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Creating a Constitution

Total questions: 20

Worksheet time: 10mins

Name
Class
Date
1.

After the Revolutionary War, British merchants caused problems for American artisans and manufacturers by

a)

flooding the country with inexpensive goods.

b)

refusing to trade with the states.

c)

taxing American products sold in Britain.

d)

negotiating a treaty with France.

2.

A major weakness of the Articles of Confederation was that the Congress

a)

could not declare war.

b)

had no power to impose taxes

c)

was unable to raise armies.

d)

did not have authority to sign treaties.

3.

Under the Articles of Confederation, each state began to

a)

promote trade with other states.

b)

negotiate treaties with other countries.

c)

weaken property rights.

d)

act as an independent country

4.

A proposal to scrap the Articles of Confederation and create a new national government with the power to raise money through taxes and make laws binding upon the states was called the

a)

Virginia Plan.

b)

Connecticut Compromise.

c)

New Jersey Plan.

d)

Three-Fifths Compromise.

5.

By determining how the states would be represented in the two houses of Congress, the Connecticut Compromise resolved differences between

a)

states with large populations and states with small populations.

b)

the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan.

c)

Southern states and Northern states.

d)

supporters of a national government and supporters of state governments.

6.

Which of the following is the system created in the Constitution to prevent any one of the three branches of government from becoming too powerful?

a)

popular sovereignty

b)

amendments

c)

checks and balances

d)

impeachment

7.

The framers sought to limit the federal government by dividing power among the branches of government as well as

a)

among the state governments.

b)

between the Congress and the president.

c)

among different geographic regions.

d)

between the federal government and the states.

8.

Opponents of ratification argued that the Constitution endangered the independence of the

a)

judicial system.

b)

states

c)

trade system

d)

pioneers

9.

The Federalist influenced the debate over ratification by

a)

arguing that the Constitution did not protect basic rights.

b)

explaining why the Constitution was needed.

c)

showing that important people supported the Constitution

d)

offering an alternative to the Constitution.

10.

Supporters of the Constitution included large landowners and

a)

indentured servants who were to be freed.

b)

Western farmers who lived far from the coast.

c)

merchants and artisans who lived in coastal cities.

d)

women who hoped they would gain the right to vote

11.

Federalists secured votes for ratification by promising to add which of the following to the Constitution?

a)

a bill of rights

b)

voting regulations

c)

a new branch of government

d)

state constitutions

12.

The freedoms of individual Americans are protected by the Constitution and by the

a)

federal system.

b)

U.S. Congress

c)

separation of powers.

d)

Bill of Rights

13.

After the Revolutionary War, states began levying taxes on each other’s goods largely because the Confederation Congress

a)

did not have a president to settle disputes among states.

b)

was not allowed to regulate commerce.

c)

did not have the power to impose taxes.

d)

was not allowed to negotiate treaties with other nations.

14.

By choosing to proceed with the Virginia Plan, delegates to the Constitutional Convention decided to

a)

accept representation of the states by population.

b)

revise the Articles of Confederation.

c)

ban the slave trade.

d)

create a new constitution.

15.

Which of the following describes the main purpose of The Federalist, a collection of essays written by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay?

a)

to describe the process by which states would ratify the Constitution

b)

to explain how the Constitution worked and why it was needed

c)

to argue that the Constitution failed to protect basic rights

d)

to tell people where they could have access to the Constitution

16.

Opponents to ratifying the Constitution included which of the following groups?

a)

farmers living near the coast

b)

large landowners

c)

Western farmers far from the coast

d)

merchants and artisans

17.

Problems in American relations with Britain and Spain following the Revolutionary War were primarily caused by which of the following?

a)

failure to carry out the terms of the Treaty of Paris

b)

the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation

c)

conflict among the states over taxation and trade

d)

the limitations of the federal system of government

18.

Delegates at the Constitutional Convention had to balance states’ rights with

a)

poor farmers’ worries about taxes.

b)

a system to limit the powers of government.

c)

the need for a stronger national government.

d)

Southern planters’ reliance on slavery.

19.

To overcome opposition to ratifying the Constitution in Massachusetts, Federalists promised to support

a)

reserving many powers for the states.

b)

naming George Washington president.

c)

allowing states to veto acts of Congress.

d)

adding a Bill of Rights to the Constitution.

20.

The Connecticut Compromise resolved differences between

a)

large states and small states over representation in Congress.

b)

Southern states and Northern states over slavery.

c)

Federalists and Anti-Federalists over the power of the states

d)

delegates from Virginia and New Jersey over the Articles of Confederation.