Articles of Confederation/Constitutional Convention - Lesson 10

What were the Articles of Confederation?

• The first written plan of government for the United States

• A document that established the U.S. Constitution

• A treaty between the U.S. and Britain

• A set of laws for the state of Virginia

Why were the Articles of Confederation designed to be a weak form of government?

• To allow states to have more power than the federal government

• To prevent the rise of a strong central government

• To ensure the President had absolute power

• To make it easy to pass new laws

What were the two main weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

• They could not pass taxes and could not enforce laws

• They could not declare war and could not make treaties

• They could not print money and could not build an army

• They could not hold elections and could not create states

Shays’ Rebellion occurred because:

• Farmers in Massachusetts rebelled due to their farms and livestock being taken

• Merchants in New York protested against trade restrictions

• Soldiers in Virginia mutinied over pay disputes

• Miners in Pennsylvania struck for better working conditions

The initial goal of the Constitutional Convention was to...

• create a new government

• elect a new president

• draft a peace treaty

• revise the Articles of Confederation

What did the delegates at the Convention end up doing?

• They stuck to their initial plan to revise the Articles

• They consulted France on how to create a government

• They "threw out" the Articles and created a new government

• They quit and cancelled the Convention

Where and when was the Constitutional Convention held? Give specific dates!

• New York, NY; June 1, 1786 - August 15, 1786

• Boston, MA; April 10, 1788 - July 20, 1788

• Philadelphia, PA; May 25, 1787 - September 17, 1787

• Richmond, VA; March 5, 1789 - June 30, 1789

Who is the “Father of the Constitution”?

• Thomas Jefferson

• Benjamin Franklin

• James Madison

• Alexander Hamilton

What was the most important rule of the Constitutional Convention? Why?

• The Rule of Silence; To maintain peace

• The Rule of Secrecy; To speak freely without causing alarm

• The Rule of Majority; To ensure fair voting

• The Rule of Order; To keep discussions organized

What type of Congress did the Virginia Plan propose?

• Two-House (bicameral) Congress based on population

• One-House (unicameral) Congress based on equal representation

• Three-House Congress with three separate leaders

• No Congress, just a president