Constitution Focus Area

Who was Daniel Shays? #Objective1

• a freed slave and merchant

• a navy officer and British supporter

• an author of the Articles of Confederation

• an army captain and bankrupt farmer

Which of the following summarizes the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation? #Objective1

• It gave large states too much power in Congress, so that small states couldn’t be heard.

• It gave the national government too much power, making the United States look like a monarchy.

• It forced Canada to become a member of the Union.

• It didn’t allow the government to collect taxes, enforce laws, or have a court system.

In the Constitution, what is the “separation of powers”? #Objective2

• having a weak executive branch

• having a president and vice president

• having a Supreme Court to make sure we have good laws

• having three branches of government

What are the first 10 amendments to the Constitution called? #Objective2

• The Bill of Rights

• The Declaration of Independence

• The Magna Carta

• The Preamble

After Shays’ Rebellion, some Americans feared that state governments would become more open and, as a result, more responsive to poor people. What do these fears show us about these Americans? #Objective1

• They wanted to punish Shays by taking his money and property.

• They were dedicated to creating a more open and diverse government.

• They wanted more wealth equality so that rebellions would stop.

• They were more concerned about their own property than about the needs of others.

Why did politicians in early America mostly ignore the opinions of white women and black men and women? #Objective2

• They were not allowed to express political opinions.

• They had their own councils where they could express themselves.

• They were not interested in participating in the political process.

• They could not vote, so politicians didn’t feel the need to listen to them.

Compare and contrast: What is the main difference between the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution? #Objective2

• The Constitution allowed the government to raise money through taxes, while the Articles did not.

• The Articles were written by wealthy men, while women were allowed to participate in the Constitutional Congress.

• The Articles were only approved by nine states, while all thirteen approved the Constitution.

• The Constitution was written by a committee, while Ben Franklin wrote the Articles by himself.

Why did the Founders choose to create a whole new Constitution, rather than amend the Articles of Confederation? #Objective1

• They decided that too many amendments would be necessary, and these changes were unlikely to happen under the Articles.

• The Articles of Confederation's reputation was ruined.

• George Washington demanded that they eliminate the Articles.

• They were all strongly opposed to the Articles of Confederation.

Why did the Framers of the Constitution want the separation of powers? #Objective2

• to make sure that no single branch of government had too much power

• to make sure that citizens could be heard

• to elect a lot of people into power

• to model the U.S. government after England’s government

Which of the following was a shortcoming of the Articles of Confederation? #Objective1

• It did not give the government power to enforce laws.

• It was supposed to expire in fifty years.

• It did not include a schedule for the Constitutional Congress.

• It gave larger states too many representatives in Congress.