Lesson 4-3: Ratifying the Constitution Flashcards
How long did it take to draft the Constitution?
Four months
What was the reaction to the Constitution when newspapers printed it for the public?
Shock; there were many radical changes, if not a complete revision, of the Articles of Confederation
How did the public’s reaction almost backfire against the Founding Father’s hopes to unite the nation?
The public started to differ in opinion about the Constitution and disputes broke out.
The framers of the Constitution created a procedure for the states to ratify the Constitution. What were the steps of this procedure?
1) Voters in each state would elect the delegates to the convention
2) The delegates would then accept or reject the Constitution
Ratification
Official approval
The Constitution required how many states to ratify it?
9 out of 13
The system bypassed _____________. Why?
State legislatures; they would likely reject the Constitution
- The Constitution technically reduced the power of the states (which had more power under the Articles of Confederation)
Federalists
Supporters of the Constitution
What did the Federalists specifically favor about the Constitution?
Its balance of power between the state and national government
Antifederalists
Those who opposed the Constitution
Why did the Antifederalists oppose the Constitution?
They thought having a strong centralized government would take away the rights of the states and individual rights.
What did the Federalists argue that a system of checks and balances and the division of powers would do?
Protect the country from the tyranny of a strong centralized authority.
What did the Antifederalists counter on this point?
- That a strong centralized government could…
1) Serve the interest of wealthy factions and ignore the rights of the majority
2) Not handle the affairs of such a large country
Leading argument of the Antifederalists
The Constitution does not provide protection of individual rights.
Who were some leading Federalists?
1) Alexander Hamilton
2) George Washington
3) James Madison
4) John Adams
Who supported the Federalists and why?
- Merchants, laborers, skilled workers; because a strong central government could regulate trade.
- Small states with weak economies; a strong central government could look out for their interests.
Who were some leading Antifederalists?
1) Richard Henry Lee
2) Samuel Adams
3) Patrick Henry
Who supported the Antifederalists and why?
- Rural areas; a strong central government might add on to their tax burdens.
- Large states; wanted to preserve their power that was given to them by the Articles of Confederation
The Federalist/Federalist Papers
A series of 85 essays defending the Constitution that appeared in New York newspapers between 1787 and 1788.
Who wrote the Federalist Papers?
1) John Jay
2) James Madison
3) Alexander Hamilton
Under what pseudonym were the Federalist Papers written?
Publius
What was the main goal of the Federalist Papers?
To explain and provide an analysis on the Constitutional provisions on the separation of powers, individual rights, and the limits on the power of the majorities.
What was initially the most widely read Antifederalist publication?
Letters from the Federal Farmer; most likely written by Richard Henry Lee
What content was within Letters from the Federal Farmer?
A list of rights that the Antifederalists believed should be protected, including…
1) Freedom of speech, press, and religion
2) Prohibition of unreasonable seizures and searches of people and their homes
3) The right to a trial by jury
What is true about the initial Constitution of the United States of America?
It technically did not provide a guarantee that the government would protect the rights of the people.
What two points did the Federalists raise against the Antifederalists’ opposition towards the Constitution?
1) The national government was only given a limited amount of power in the Constitution
2) The people were able, according to the Constitution, to elect their own trustworthy representatives and leaders who would protect their rights.
What ended up happening with the Bill of Rights?
It was added to the Constitution in order for the states to ratify the documents; the Federalists yielded.
What state led the country in ratifying the Constitution?
Delaware; December 1787
What state fulfilled the requirement for the ratification of the Constitution, and when did this occur?
New Hampshire; June 1788
What states had not voted at this time, which were desperately needed by the new government?
Virginia and New York
When did New York ratify the Constitution?
July 26, 1788; the vote was 30 to 27
When did Rhode Island accept the Constitution?
1790
When did the Constitution become reality?
1789
When were the first twelve amendments to the U.S. Constitution submitted?
September 1789
In December 1791, three-forths of the states ratified ten of the twelve amendments, and these became known as what?
The Bill of Rights
What two documents influenced the Bill of Rights?
1) The Virginia Declaration of Rights, 1776 (influenced the Declaration of Independence)
2) The Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom, 1786 (written by Thomas Jefferson)
The Virginia Declaration of Rights
One of the first calls for American independence
The Virginia Statue for Religious Freedom
Jefferson argues that citizens have the right to worship freely without interference or persecution from the government.
What do the first eight amendments have to do with?
The individual rights and liberties that citizens are entitled to; these were pushed for by the states.
What do the ninth and tenth amendments have to do with?
The general limits on the powers of the federal government.
The First Amendment
Guarantees citizens’ right of freedom of speech, press, religion, and political activity
The Second and Third Amendments
Second: Right to bear arms as a member of a militia of citizen-soldiers
Third: The right to prevent the government from housing troops in private homes in peacetime
The Fourth through Eighth Amendments
Guarantee fair treatment for individuals suspected or accused of crimes.
The Ninth Amendment
The people’s rights are not restricted to only what is stated in the U.S. Constitution
The Tenth Amendment
The people and states have all of the powers that are not given to the national government or denied to the states governments within the Constitution.
What groups of people were excluded from the protections of the Bill of Rights?
1) Native Americans and slaves; due to discrimination by whites
2) Women; traditionally were not given the same rights as men, and therefore were ignored in the Constitution
Some free blacks were allowed to vote. Where did this occur?
Northern states
What did the flexibility of the U.S. Constitution allow it to be?
A model for governments around the world.
The U.S. Constitution is the ____________.
Oldest written national constitution still in use.
What section of the Constitution allows the changing needs of Americans to be met?
Article I, Section VIII; which allows Congress to makes laws that will execute the powers that the Constitution outlines.
What is this clause referred to as?
The “elastic clause,” because it stretches the power of the government.
How many amendments have been added to the Constitution?
27
How many amendments gave more American citizens the right to vote?
4
Which amendment, passed in 1865, banned U.S. slavery?
The Thirteenth Amendment
Which amendment, passed in 1868, made former slaves citizens of the United States and the states in which they lived?
The Fourteenth Amendment
The Fifteenth Amendment, ratified in 1870, accomplished what?
It gave voting rights to African American males
How did many states find ways to work around the Fifteenth Amendment?
Poll taxes; a tax that had to be paid before a person could vote.
Which amendment, ratified in 1964, abolished poll taxes?
The Twenty-Fourth Amendment
The Nineteenth Amendment, ratified in 1920, accomplished what?
It gave American women the right to vote.
Who were two women that worked especially hard to see voting rights given to women?
Susan B. Anthony and Elizabeth Cady Stanton
What was the most recent voting rights amendment? When was it passed, and what did it do?
The Twenty-Sixth Amendment; 1971; it gave citizens 18 years or older the right to vote.
- Previously, the voting age was 21 years or older
Why was the Twenty-Sixth Amendment ratified?
During the Vietnam War, young Americans were “distressed” at the fact that they were eligible for the draft at age 18, but could not vote for the leaders making military decisions.
