History Test National Government Flashcards
Articles of Confederation
13 articles describing the organization and power of the national government and some of the rights of the citizens.
Shay’s Rebellion
A rebellion led by Daniel Shay’s, consisting of farmers who were angry at the government because their farms were used during the Revolutionary War, and now they had the pay debts. Eventually, farmers banded together to stop this by breaking out farmers from prison and not allowing farmers to go to trial. Eventually, they went to Springfield Massachusetts to get weapons, but were stopped by a militia created by the MA governor. This caused people to think that the government needed to be changed.
Northwest Ordinance (1787)
An Ordinance issued by the government that stated that all the American territories west of the Mississippi were allowed to become states once their population reached sixty thousand free inhabitants. They also stated that slavery was not allowed, but did not free any current slaves. It also stated that the Native American lands were not to be invaded.
Sovereignty
The ability to govern yourself.
Republic
A form of government where elected officials make decisions for the people.
What Congress COULD and COULD NOT do under the Constitution
Could: Borrow money, declare war, coin money, and negotiate with others.
Could not: Levy taxes, enforce laws, force people to join an army, and regulate trade.
Three Weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation
- The government could not Levy taxes, which meant that they could not pay off war debts and also could not force people to pay taxes.
- The currency of the country was not consistent, with each state adopting their own, and the governments being weak as a result.
- To pass new amendments, all thirteen states would have to agree, which made it extremely difficult for the government to repair issues
Describe the causes of Shay’s Rebellion, including how it helped prompt the Constitutional Convention
The causes of Shay’s Rebellion came from farmers who were forced to pay taxes after their lands were taken over during the Revolutionary War. This prompted farmers to rise up and take action. Almost a year later after the rebellion dissipated, the states and National Government decided that they needed a stronger central government to prevent rebellions just like Shay’s.
Constitutional Convention
A Convention that was held in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787, to discuss the changes that needed to be made to the current National Government and A.O.C. There were all white delegates from each state. Important people in attendance: James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Governor Morris.
House of Reps
A section of the Legislative branch of the government, which has delegates from each state that are proportional to their state pop.
Senate
A section of the Legislative branch of the government, which has delegates from each state that are not proportional to their pops. Instead, they all get two senators.
Identify the original purpose of the Constitutional Convention
To fix the problems with the current National Government and A.O.C.
Describe the differences between the “Virginia Plan” and “New Jersey” plan regarding representation in the legislative branch
The Virginia plan opted for proportional representation, meaning each state would get a number of votes proportional to their pop size.
The New Jersey plan opted for non-proportional representation, meaning all the states would get an equal amount of votes.
Describe “Great Compromise” and explain why it was considered a “compromise”
It was proposed by Roger Sherman of Connecticut, and stated that there would be two sections to the Legislative branch:
House of Reps: A section of the Legislative branch of the government, which has delegates from each state that are proportional to their state pop.
Senate: A section of the Legislative branch of the government, which has delegates from each state that are not proportional to their pops. Instead, they all get two senators.
This was a Compromise because both states did not get all of what they wanted, and instead got half of their preference.
Explain why the Founding Fathers did not abolish slavery at the Constitutional Convention
They did not abolish slavery because the south profited heavily from it and abolishing would mean getting rid of a large source of income. They decided not to discuss it for 20 more years, until 1808. Furthermore, the southern states argued that the north also profits from slavery because they sell the goods harvested in the south. Another reason would be that they would upset the southern states.
