constitution Flashcards
What was the first form of government in america in 1781?
The Articles of Confederation
How many branches of government did the articles have?
one, the legislative branch.
What did the legislative branch do?
it had the ability to declare war, make treaties, and borrow money
What were the weaknesses of the articles?
the government had no power to pass taxes, they could nor regulate trade, 9/13 states had to approve any changes in the government, there was no executive branch to enforce the laws, and the states had more power than the national government.
What did the Northwest Ordinance do?
it created a plan for the orderly addition of states to the union.
What did the new addition of land from the Northwest ordinance do?
it forbid slavery, and allowed freedom of religion and trial by jury.
what did the population of a territory have to be in order for them to apply and be equal in the state union?
60,000
what happened to farms after the American revolution?
they were damaged in the south and trading with other countries slowed.
what happened once farners couldnt grow any crops, or trade with other counties?
farmers could not pay state taxes, and the state took the farmers land away.
What is the name of the farmer that started the rebellion in Massachusetts?
Daniel shay
Why did Shay and other framers start a rebellion is Massachusetts?
they started it because, they wanted their land back
What did Shay and the other farmers do during the Rebellion?
they marched outside a courthouse with guns, not allowing judges inside.
What did shays rebellion result in?
it resulted in many Americans wanting a stronger form of government than the Articles of Confederation.
What was the original purpose of the constitutional convention?
in 1778, the founding fathers met in Philadelphia to revise the articles of confederation
what happened after the constitutional convention meeting started?
delegates decided to create a while new form of government instead of revising the articles.
What did the Virginia plan suggest?
it suggested that 3 branches of government and representation in congress based on the population in each state.
what did the New Jersey plan recommend?
it recommended that each state be equal.
what did the great compromise do?
it created a bicameral congress, with one house based on population, and the other house having two representatives from each state for equal representation.
what did the three-fifths compromise do?
it made every 3/5 slaves count towards a states population.
What did the magna Carta do?
it limited the Kings power and gave citizens the right to a trial by jury
What did the English Bill of Rights do?
protected certain rights of citizens from the government.
who created the Mayflower compact?
the people
What did John Locke claim about the constitution?
he claimed that if a government did not fulfill its purpose of protecting individuals freedoms, the citizens had the right to overthrow it.
What did Montesquieu believe about the constitution?
he believed that government power should be separated to keep one group from gaining too much power.
What did William Blackstone believe about the constitution?
he believed that even the king should not take away a persons property and believed strongly in individuals rights.
What happens once a constitution is written?
9/13 states have to approve the constitution in order for it to go into affect.
What did the federalists support?
they supported the ratification of the constitution
What did the federalist believe about the constitution?
they believed the constitution created a more powerful government, but not too powerful.
Who wrote the Federalists paper and why?
James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay wrote it too explain how the constitution worked
Who wrote the anti-federalists paper?
Patrick Henry and George Mason