Understanding Early American Government

What event showed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and led to the Constitutional Convention?

• The Boston Tea Party

• The American Revolution

• Shay's Rebellion

• The Civil War

What was the main purpose of the Constitutional Convention?

• To write the Declaration of Independence

• To revise the Articles of Confederation

• To elect a new president

• To create the Bill of Rights

What was the Great Compromise?

• An agreement to end the Civil War

• A plan to divide Congress into two houses

• A treaty with Native Americans

• A decision to abolish slavery

What did the Three-Fifths Compromise decide?

• How to elect the president

• How to count slaves for representation and taxation

• How to divide land in the west

• How to set up the Supreme Court

What was the Slave Trade Compromise?

• An agreement to end the slave trade immediately

• A decision to allow the slave trade for 20 more years

• A law to free all slaves

• A plan to trade slaves for goods

What are the three branches of government?

• Executive, Legislative, Judicial

• Federal, State, Local

• President, Congress, Supreme Court

• House, Senate, Cabinet

What is the purpose of checks and balances?

• To ensure the government has enough money

• To keep one branch of government from becoming too powerful

• To balance the budget

• To check the quality of laws

What is federalism?

• A system where the national government has all the power

• A system where state governments have all the power

• A system where power is shared between national and state governments

• A system where local governments have all the power

Who were the Federalists?

• People who wanted a strong national government

• People who wanted a weak national government

• People who wanted to abolish the government

• People who wanted to return to British rule

Who were the Anti-Federalists?

• People who supported the Constitution

• People who opposed the Constitution

• People who wanted a monarchy

• People who wanted to expand the United States