Lesson 8- Creating the Constitution sections 1 & 2 Flashcards
Why was it difficult to unite the states under one national government?
Most member of congress were nervous about creating a strong central government. They feared that such a government would trample the very rights they were fighting to reserve.
What was the solution? Briefly describe this plan of government.
Their solution was a plan of government known as the Articles of Confederation. It was a loose union where the 13 states cooperated for common purposes. It was run by Congress, each state had one vote.
What power did the Articles give Congress? What was its main limitation?
It could declare war, raise an army and a navy, print money, set up a postal system. Congress couldn’t impose taxes, their powers were limited.
The first written plan of government for the United States. US’s first constitution.
Articles of Confederation
bounded by the Ohio and Mississippi Rivers and the Great Lakes. Region was given to the U.S. by the Treaty of Paris
Northwest Territory
A law that specified how western lands would be governed
Northwest Ordinance
What was the key weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
The inability of congress to end disagreements was one of the key weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
What did they disagree on?
The states disagreed over boundaries and taxes on goods that crossed state borders.
What issue did the states agree on? How did they resolve it?
How to develop the western lands acquired in the Treaty of Paris. Congress passed the Land Ordinance of 1785. Under this law, western lands were divided into six-mile squares called townships.
