

• indentured servants who were to be freed.

• Western farmers who lived far from the coast.

• merchants and artisans who lived in coastal cities.

• women who hoped they would gain the right to vote