Topic 4-Lesson 1 The Articles of Confederation

Why did many states choose to create governments with bicameral legislatures?

• They wanted to limit the influence of the wealthy elite

• They feared giving the common people too much power.

• They foresaw the need for a two-party system of government.

• They felt it better served an increasingly diverse populace.

What did the British do to harm the United States' economy in the years following the Revolution?

• They ceased the import of all British goods to the United States.

• They banned American ships from trading with the West Indies.

• They prevented American vessels accessing the port of New Orleans.

• They charged American merchants prohibitively high tariffs on British goods.

What was the purpose of the Northwest Ordinance of 1787?

• to force the British to leave forts in the Northwest Territory

• to address the government and settlement of new territories

• to grant limited war powers to the new national legislative body

• to guarantee suffrage and other basic rights to American Indians

The national government under the Articles of Confederation was weak mainly because it lacked the ability to

• levy taxes.

• declare war.

• pass new amendments.

• negotiate with foreign countries.

What was Shays' Rebellion?

• a group of Massachusetts ship builders protesting British mercantilist policies

• a group of Revolutionary War veterans who marched on the Capitol to demand back pay from the government

• a group of farmers who tried to shut down the courts to stop foreclosure hearings

• a group of merchants who demonstrated against the policy of printing large quantities of paper money

Which of these political reforms would have led conservative Patriots to worry about the "tyranny of the majority"?

• expanding the powers of the governor relative to the legislature

• abandoning a bicameral legislature in favor of a unicameral legislature

• limiting voting rights to free white men with a certain amount of property

• preventing the government from providing support for particular religions

How did Congress under the Articles of Confederation differ from the state legislatures that operated in the United States during the 1780s?

• Delegates in Congress did not represent a particular constituency.

• Representation in Congress was not proportional to the population.

• State legislatures could not pass the kind of trade laws that Congress could.

• Congress required only a bare majority rather than a supermajority to pass laws.

"Each state retains its sovereignty, freedom, and independence, and every power, jurisdiction, and right, which is not by this Confederation expressly delegated to the United States, in Congress assembled."

—Articles of Confederation, Article II

This excerpt from the Articles of Confederation indicates that its authors were

• dedicated to expanding democracy.

• worried about the tyranny of the majority.

• aware of the benefits of creating a stronger national union.

• unwilling to transfer too much power to the national government.

The main problem that was arising in the Northwest Territory was

• enforcing farming regulations throughout the new region.

• deciding on appropriate actions to pacify relations with American Indians.

• how to admit new western states to the union.

• dividing territory among all of the region's new settlers.

Which of the following features of the Articles of Confederation made the plan of government less democratic than the U.S. Constitution?

• There was no system of federal courts.

• Congress could not levy or collect taxes.

• Each state had only one vote in Congress, regardless of its size.

• There was no separate executive branch to enforce acts of Congress.