Articles of Confederation and Shays' Rebellion

What are the Articles of Confederation?

• The name of the first system of government used by the United States

• The name of the peace treaty between Great Britain and the United States

• The name of one of the first newspapers in the United States

• The name of the first Congressional meeting

Why did the authors of the Articles of Confederation create such a weak national government?

• They did not understand how to create a strong national government.

• They wanted to avoid creating a dictatorship or monarchy where states were told what to do by a larger national power.

• They wanted to make it easier for citizens to rebel when they were upset at the government.

• All of the above.

What were some of the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation government? Select all that apply:

• No chief executive (president)

• All laws had to be passed by a basic majority vote

• No national court system

• No Congress

What weakness of the Articles of Confederation contributed to Shays' Rebellion? Select all that apply:

• The U.S. couldn't tax citizens.

• There was no national currency.

• There was no president.

• There was no national army.

Why were many farmers poor and in debt in Massachusetts?

• They lost money trying to convert their currency between states.

• They were not paid for their service as soldiers in the Revolutionary War.

• They had to pay too much money in national taxes.

• They had large medical bills to pay after the Revolutionary War.

What did Massachusetts courts do when farmers could not pay their debts in gold or silver?

• They forced the farmers to become soldiers.

• They made the farmers into slaves.

• They sentenced the farmers to death.

• They seized and sold farmers' land, livestock, and crops.

How many farmers were involved in Shays' Rebellion?

• 100,000

• 1,500

• 2,000

• 10,000

What did the army of farmers do during Shays' Rebellion? Select all that apply.

• They threw British tea into Boston Harbor.

• They stopped judges from ruling on cases where far
• They freed inmates from debtors' prison.

• They tarred and feathered tax collectors.

How long did Shays' Rebellion last?

• One year

• A year and a half

• Two years

• Six months

What happened as a result of Shays' Rebellion?

• A national army was immediately created through a unanimous vote in Congress.

• The Constitutional Convention meeting was called to discuss the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

• Massachusetts changed its laws so that farmers would not have their land seized.

• Revolutionary War veterans were finally paid for their service.