Constitutional Convention Quiz 12/2/22

Question 1

What was the US government prior to the Constitution?

Answer 1

A confederation

Question 2

What were three problems with the Article of Confederation?

Answer 2

1. Congress couldn’t tax the states
2. There was no national court system
3. Laws needed to be approved by 9/13 states

Question 3

Where does the government get its power from?

Answer 3

The people

Question 4

What role did George Washington play in creating the Constitution?

Answer 4

He was the president of the convention

Question 5

What role did James Madison play in creating the Constitution?

Answer 5

He created the plan for ratification, and is referred to as “The Father of the Constitution”.

Question 6

Why did states have disagreements during the Convention?

Answer 6

Each state was looking out for itself and wanted plans that would benefit them. Like when selecting the number of representatives each state would get, big states wanted it to be by population so they would have more, while smaller states want it to be equal because they would be at a disadvantage otherwise.

Question 7

What was the Constitution Convention?

Answer 7

It opened in May 1787 at Independence Hall in Philidelphia. 55 delegates from 12 states showed up (Rhode Island didn’t come). The goal was to create a new government, as the current one was not working.

Question 8

What is the Preamble to the Constitution?

Answer 8

It is the opening paragraph and lets everyone know what is going to be accomplished with the Constitution.

Question 9

What were the arguments between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists about?

Answer 9

The Federalists wanted a strong national government and therefore the Constitution, but anti-federalists were worried it would become too strong and hurt the people, making them against the Constitution.

Question 10

What are Natural rights?

Answer 10

Rights that people are born with and cannot be taken away.

Question 11

What is the State of Nature?

Answer 11

An imaginary situation where there are no laws or government

Question 12

What was the Virginia Plan?

Answer 12

A plan where the state’s number of representatives was determined by its population

Question 13

What was the New Jersey Plan?

Answer 13

A plan where each state gets the same amount of representatives: two

Question 14

What was the 3/5 compromise?

Answer 14

A compromise where each slave would count for 3/5s of a person when counting population

Question 15

What does ratify mean?

Answer 15

To approve a plant or agreement.

Question 16

What were federalists?

Answer 16

Supporters of the Constitution

Question 17

What were Anti-Federalists

Answer 17

People against the ratification of the Constitution

Question 18

According to John Locke and many of the Framers, what is the purpose of government?

Answer 18

To protect the natural rights of the people (life, liberty, right to own property)

Question 19

What happened during Shay’s rebellion?

Answer 19

A group of Massachusetts farmers, led by Daniel Shay, were fed up with being heavily impacted by the money shortage. They rebelled and attacked courthouses and other government buildings.

Question 20

When did Shay’s rebellion end?

Answer 20

When the governer sent the militia

Question 21

What is the Constitution?

Answer 21

The framework, or plan, of America’s government.

Question 22

What was the Great Compromise?

Answer 22

A compromise was made so that there would be three branches and two houses of government. The representatives in the HOR would be determined by states’ population, while the number of senators is the same for every state (2).

Question 23

What’s the Electoral College?

Answer 23

The compromise in which there is a special group of people to elect the president based on the votes of the people.