The U.S. Constitution

What documents did the new state constitutions replace?

• Colonial charters

• Royal decrees

• Federal statutes

• Tribal agreements

Why did the colonies decide they needed a national government in addition to state governments?

• establish a monarchy

• create a strong central bank

• have a large/single army under central control

• promote local autonomy

What’s a constitution?

• detailed/written plan for government

• collection of historical documents

• set of religious principles

• list of trade agreements

What’s a confederation?

• group of individual state governments that band together for a common purpose

• centralized government with absolute power

• system of direct democracy

• network of international alliances

Why did the delegates decide to keep the work of the Constitutional Convention a secret?

• To prevent foreign spies from learning about their plans

• So that delegates could talk freely

• To maintain an air of mystery

• To avoid public scrutiny

Congress had the power to enforce its laws.

• True

• False

Why did delegates think the Articles of Confederation needed to be replaced?

• it was clear that the national government had to be strengthened.

• the Articles of Confederation were too restrictive.

• they wanted to eliminate state governments altogether.

• they thought the Articles of Confederation were too detailed.

Why was it so difficult to pass laws under the Articles of Confederation?

• Congress could not pass a law unless 9 states voted in favor of it.

• The Articles of Confederation required unanimous consent for any legislation.

• The Articles of Confederation gave too much power to the president.

• Congress lacked the authority to make laws.

What issue did the Three-Fifths Compromise solve?

• If the enslaved population should count to determine representation in Congress.

• How to allocate tax revenue among the states.

• Whether to abolish slavery.

• How to elect the president

Why did Anti-Federalists oppose the constitution?

• They argued that a strong national government could take away individual freedoms.

• They believed the constitution favored large states over small states.

• They wanted a monarchy instead of a republic.

• They thought the constitution was too vague.