Constitutional Convention Flashcards
Where did the CC meet?
Philadelphia, PA
What was the first act of CC?
They elected George Washington as the president of CC
How many delegates were in the CC?
55
Which state did not show up? And why?
RI because they were scared of a strong central government
How many votes did each state have?
1
Why were Sam Adams, John Hancock, and Patrick Henry missing from the CC?
Because they were afraid of a strong central government
Why were John Adams and Thomas Jefferson missing from the CC?
Because they were representing the U.S. in Great Britain and France
When did the CC meet for the first time?
May 25, 1787
What caused Shays’s Rebellion?
Farmers were forced by the court to sell their land and livestock in order to pay off their debts
Who was Daniel Shays?
A war hero from the Revolutionary War (Bunker Hill)
What did Shay and his followers do in order to keep their farms?
They closed down the courthouses
Why couldn’t CC stop Shays’ rebellion?
Because they dismantled the continental army after the revolutionary war
What did Shays’ rebellion make people realize?
That they needed a stronger central government
Name one thing congress could agree on.
How to divide the western lands
When and what was the land ordinance act?
1785, and it divided the land west of the colonies but east of the Mississippi River
What was the western land called?
Northwestern territory
What was the average age for a delegate in the CC?
42
Who was the oldest delegate? And who was he?
Ben Franklin
81
Who was the “Father of the constitution”? And why?
James Madison because he had the largest influence on everyone
What was the 3/5 compromise?
The act that made every three black slaves out of five would be considered one person
Did the north want a black slave to be considered a person? And why?
No because they had less black slaves in the north
Did the south want a black slave to be considered a person? And why?
Yes because they had more blacks
What was the great compromise?
The act that created the U.S. National government system
What were the two views on what the government should be like? And why?
A strong central government, because we must protect the freedom of the people and more power to the states because a strong central government is why we had a revolutionary war
What did the NJ Plan call for?
Three branches of government, one house in Congress with a set number of representatives.
What did the Virginia Plan call for?
Three branches of government, two houses both with number of representatives based on state population.
