Module 5 Test Flashcards
Revolutionary War officer who led Shay’s Rebellion, an uprising of farmers in western Massachusetts that shut down the courts so that farmers would not lose their farms for tax debts. He was defeated and condemned to death, but pardoned.
Daniel Shays
meeting held in Philadelphia in 1787 to create a new constitution
Constitutional Convention
delegate from Virginia known as the “Father of the Constitution”
James Madison
a plan giving supreme power to the central government and
creating a bicameral legislature made of two groups, or houses, of representatives
Virginia Plan
a plan creating a unicameral, or one-house, legislature
New Jersey Plan
an agreement that gave each state one vote in the upper
house of the legislature and a number of representatives based on its population in the lower house
Great Compromise
only three-fifths of a state’s slaves were counted when
deciding representation in Congress
Three-Fifths Compromise
the idea that political power belongs to the people
popular sovereignty
the sharing of power between a central government and the states
federalism
a Congress of two houses that proposes and passes laws
legislative branch
the president and the departments that help run the
government
executive branch
a system of all the national courts
judicial branch
a system that keeps any branch of government from
becoming too powerful
checks and balances
official change, correction, or addition to a law or constitution
amendment
When were the Articles of Confederation written and adopted?
during the Revolutionary War
Could Congress address issues with states?
The Congress was too weak and the states had too much power.
Could Congress levy (impose) taxes on the states under the Articles of Confederation?
They could only request and did not have the ability to force states to pay.
Could Congress maintain an army and navy and declare war under the Articles of Confederation?
No, they could not directly raise an army.
What was Shays’ Rebellion?
-Farmers in Western Massachusetts rebelled after high taxes and courts seizing their farms.
-Daniel Shays and others closed down the courthouses and planned to march to Boston and burn down the capital.
How did that challenge the new government?
Americans were very concerned and began to realize the Articles of Confederation needed to be fixed.
What is the overall problem with the Articles of Confederation?
The national government was too weak and the states had too much power.
When and where does the Constitutional Convention take place?
In Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in May-September of 1787
Who was chosen as President of the Constitutional Convention?
George Washington
What are the main issues that were debated at the Constitutional Convention?
-how to determine representation
-how to count enslaved people in the population
-how to select a President/Chief Executive
