Exploring the Constitutional Convention of 1787

What event highlighted the weaknesses of the government under the Articles of Confederation?

• The Louisiana Purchase

• Shays' Rebellion

• The War of 1812

• The Boston Tea Party

Why did Captain Daniel Shays and his men shut down the courts in Western Massachusetts?

• To demand better working conditions

• To protest high taxes

• To support the British government

• To prevent their farms from being taken for unpaid debts

What was the main reason for calling the convention in 1787?

• To declare independence from Britain

• To amend the Articles of Confederation

• To elect a new president

• To draft the Bill of Rights

Where did the delegates assemble to propose changes to the government?

• Philadelphia

• New York

• Boston

• Washington, D.C.

Who was the president of the Constitutional Convention?

• Benjamin Franklin

• John Adams

• Thomas Jefferson

• George Washington

What were the two major issues that the Framers faced during the convention?

• Taxation and trade

• State representation and the representation of enslaved people

• Military funding and foreign policy

• Judicial appointments and executive power

How did the Framers resolve the issue of state representation?

• By allowing states to vote on their own representation

• By creating a Congress with two houses

• By giving all states equal votes

• By creating a single house of Congress

What compromise was made regarding the counting of enslaved people?

• All enslaved people were counted

• Enslaved people were not counted at all

• Three-fifths of the enslaved people were counted

• Only free people were counted

When was the final proposal of the new Constitution signed?

• July 4, 1776

• September 17, 1787

• March 4, 1789

• December 15, 1791

What was required for the new Constitution to take effect?

• Ratification by the states

• Approval by the President

• A national referendum

• Approval by the Supreme Court