Unit 2-The Critical Period Quiz

A major criticism directed against the Articles of Confederation was that power was allocated primarily to

• state governments

• the electoral college

• the national government

• military leaders

The government that was created under the Articles of Confederation lasted only a few years because the government

• supported the extension of slavery into the Northwest Territory

• lacked the ability to enforce its authority

• circulated a uniform paper currency

• compelled the states to abide by its treaties

The authors of the Articles of Confederation established a decentralized political system mainly to

• prevent the abuses of power that had existed under British rule

• promote the common goal of national sovereignty

• assist the southern states in their efforts to gain a manufacturing base

• cancel state debts incurred during the Revolutionary War

Which statement is accurate about governmental power under the Articles of Confederation?

• The states with the largest populations had the most votes in Congress.

• State governments had the power to collect taxes, coin money, and control trade.

• The executive branch of the central government was more powerful than the legislative and judicial branches.

• The central government was made stronger than state governments.

Shays' Rebellion (1786) became a concern for many national leaders because it

• showed that frontier settlements were vulnerable to raids by Native American Indians

• exposed fundamental weaknesses in government under the Articles of Confederation

• indicated there would be future conflicts over the spread of slavery

• pointed to the need for federal government regulation of interstate commerce

Critics of the Articles of Confederation argued that it

• imposed unfair taxes on the states

• used a draft to raise a national army

• provided a strong system of federal courts

• placed too much power in the hands of the states

One reason for the importance of the Federalist Papers in United States history is that these writings

• presented the first legal arguments in favor of retaining slavery

• outlined plans for the geographic expansion of the United States

• helped persuade some states to ratify the United States Constitution

• convinced the colonists to rebel against Great Britain

In the United States during the late 1780's, the Federalists were most likely to support

• ratification of the United States Constitution

• continued loyalty to the British Government

• establishment of a weak national government

• strengthening of States rights

At the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the Great Compromise resolved the issue of

• representation

• taxation

• slavery

• control of trade

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 was important because it

• established reservations for Native American Indians

• ensured universal suffrage for all males

• extended slavery north of the Ohio River

• provided a process for admission of new states to the Union