8th Grade Lesson 1: Creating the Constitution

What was the position of the group known as Federalists?

• They supported the new Constitution.
• They questioned the justice of slavery.
• They feared a strong national government.
• They believed the states should have equal representation.

The number of members of which of these is affected by state population?

• Senate
• Supreme Court
• president's cabinet
• House of Representatives

What did the Great Compromise decide?

• representation in Congress
• the names of political parties
• the system of checks and balances
• process of selecting the president

Which of these did both the Virginia and New Jersey Plans include?

• an end to slavery
• an elected president
• two houses of Congress
• three branches of government

Which was the greatest challenge at the Constitutional Convention?

• how to get agreement between eastern and western states
• how to balance the interests of large and small states
• how to address the concerns of farmers and ranchers
• how to respond to the interests of foreign countries

Why is James Madison known as the "Father of the Constitution"?

• He was well prepared to lead the discussion at the convention.
• He was the oldest delegate at the Constitutional Convention.
• He knew more about government than anyone else present.
• He wrote the first draft of the Constitution.

What was the original purpose of the convention in May 1787?

• to write the U.S. Constitution
• to end the conflict with Massachusetts
• to revise the Articles of Confederation
• to rewrite the Declaration of Independence

Why is Shays' Rebellion an important event in U.S. history?

• It was the beginning of a civil war.
• It led to the passage of a new Constitution.
• It showed the strength of the Massachusetts militia.
• It dramatized the power of the central government.

One weakness of the Articles of Confederation was that Congress could not

• declare war
• impose taxes
• set up a postal system
• create an army and navy

Following the American Revolution, what did Congress fear about a strong central government?

• states would have too much power
• rights for which people fought would be lost
• another war would occur between Great Britain and America
• laws would be passed to prevent people from settling in new territories