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WorksheetsSTAAR BENCHMARK: Revolution to Constitution
Total questions: 50
Worksheet time: 26mins
Which argument would a Federalist make to support ratification of the Constitution?
The Constitution will enable states to nullify laws that are harmful to citizens.
A strong federal government will be more stable than a loose confederation of states.
The Constitution will allow states to establish banks to stabilize the national economy.
A republican system of government will better represent large states.
John Hancock was one of the Founding Fathers committed to liberty. How did he demonstrate this commitment?
By writing the Articles of Confederation
By serving as commander in chief of the Continental army
By organizing Committees of Correspondence
By signing the Declaration of Independence
Why is the Battle of Saratoga considered a turning point in the Revolutionary War
The British victory extended the fighting for another year
The American defeat led many soldiers to desert the Continental army
The British defeat marked the beginning of a steady decline in British military superiority
The American victory convinced France to ally with the United States
In the Republic of America, the power surrendered by the people is first divided between two distinct governments, and then the portional lotted to each subdivided among distinct and separate departments. Hence a double security arises to the rights of the people. The different governments will control each other, at the same time that each will be controlled by itself...
What assurance did this argument give to those who opposed ratifying the Constitution?
The amendment process would allow state governments to nullify federal law.
Making the federal government superior to state governments would ensure greater stability.
The rights of citizens would be better protected by having both federal and state levels of government.
Giving greater power to the federal government would allow it to assist states in times of crisis.
How did the provisions of the Northwest Ordinance affect U.S. expansion?
By funding a transportation network in uninhabited regions
By establishing a process for territories to govern themselves
By promoting the growth of southern plantation economies
By creating a national bank to loan money to land investors
Why were southern delegates to the Constitutional Convention willing to accept the Three-Fifths Compromise?
It increased the political influence of the south
It allowed indentured servants to become citizens
It decreased the federal tax on property in the South
It allowed the South to expand its industrial output
Which of these is a grievance from the Declaration of Independence?
Colonists born in America were prohibited from holding elected office.
Colonists were forced to quarter troops in their homes.
Colonists were not eligible to become officers in the British army
Colonists were required to serve a year in their colony’s militia
Why was it difficult for Congress to fulfill its duties under the Articles of Confederation?
Any congressional action required executive approval
Congress lacked the power to declare war.
Most congressional decisions required the approval of at least nine states
Congress lacked the power to regulate foreign trade
During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, George Mason argued —
against increased power for the national government
for the dissolution of state governments
against the passage of a bill of rights
for the creation of a strong executive branch
What was one result of the Treaty of Paris of 1783
Great Britain recognized the United States as an independent country
Competing Seminole and Spanish claims in West Florida were resolved
The British navy agreed to stop pressing American sailors into service
British territory in eastern Canada was ceded to France
The Northwest Ordinance established guidelines for the orderly expansion of the United States by instituting a —
method to purchase territory from foreign powers
procedure for military takeovers of existing countries
process through which states could be added to the Union
compromise line that prohibited slavery in the West
This information was included in a slide-show presentation to a high school history class:
Strengths:
*Ability to declare war
• Ability to make treaties
• Authority to operate post offices
Which document was the focus of this presentation?
The Mayflower Compact
The Articles of Confederation
The Virginia Declaration of Rights
The Declaration of Independence
Which principle of U.S. government is illustrated in the sequence shown BELOW?
CONGRESS PASSES A LAW --- PRESIDENT VETOES A LAW--- CONGRESS OVERRIDES THE PRESIDENTIAL VETO
Judicial review
Checks and balances
Popular sovereignty
Federalism
Which political idea was influenced by this provision of the Magna Carta?
“No freeman shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way, nor will we proceed with force against him, or send others to do so, except by the lawful judgement of his equals or by the law of the land.” —Magna Carta, 1215
Federalism
Due Process
A Bicameral legislature
The social Contract
The President . . . shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur. — U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 2
This excerpt provides one example of which constitutional principle?
Federalism
Checks and balances
Popular sovereignty
Individual rights
That all Men are . . . equally free & independent, & have certain . . . Rights, of which they cannot by any Compact, deprive or divest [remove] their Posterity [future generations]; among which are the Enjoyment of Life and Liberty, with the Means of acquiring and possessing Property, and pursuing and obtaining Happiness and Safety.—Virginia Declaration of Rights, 1776
In this excerpt, the authors of the Virginia Declaration of Rights are describing rights they consider —
granted to citizens by their government
natural and possessed at birth
protected under religious doctrine
defined by the courts
Which speaker is in favor of ratifying the Constitution?
Speaker 1: A strong central government will provide order and stability.
Speaker 2: We have just left the control of one tyrant; let us avoid an American tyrant.
Speaker 3: The strength of our union lies in the independence of our states. We were led into a war by a minority who desired independence.
Speaker 4: We were led into a war by a minority who desired independence.
Speaker 1
Speaker 2
Speaker 3
Speaker 4
All legislative Powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States—U.S. Constitution, Article I, Section 1
This provision is a response to which grievance from the Declaration of Independence?
“For suspending our own Legislatures, and declaring themselves invested with power to legislate for us in all cases whatsoever”
“For abolishing the free System of English Laws in a neighboring Province, establishing therein an Arbitrary government”
"He has called together legislative bodies at places unusual, uncomfortable, and distant from the depository of their public Records”
“He has endeavored to prevent the population of these States; for that purpose obstructing the Laws for Naturalization of Foreigners”
And excessive bail hath been required of persons committed in criminal cases to elude the benefit of the laws made for the liberty of the subjects; And excessive fines have been imposed; And illegal and cruel punishments inflicted —English Bill of Rights, 1689
Which U.S. document guarantees protection against these injustices?
The Constitution
The Declaration of Independence
The Articles of Confederation
The Mayflower Compact
Which of the following correctly describes the Three-Fifths Compromise?
A portion of the slave population was counted for legislative representation
federal law enforcing A the return of fugitive slaves was passed.
The census bureau was established to help apportion representation
The election of senators was delegated to state legislatures
The President . . . shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur. — U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 2
This excerpt provides one example of which constitutional principle?
Federalism
Checks and balances
Popular sovereignty
Individual rights
The sequence of events (below) resulted in the adoption of the —
June
**The Continental Congress appoints a committee to prepare a document.
**The committee selects Thomas Jefferson to compose a draft.
**The draft is reviewed and revised by the committee.
July
**Congress debates and revises the document.
**Congress officially approves the document.
Articles of Confederation
Bill of Rights
Treaty of Paris
Declaration of Independence
Here in the autumn of 1777, American forces met, defeated and forced a major British army to surrender. This crucial American victory in the Battle of ___________ renewed patriots’ hopes for independence, secured essential foreign recognition and support, and forever changed the face of the world. “A Crucial American Victory,” U.S. National Park Service,
Which of the following best completes this excerpt?
Battle of Saratoga
Battle of Concord
Battle of Trenton
Battle of Yorktown
Your President may easily become king. Your Senate is so imperfectly constructed that your dearest rights may be sacrificed by what may be a small minority. . . . Your strongholds will be in the hands of your enemies. . . . —Patrick Henry, speech at the Virginia Ratifying Convention, 1788
Patrick Henry was criticizing which aspect of the Constitution in this excerpt?
The eligibility requirements for congressional office
The power granted to the central government
The establishment of a separate judicial branch
The difficulty of the amendment process
Which excerpt from the Declaration of Independence best explains why colonists were unhappy about their lack of representation in the British parliament?
He has refused to pass other Laws for the accommodation of large districts of people.”
“For imposing Taxes on us without our Consent.”
“He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good.”
“For transporting us beyond Seas to be tried for pretended offences.”
Why did the Anti-Federalists demand that a bill of rights be added to the U.S. Constitution?
To strengthen the authority of the federal government
To improve the organization of the judiciary
To give each state an equal amount of power
To protect individual freedoms from the federal government
It is essential to the freedom and security of a free people, that no taxes be imposed upon them but by their own consent, or their representatives. —The Sons of Liberty, address to the public, New York, December 15, 1773
The excerpt above reflects the dissatisfaction of American colonists with the —
political debates that took place at the Albany Convention
interference of Great Britain in the slave trade
economic consequences of the Great Awakening
economic policies imposed by Great Britain following the French and Indian War
With which of the following arguments would the authors of The Federalist Papers most likely have agreed?
A bill of rights should be included in the Constitution before it is ratified
Having a stronger central government will make the country more stable and prosperous.
The Three-Fifths Compromise will result in fair and equal representation
Universal suffrage should be constitutionally guaranteed.
The rights listed below were —
Unalienable Rights Life • Liberty • Pursuit of happiness
established by a series of Supreme Court decisions
defined by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence
established by the ratification of the U.S. Constitution
defined by President George Washington in his Farewell Address
The Constitution describes two ways to propose an amendment. Which of the following gives an example of one way?
The president officially requests that Congress propose the amendment
Three-fourths of state governors sign a petition in favor of proposing the amendment.
A majority of citizens vote in favor of proposing the amendment
Two-thirds of both congressional houses vote in favor of proposing the amendment
*Intolerable Acts impose
*First Continental Congress convened
*Thomas Paine’s Common Sense published
All the events listed above occurred during —
the era of westward expansion
the Era of Good Feelings
the Revolutionary era
the Jacksonian era
VIRGINIA PLAN < ? > NEW JERSEY PLAN
Which of the following should replace the question mark in this diagram?
Direct democracy
Great Compromise
Checks and balances
Missouri Compromise
How did geography influence the early economic development of New York, Boston, and Charleston?
Long coastlines offered abundant natural resources.
Proximity to flooding rivers limited development.
Natural harbors provided access to markets
Extreme climates limited productive activity.
After the end of the Revolutionary War, states were eager to expand into newly available territory. The states of New York, Connecticut, Massachusetts, and Virginia argued over competing claims to land west of the Appalachian Mountains. This conflict was addressed by the —
Missouri Compromise
Wilmot Proviso
Northwest Ordinance
Kansas-Nebraska Act
British colonists objected to the Proclamation of 1763 because they —
feared it would provoke attacks from American Indians
did not want to share control of the fur trade with France
resented the limits it imposed on westward expansion
wanted to be able to trade freely with foreign nations
Patrick Henry opposed ratifying the U.S. Constitution because he believed that under it —
the states would surrender too much power to the federal government
alliances could not be formed with other countries
the courts would not be able to hold government officials accountable
individuals would exercise too much power over the federal government
We, reposing special trust and confidence in your patriotism, valor, conduct, and fidelity, do, by these presents, constitute and appoint you to be General and Commander in chief, of the Army of the United Colonies, and of all the forces now raised, or to be raised, by them, and of all others who shall voluntarily offer their service.
The Continental Congress issued this commission to —
Benedict Arnold
Alexander Hamilton
John Hancock
George Washington
In 1787 the United States was at a crossroads. Farmers in western Massachusetts had rebelled the year before over property taxes. The state struggled to end the rebellion. Events such as this one contributed to the decision to —
sign the Treaty of Paris
Repeal the Intolerable Acts
Declare an embargo on imported goods
restructure the federal government
We hold these truths to be self-evident, that all men are created equal, that they are endowed by their Creator with certain unalienable Rights. . . . —Declaration of Independence, 1776
This excerpt refers to rights that people —
earn by demonstrating loyalty to their government
receive by becoming citizens of a country
have as a result of being human
are granted after enlistment in the military
In 1787, Congress awarded John Paul Jones the Congressional Gold Medal in honor of his “valor and brilliant services” during the Revolutionary War. Which accomplishment was Congress recognizing?
Leading the evacuation of Washington, D.C., during the British invasion
Preparing the strategy for the American victory at Yorktown
Persuading France to provide military assistance to the Continental army
Commanding a victory at sea against the British navy
George Mason refused to sign the Constitution and opposed its ratification because he believed that it —
did not adequately protect individuals from potential government abuse
did not give the executive branch enough power to oversee the military
prevented the legislative branch from effectively governing the states
prevented the judicial branch from using judicial review to overturn acts of the legislature
"No free man shall be seized or imprisoned, or stripped of his rights or possessions, or outlawed or exiled, or deprived of his standing in any other way...” —MagnaCarta, 1215
Which political idea was influenced by this provision of the Magna Carta?
Mayflower Compact
Articles of Confederation
Virginia Declaration of Rights
Declaration of Independence
The President . . . shall have Power, by and with the Advice and Consent of the Senate, to make Treaties, provided two thirds of the Senators present concur. — U.S. Constitution, Article II, Section 2
This excerpt provides one example of which constitutional principle?
Federalism
Checks and Balances
Popular Sovereignty
Individual Rights
Why did the Anti-Federalists demand that a bill of rights be added to the U.S. Constitution?
To strengthen the authority of the federal government
To improve the organization of the judiciary
To give each state an equal amount of power
To protect individual freedoms from the federal government
How did mercantilist policies create tension between Great Britain and the colonies?
By preventing colonists from trading with other foreign countries
By requiring colonists to enlist in the military
By introducing indentured servitude to the middle colonies
By limiting the amount of farmland each colonist could own
- Northern Colony-Deep Harbor-Cold Climate-1
- Middle Colony-2-Moderate Climate-3
- Southern Colon -Fertile soil-4 -Tobacco
Which characteristic is correctly matched with a number in the table?
1: Cotton
2: Rocky Soil
3: Gold
4: Warm Climate
Patrick Henry opposed ratifying the Constitution because he believed under it...
The states would surrender too much power to the federal government
alliance could not be formed with other countries
The courts would not be able to hold government officials accountable
Individuals would exercise too much power over the federal government
-Convened in 1787
-Great Compromise is established
-Three-fifths compromise is established
The Characteristics listed above describes...
The Revolutionary War
The Constitutional Convention
The Era of Good Feeliings
The Colonial Era
-LIFE
-LIBERTY
-PURSUIT OF HAPPINESS
The Rights listed above were...
Established by a series of Supreme Court Decisions
Defined by Thomas Jefferson in the Declaration of Independence
Established by the ratification of the U.S. Constitution
Defined by President George Washington in his 'Farewell Address'
"He has refused his Assent to Laws, the most wholesome and necessary for the public good." - Declaration of Independence, 1776
Which provision of the U.S. Constitution reflects this grievance?
The President can appoint justices with the advice and consent of the Senate
Congress has the power to establish federal courts
The commerce clause allows Congress to regulate trade among the states
Congress can override a presidential veto with a two-third majority vote in both houses
