Articles and constitution

Question 1

Unicameral

Answer 1

Means “only one house” in the legislature. The confederation congress was a House of Representatives and a Senate

Question 2

How to amend the articles of confederation?

Answer 2

To change the basic structure of the system of government
it was necessary to have unanimous agreement among all
the states. Fat chance.

Question 3

Where and when the constitution convention met?

Answer 3

Philadelphia,1787

Question 4

Famous Americans who felt a new form of government

was needed:

Answer 4

James Madison, George Washington , Alexander Hamilton

Question 5

What two decisions were made right away at the

constitutional convention?

Answer 5

First, they said that all discussions 
and speeches would remain 
confidential and secret, so that each 
delegate could speak out freely and 
not worry about getting nailed back 
in their home state.

Second, it was decided that 
they would start from 
scratch and start designing a 
whole new type of 
government, rather than just 
amend, tweak, fix the 
Articles of Confederation.

Question 6

The name of the person who is mostly behind the

writing of the constitution?

Answer 6

James Madison
He is a wealthy slave-owner from 
Virginia.  Total nerd.  Loved to study 
political philosophy.  Short.  (5’4”)
Still, he managed to marry the most desirable woman 
in the 13 states, Dolly Madison.  
He is given the honorary, historical 
title “Father of the Constitution”

Question 7

The two plans that emerged right away for how the

government should basically be structured?

Answer 7

The Virginia 
Plan...this is close to 
what actually will be 
chosen: a strong 
national legislature 
based on how much 
each state has in their 
population.

The New Jersey 
Plan...pretty much 
keeping the structure of 
the current system: a 
weak national legislature 
with equal representation 
for each state, no matter 
how big or small it is in 
population.

It become very clear very quickly that the New
Jersey plan was dead on arrival. No way.

Question 8

Confederation Congress

Answer 8

Basically a constitution of the continental congress that functioned during the revolutionary war. Each state send a delegation to the congress. And each state got one vote whenever any law or prospol came up

Question 9

What did Alexander Hamilton propose?

Answer 9

He stood up and proposed a version of the British government with a “national governor” elected for life (a king!), and also
a national senate with members serving for life

Apparently, the delegates listened politely, but it is easy
to imagine that his idea was received about the same way
as if he had loudly passed gas in the convention hall

Question 10

The Great Compromise?

Answer 10

The Great Compromise gives something to the big
states–a legislative house based on population(this
will be the House of Representatives); and
something to the small states–a legislative house
with equal representation (this will be the Senate).

Question 11

The Three-Fifths Compromise

Answer 11

Once it is decided to have a “house of representatives based on
population of each state, some southern delegates demand that slaves
count as population, and not property (which will also mean the slaves
aren’t taxed as property.)
Northerners are opposed, but are forced to compromise. After
bargaining back and forth, the number 3/5 is decided as how much
each slave can count both as a person and as a piece of property.
The compromise was necessary, but this one is pretty
embarrassing, looking at it two centuries later.

Question 12

The Three Branches of the Federal Government

Answer 12

Legislative-Congress-House of representatives
Executive-president-vice president
Judicial-supreme court
=The Legislative makes the laws, the Executive carries out
(executes) the law; the Judicial sorts out how the laws
must be applied.

Question 13

How to pass a law under the Articles of

Confederation?

Answer 13

How to pass a law under the Articles of
Confederation?
To pass a law there had to be a ‘super majority’ of 9
votes. This also was more difficult to get.
Why? Obviously the states were afraid of too
much power in a central government, so it was
set up to be almost beyond having functionality.

Question 14

Worst weekness

Answer 14

Basically it couldn’t get anything done.
There was no executive function (no president), it had no
ability to raise a national army, and no ability to impose
taxes on the individual states.
In a military crisis, or a financial/economic crisis, this
arrangement was very weak and inadequate.

Question 15

The next step after the Constitution is written?

Answer 15

It must be ratified (voted upon) and accepted by each
state.This is going to take some doing! Most Americans
thought the Constitutional Convention was only supposed
to fix up the existing Articles of Confederation.
Now, they discover that they are being asked to accept a
whole new system of government with a powerful central
legislature and executive function.
Lots of people are very suspicious of a powerful
government set over and above their own state.

Question 16

The promise that finally got most Americans to support

the new constitution?

Answer 16

Madison and other promised that a specific list of
individual rights would immediately be added to the
Constitution when the new congress met for the first time.
This will become the “Bill of Rights”
Sure enough, when the Constitution is
ratified the Congress passes ten
amendments that fulfill this promise.

Question 17

Bill of rights

Answer 17

The first through the
eighth amendments
specifically guarantee
individual rights.