The U.S. Constitution

A limited government depends on

• the consent of the people

• the power of a king

• size of the country

• number of voters

Who wrote the Declaration of Independence?

• James Madison

• George Washington

• Thomas Jefferson

• John Jay

What document did each state write after gaining independence from Britain?

• a will

• a letter

• a treaty

• a constitution

Religious freedom means that you:

• believe in a god.

• can build churches anywhere.

• have the right to believe as you wish.

• don’t have to pay to go to church.

The Articles of Confederation

• allowed people to elect their representatives to the Congress.

• made the president of the Congress too strong.

• gave the central government too little power to be effective.

• failed to provide sufficient protections for states’ rights.

What was the stated purpose, according to the Congress, of the Grand Convention of the States in 1787?

• to elect a president

• to recommend changes to the Articles of Confederation

• to write a new constitution

• to petition the states for money to pay foreign debts

What idea in the Virginia Plan caused the most disagreement?

• The central government should protect Americans against foreign enemies.

• The central government should protect the liberties of Americans.

• The central government should make laws to govern trade among states.

• The central government should have higher powers than the states in certain areas.

What was the Great Compromise?

• Southern states would be allowed to import enslaved people for twenty more years

• The national government would share power among three branches

• One house of Congress would base membership on state population while the other would grant the same number of members to each state.

• Presidential and vice presidential candidates would be nominated from two political parties

How many states had to ratify the Constitution for it to become law?

• seven

• nine

• eleven

• thirteen

Who led the fight for a bill of rights after the Constitution took effect?

• Thomas Jefferson

• Benjamin Franklin

• Alexander Hamilton

• James Madison