The Constitutional Era

1
The Constitutional Era

• 1781-1789

2
What is a republic?

• A representative democracy

3
How does a republic work?

• The people elect representatives
• Representatives make the laws

4
What was the first attempt at workable government
in the United States?

• The Articles of Confederation

5
What was the basic problem with the government
under the Articles of Confederation?

• Too weak

6
What does the Constitution provide?

• The basic framework for the U.S. government

7
For what two reasons had Americans fought the
Revolutionary War?

• Unfair taxation by Parliament
• King George III had ruled like a tyrant

8
How did the Articles of Confederation limit
Congress lawmaking power?

• No power to tax
• No power to regulate interstate commerce

9
What is a synonym for commerce?

• Trade

10
What is currency?

• Paper money

11
Where did the Constitutional Convention meet?

• Philadelphia, Pennsylvania

12
What is a compromise?

• An agreement in which both sides get part of what
  they want, but neither side gets all of what it
  wants

13
What two Virginians played important roles at the
Constitutional Convention?

• George Washington
• James Madison

14
What position did George Washington hold at the
Constitutional Convention?

• President (chairman) of the Constitutional
  Convention

15
Who wrote the Virginia Plan?

• James Madison

16
Who often led the debate and kept a written
record of the Constitutional Convention?

• James Madison

17
Who is considered the Father of the
Constitution?

• James Madison

18
What is another name for national law?

• Federal law

19
What does it mean to say that federal law is the
supreme law of the land?

• When state law conflicts with federal (national)
  law, then the federal law overrides the state law.

20
What clause of the Constitution says that federal
law is the supreme law of the land?

• The supremacy clause

21
What type of national legislature did Madisons
Virginia Plan propose?

• A two-house legislature
• Population would determine a states
  representation in both houses of Congress

22
What effect would the Virginia Plan have on the
smaller states influence in the government?

• Reduce it greatly

23
How did the small states respond to the Virginia
Plan?

• Rejected it
• Proposed the New Jersey Plan

24
What did the New Jersey Plan say about
representation in the national legislature?

• Each state would have equal representation,
  regardless of population.

25
Which states would have been hurt by the New
Jersey Plan?

• The large states

26
What solved the large state/small state
disagreement about representation in Congress?

• The Great Compromise

27
How did the Great Compromise solve the big
state/small state disagreement about
representation in the national legislature?
28

• Congress would be a two-house legislature the
  Senate and the House of Representatives
• Each state would have two U.S. Senators
• Population would decide a states membership in
  the House of Representatives

29
What balanced power in Congress between the large
and small states?

• The Great Compromise

30
What states had decided to abolish (end) slavery
in the years right after the Revolution?

• The Northern states

31
What states had decided to keep slavery after the
Revolution?

• The Southern states

32
Did the North want slaves counted in figuring a
states representation in the House of
Representatives?

• No

33
Did the South want slaves counted in figuring a
states representation in the House of
Representatives?

• Yes

34
What was the 3/5 Compromise?

• Compromise between the North and the South
• Slaves would count as 3/5 of a person in figuring
  a states representation in the House of
  Representatives

35
Define the term separation of powers?

• The division of power among different branches of
  government

36
What three branches of government did the
Constitution create?

• Legislative
• Executive
• Judicial

37
What is the name of the legislative branch of the
federal government?

• Congress

38
What does the legislative branch do?

• Makes the laws

39
What official leads the executive branch?

• The President

40
What does the executive branch do?

• Enforces the laws

41
What court leads the judicial branch of the
federal government?

• The Supreme Court

42
What does the judicial branch do?

• Interprets or explains the meaning of the laws

43
Define checks and balances system.

• A government in which each branch can stop or
  check the actions of the other branches

44
How many states had to ratify the Constitution
before it could take effect?

• 9

45
What does ratify mean?

• Approve

46
Why was the ratification debate in Virginia very
important?

• Virginia was the largest state in population and
  located on the Atlantic coast right in the center
  of the United States.

47
Who were the Federalists?

• Supporters of the Constitution

48
Who were the Anti-Federalists?

• Opponents of the Constitution

49
Who were the two leading Federalists in Virginia?

• George Washington
• James Madison

50
Why did the Anti-Federalists fear a powerful
national government?

• Believed it would destroy the rights of
  individuals and the power of the states

51
Who were the two leading Anti-Federalists in
Virginia?

• Patrick Henry
• George Mason

52
What group wanted a Bill of Rights included in
the Constitution?

• Anti-Federalists

53
Who took responsibility for drafting a Bill of
Rights?

• James Madison

54
What two documents did Madison use to write the
Bill of Rights?

• Virginia Declaration of Rights
• Virginia Statute for Religious Freedom

55
Who wrote the Virginia Declaration of Rights?

• George Mason

56
What was the basic idea of the Virginia
Declaration of Rights?

• Government should not violate basic human rights

57
Who wrote the Virginia Statute for Religious
Freedom?

• Thomas Jefferson

58
What did the Virginia Statute for Religious
Freedom forbid?

• An established church

59
Which church had been the established church in
colonial Virginia?

• The Anglican Church

60
Define the term established church.

• The practice of the colony giving government
  support to one favored church

61
What basic idea did the Virginia Statute for
Religious Freedom support?

• Freedom of religion

62
What is the Bill of Rights?

• The first ten amendments to the Constitution

63
What is a constitutional amendment?

• An addition to the Constitution

64
What rights are guaranteed by the First Amendment?

• Freedom of Speech
• Freedom of the Press
• Freedom of Religion
• Freedom of Assembly
• The Right of Petition

65
What does freedom of assembly mean?

• The right to gather at public meetings

66
What does the right of petition mean?

• The right to make written requests to make
  changes in the government

67
Define free markets.

• Business and trade without government regulation
  or rules