1. Creating the Constitution
Chapter 7
Pages

2. Section 1 (Part 1): Governing a New Nation
What were the major successes and failures of the new government under the Articles of Confederation?
Why did many state constitutions limit the power of state governors?
How did the Articles of Confederation ensure the power of the states?
Why did the Articles of Confederation ensure the power of the states?

3. Goals of the new constitutions
The new constitutions minimized the powers of state governors and gave most of the power to state legislatures, who were elected by the people.
Why?
When Britain ruled the colonies, governors had all the power and imposed laws the colonists deemed unfair.

4. Executive Branch
The executive is the person who runs the government and sees the laws are carried out.
When we think about executives, we commonly refer to business.
We often refer to a person running a business as the CEO.
CEO stands for – Chief Executive Officer.
Who would be the CEO in the government?

5. What does an executive do in the government?
The executive is the person who runs the government and sees the laws are carried out.
An executive is like a CEO, he/she leads the business and makes critical decisions.

6. Individual Rights
Some states, like Virginia and New York, protected individual rights by including a bill of rights in their constitutions.
Why would people want to protect individual rights?
Americans were fearful that a strong central government would limit individual rights (like the British government had done).
To prevent the government from infringing on individual rights, states created bill of rights

7. The United States First Constitution
What is a constitution?
A constitution is a document stating the rules under which a government should operate.
In 1777, the Continental Congress designed the first national constitution for the United States, known as the Articles of Confederation.
The Articles of Confederation told the United States government what it can and could not do.

8. What was the first constitution of the United States?
The first constitution of the United States was the Articles of Confederation.
The Articles of Confederation was created in 1777, and developed a system of government for the colonies through the American Revolution.

9. Setting up the Government
The Articles of Confederation consisted of one government branch a one-house legislature, called Congress.
There was no executive and no system of national courts.
Under the Articles of Confederation, each state was equally represented and allowed one vote.
In order to have a law pass nine states had to agree on it.

10. Limiting Central Government
The new states did not want to risk giving too much power to a central government far from the people.
Therefore, the Articles of Confederation provided for a limited central government.
Under the Articles of Confederation, the states had the majority of the power.
How is this different from today’s United States government?

11. Why did the Articles of Confederation limit the power of the central government?
HINT: Who was in charge before the American Revolution?
The Articles of Confederation were designed to have a weak central government.
The colonists feared a strong central government would create the same issues as the British government had done.

12. What were the powers/limitations of Congress?
Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress could not regulate trade or collect taxes.
Congress also could not enforce any law that it passed.
Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress was able to deal with foreign nations and Native Americans.
Congress could make laws, declare war, coin or borrow money, and run a postal service.

13. What limitation restricted the Articles of Confederation the most from being successful?
Congress could not regulate trade
Congress could not collect taxes.
Congress also could not enforce any law that it passed.
In order to have a law pass nine states had to agree on it.

14. Section 1 (Part 2): Governing a New Nation
What were the major successes and failures of the new government under the Articles of Confederation?
Why did many state constitutions limit the power of state governors?
How did the Article of Confederation ensure the power of the states?
Why did the Article of Confederation ensure the power of the states?

15. Articles of Confederation
What were the Articles of Confederation?
The Articles of Confederation were the first constitution of the United States.
The Articles, were created by the Continental Congress. They created the government that would lead the United States through the American Revolution.
The last state to approve the Articles of Confederation was Maryland.

16. Northwest Territory
Congress developed a system for land sales and settlement in the Northwest Territory, which became known as the Land Ordinance of 1785.
Congress passed the Northwest Ordinance of 1787, to determine how this region would be governed.
The Northwest Ordinance guaranteed basic rights for settlers and banned slavery.

17. What did the Northwest Ordinance establish?
The Northwest Ordinance guaranteed basic rights for settlers and banned slavery.

18. Becoming a State
The Northwest Ordinance set up a three-step process for admitting new states.
First, Congress would appoint a governor, secretary, and three judges.
Secondly, once the territory had 5,000 free adult male settlers, it could elect a legislature.
Lastly, when the population reached 60,000, the territory could ask to become a state.
Five states were developed from the Northwest Territory. The five states were: Ohio, Indiana, Illinois, Michigan and Wisconsin.

19. 1st - Congress would appoint a governor, secretary, and three judges.
What was the three-step process for a territory to become a state? (Under the Articles of Confederation)
1st - Congress would appoint a governor, secretary, and three judges.
2nd - Once the territory had 5,000 free adult male settlers, it could elect a legislature.
3rd - When the population reached 60,000, the territory could ask to become a state.

20. Successes?
Under the Articles of Confederation, the United States was able to accomplish many successes.
The United States was able to wage a successful war for independence, negotiate a peace treaty with Britain and set up rules for settling new territories.

21. What was the Articles of Confederation able to accomplish during its existence?
The United States was able to wage a successful war for independence
Negotiate a peace treaty with Britain
Set up rules for settling new territories.

22. Economic Struggles?
Under the Articles of Confederation, each state set up its own trade policy.
Each state tried to help its own farmers and manufacturers by setting taxes on goods from other states.
States also printed its own money making it even more difficult for states to trade with one another.

23. Foreign Problems?
Many powerful nations saw the United States as weak and decided to take advantage over the newly formed country.
The British ignored their peace treaty with the United States, and refused to turnover forts in the Northwest Territory.
Spain controlled New Orleans, and refused to let Americans ship their products down the Mississippi River.

24. How was the United States taken advantage of by other countries under the Articles of Confederation?
The British refused to turnover forts in the Northwest Territory.
Spain refused to let Americans ship their products down the Mississippi River.

25. Economic Depression
An economic depression is a period when business activity slows, prices and wages drop, and unemployment rises.
What type of problems could come from an economic depression?
When was the most recent economic depression in the United States history?

26. Economic Affects on Farmers?
The major domestic issue that occurred under the Articles of Confederation was known as Shays’ Rebellion.
The economic depression affected many farmers, especially farmers in Massachusetts.
As crop prices declined, many farmers could not pay their taxes.
The state government began seizing farms in order to collect money from the unpaid taxes.
Many farmers demanded that the state government step in and assist them.

27. What was the cause of Shays’ Rebellion?
Many farmers could not pay their taxes.
The state government began seizing farms in order to collect money from the unpaid taxes.
Farmers wanted help from the government instead they found themselves homeless or in prison.

28. Shays’ Rebellion
When the state government refused to help, the farmers became upset. Daniel Shays (a farmer and former Revolutionary Captain) led an uprising of about 1,000 Massachusetts farmers to overthrow the government. Shays and other leaders were arrested, but only two were hanged.

29. Section 2: The Constitutional Convention
What role did compromise play in the creation of the United States Constitution?
Why did delegates involved in the Constitution Convention keep their debates secret?
How was the national government organized under the Virginia Plan?
What is the significance of the Constitution’s first phrase: “We the People of the United States…”?

30. Constitution Convention
After the economic depression and the domestic issue of Shays’ Rebellion, it was clear that the government needed to revise the Articles of Confederation.
The states held The Constitutional Convention in 1787, because Articles of Confederation were too weak and needed to be revised.
The Constitutional Convention consisted of fifty-five delegates from twelve states; Rhode Island was the only states that decided not to send a representative.

31. Virginia Plan
The Virginia Plan proposed many ideas to incorporate into the new constitution for the federal government.
The Virginia Plan called for a strong central government with three separate branches.

32. What did the Virginia Plan purpose, to structure the central government?
A strong central government and three branches of government.

33. Branches of Government
The three branches would be the legislative, executive and judicial branch.
Congress would become the legislative branch and be in charge of making the laws. (Congress would be divided into two houses a lower and upper house)
Executive branch would ensure that the laws were carried out.
Judicial branch would include a system of courts to interpret the laws.

34. What were the three branches of government established through the Virginia Plan?
The three branches of government established by the Virginia Plan were the executive branch, legislative branch and judicial branch.

35. Representation
The Virginia Plan called for each state to be represented based on population.
Virginia Plan favored larger states with higher populations.
Under the Virginia Plan, the larger your state’s population the more votes you would receive in Congress.
This was great for highly populated states, but unfair for less populated states.

36. Small States Fight Back
Smaller states opposed the Virginia Plan, because it reduced their power in the national government.
The smaller states wanted each state to have the same number of votes in Congress, also known as the legislative branch.
The smaller states favored equal representation in Congress, rather than representation based off of population.

37. Why did the smaller states dislike the Virginia Plan?
Under the Virginia Plan, the larger your state’s population the more votes you would receive in Congress.
Therefore, any state with a small population would receive little representation in the federal/central government.

38. The New Jersey Plan
The New Jersey Plan favored the small states, and contrasted the Virginia Plan.
The New Jersey Plan called for a single house of Congress, with equal representation for each state.
The plan also expanded the power of the Congress to include raising money and regulating commerce (business).

39. How did the New Jersey Plan structure representation for each state?
The New Jersey Plan called for a single house of Congress, with equal representation for each state.

40. The Great Compromise What is a compromise?
A compromise is an agreement in which each side gives up part of what it wants.
The key to Roger Sherman’s Great Compromise was a two-house Congress.
The lower house, called the House of Representatives, would be based on population and favor large states.
The upper house, or Senate, would allow each state two seats for senators, and favor the small states.

41. How was the issue of state representation solved?
The issue of state representation was solved through the Great Compromise.
There would be two houses/parts to Congress.
The lower house, called the House of Representatives, would be based on population and favor large states.
The upper house, or Senate, would allow each state two seats for senators, and favor the small states.

44. Representatives in Congress
What does it mean to be a representative of the House of Representatives?
Representatives from the House of Representatives are individuals who are elected by the people and serve two year terms.
The House of Representatives are based off of a state’s population.
What does it mean to be a Senator in the Senate?
Senators are chosen to serve in the Senate by state legislatures.
Each senator serves six years terms for their state.
Every state is equally represented with two senators.

45. Issue of Slavery and Population
The southern states wanted to include enslaved people in the population count for the state’s representation.
If southern states included enslaved people into the population these states would receive more representation in Congress.
Northern delegates disagreed with including enslaved people into the population for representatives, because enslaved people could not vote.
If enslaved people could not vote, the northern delegates declared that it would be unfair to count enslaved people towards a state’s representation.

46. 3/5 Compromise?
Congress agreed to a plan called the Three-Fifths Compromise.
The compromise stated that each enslaved person would be counted as three-fifths of a free person.
This compromise allowed for a portion of the enslaved people in the south to count as a part of the state’s representation for Congress.

47. How was the issue of slavery and state representation solved?
The issue of slavery and state representation was solved through the Three-fifths Compromise (3/5s)
The compromise stated that each enslaved person would be counted as three-fifths of a free person.
This allowed for a portion of the enslaved people in the south to count as a part of the state’s representation for Congress.

48. The Preamble A preamble is the introduction of an official document.
The Preamble (In the United States Constitution) highlights a major difference between the Constitution and the Articles of Confederation.
The Preamble also claims the Constitution takes its authority from the people rather than from the states.

49. Section 3: Debating the Constitution
How did those in favor of the Constitution achieve its ratification?
Why did Antifederalists believe that the Constitutional Convention had gone too far?
Why was the vote in Virginia so important?
Why did Congress move quickly to pass the Bill of Rights?

50. Federalists
Supporters of the Constitution were called Federalists, because they favored a strong federal, or national, government.
Some Federalists like James Madison, Alexander Hamilton and John Jay published the Federalist Papers.
The Federalist Papers were a series of 85 newspaper essays that supported the Constitution.

51. What did Federalists support during the ratifying of the constitution?
The Federalists favored a strong federal, or national, government.

52. Antifederalists
Antifederalists were opponents of ratifying, or approving, the Constitution.
Antifederalists agreed that the Articles of Confederation were not strong enough.
However, they felt the Constitutional Convention had gone too far.

53. Opposition to the Constitution
Weakening the States –
Antifederalists argued that the Constitution weakened the state governments.
They feared that a too-strong central government, like that of England, would wipe out state power and individual freedom.
No Bill of Rights –
Antifederalists also pointed out that the proposed Constitution offered no protections for basic freedoms.
President or King? –
Another objection was that the Constitution provided for a President who could be reelected again and again.
Patrick Henry said, “Your President may easily become a king.”

54. What did Anti-Federalists fear about the new constitution?
Anti-Federalists feared that a too-strong central government, like that of England, would wipe out state power and individual freedom.

55. What did Anti-Federalists demand?
Anti-Federalists demanded their be a bill of rights add to the United States Constitution.

56. The Constitution and Massachusetts
The Antifederalists felt that Massachusetts would not ratify the Constitution, because opposition to the Constitution was strong in rural areas from the issue of Shays’ Rebellion.
However, the Federalists were able to design a major campaign throughout Massachusetts to receive enough votes to ratify the Constitution.

57. Establishing the Government
Executive Office
George Washington became the first President elected under the new constitution and John Adams was the first Vice President.
In the past the person who received the majority of the votes became the President of the United States. The runner-up became the Vice President. This was changed when the Twelfth Amendment was passed.

58. Bill of Rights
One of the first tasks of the new Congress in 1789 was to draft a bill of rights to the Constitution.
An amendment is an addition or alteration to the Constitution.
Amendments allow our constitution to be flexible and change throughout time.
The Bill of Rights consist of the first ten amendments of the Constitution.

59. The Goal of the Bill of Rights
The Bill of Rights aims to protect people against abuses by the federal government.
Many of the amendments came out of the colonists’ struggle with Britain.

60. Why was the first tasks of Congress establishing a bill of rights?
Anti-Federalists demanded a bill of rights to be added to the constitution
People and states wanted individuals freedoms protected by constitution and the federal government.
The Bill of Rights aims to protect people against abuses by the federal government.

61. Where did a majority of the bill of rights originate from?
Many of the amendments came out of the colonists’ struggle with Britain.

62. Framers of the Constitution
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention are often called the Framers, because they framed, or shaped, our form of government.