New Nation Review

James Madison was the main ________ of the Constitution. He is nicknamed the "Father of the Constitution".

What was the Constitutional Convention?

• A meeting to discuss state taxes.

• A meeting to elect a president.

• A meeting where men from all states get together to write a new constitution.

• A meeting to talk about how to break away from King George III and Great Britian.

Answer explanation

The Constitutional Convention was a meeting where men from all states got together to write a new constitution. This was because the Articles of Confederation was too weak and needed to be replaced!

What was the Articles of Confederation?

• A document that is America's first try at making a government.

• A document that said American wanted independence from Great Britain.

• A peace treaty with Great Britain.

The Articles of Confederation gave the states TOO much _____.

Choose TWO weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.

• No leader or president to enforce laws.

• 1. Federal courts have to get permission from Great Britain.

• Congress cannot collect taxes or establish a common currency (money).

• Congress CAN tell the states what to do and when.

Answer explanation

That's right! Before the Constitution was written there was no president of the United States! That meant there was no one to lead the country.

Congress (federal government) could not collect taxes, which meant no military AND no money :(

They also couldn't come up with one type of currency (money) to use. This meant that each state could have its own form of money.

The national/federal government is in charge of the whole _______.

George Washington was the ______ of the Constitutional Convention.

Benjamin Franklin helped to solve _________ during the Constitutional Convention.

What is States' Rights?

• A type of money.

• States have a right to declare war anytime they want.

• The idea that states have the right to lead themselves and that the federal government should not make choices for them.

• The idea that states have the right to ignore any federal laws they do not like.

The framers of the Constitution create a new style of government called the Federal System. What is the Federal System?

• A type of government that has no separation of powers.
• A government structure that only allows local governments to make laws.
• A system where all power is held by the national (federal) government.

• A system in which the federal government has certain powers, the state government has certain powers, and powers that both of them share.