HistoryC7BK

Question 1

Define constitution

Answer 1

plan of government

Question 2

So What? constitution

Answer 2

each state had their own constitution under the Articles of the Confederation, which lead to a weak central government until the states were united under the United States Constitution

Question 3

Define petition

Answer 3

apply to

Question 4

So What? petition

Answer 4

When the population of a district equaled the population of the smallest state, the district could petition Congress to become a state.

Question 5

Define bicameral

Answer 5

legislative systems divided into two houses

Question 6

So What? bicameral

Answer 6

under the Articles of the Confederation, many states created bicameral systems in order to divide the ruling power; later, the United States Constitution used the part of the Virginia Plan that included two houses

Question 7

Define ordinance

Answer 7

a law

Question 8

So What? ordinance

Answer 8

The Ordinance of 1785 created a plan for surveying and selling the land northwest of the Ohio River by dividing the area into townships.

Question 9

Define republic

Answer 9

a government in which citizens rule through elected representatives

Question 10

So What? republic

Answer 10

most Americans wanted a republic, but they were not sure how to organize it; the early republic created a central government that was too weak to function effectively

Question 11

Define clause

Answer 11

condition added to a document

Question 12

So What? clause

Answer 12

The Northwest Ordinance included a clause that forbid ‘slavery nor involuntary servitude’ in the Northwest Territory.

Question 13

Define depreciate

Answer 13

to lower in value

Question 14

So What? depreciate

Answer 14

money issued during the Revolutionary War depreciated until it was nearly worthless, so Congress and the states created their own money, but that too was worthless because they had no gold or silver

Question 15

Define Articles of Confederation

Answer 15

the first constitution of the United States, adopted in November 1777

Question 16

So What? Articles of the Confederation

Answer 16

the Articles created a central government that was limited, but was so weak that it could not act efficiently

Question 17

Define John Adams

Answer 17

colonial leader sent to London in 1785 to discuss British trading issues

Question 18

So What? John Adams

Answer 18

The British refused to discuss with John Adams because America had not done its part of the Treaty of Paris.

Question 19

Define depression

Answer 19

a period in which economic activity slows and unemployment increases

Question 20

So What? depression

Answer 20

the United States had a depression after the Revolutionary War, partly because its central government was to weak to solve problems

Question 21

Define manumission

Answer 21

the freeing of individual slaves

Question 22

So What? manumission

Answer 22

slavery became an important issue after the Revolutionary War; Virginia passed a law encouraging manumission

Question 23

Define proportional

Answer 23

corresponding in size

Question 24

So What? proportional

Answer 24

the Virginia Plan, from James Madison, had two houses in which the number of representatives for each state was proportional to its population

Question 25

Define compromise

Answer 25

an agreement between two or more sides in which each side gives up some of what it wants

Question 26

So What? compromise

Answer 26

the Constitution is a document of compromises

Question 27

Define Shay’s Rebellion

Answer 27

a rebellion of angry farmers led by Daniel Shays in 1786 that forced western Massachusetts courts to close so that the judges could not take away their lands; they then attacked a arsenal but were scared by a militia; the rebellion convinced many people that a stronger government was needed

Question 28

Define James Madison

Answer 28

a Virginia planter who created the Virginia Plan for the Constitution

Question 29

So What? James Madison

Answer 29

the Virginia plan created a legislature with two houses, in both, every state was represented by its population

Question 30

Define Alexander Hamilton

Answer 30

a New York lawyer who proposed the Constitution Convention

Question 31

So What? Alexander Hamilton

Answer 31

the Constitution Convention was created to fix the problems of the United States, and took on importance once George Washington agreed to attend

Question 32

Define Virginia Plan

Answer 32

a plan for a national government with two houses, in both, every state was represented by its population

Question 33

Define New Jersey Plan

Answer 33

a plan for a national government with one house and one vote for each state, as well as a weak executive branch

Question 34

So What? New Jersey Plan

Answer 34

the new Jersey plan largely kept the Articles of the Confederation but gave Congress more power

Question 35

Define Great Compromise

Answer 35

Roger Sherman proposed two houses, one in which each state would be represented by population, the other in which each sate would have two members

Question 36

So What? Great Compromise

Answer 36

the states agreed to create a compromise between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan

Question 37

Define Three-Fifths Compromise

Answer 37

each enslaved person counted as three-fifths of a free person when calculating taxation and representation

Question 38

So What? Three-Fifths Compromise

Answer 38

Northern states wanted slaves to count for taxation but not representation, while southern states wanted slaves to count for representation.

Question 39

Define Commerce Compromise

Answer 39

Congress would not ban the slave trade until 1808, but could tax imports (i.e. slaves) but not exports (i.e. cotton)

Question 40

So What? Commerce Compromise

Answer 40

Northern states wanted to end the slave trade, while Southern states wanted it to continue.

Question 41

Define Federalism

Answer 41

sharing power between the federal and state governments

Question 42

So What? Federalism

Answer 42

Federalism is a key feature of the Constitution that restrains the abilities of Congress

Question 43

Define legislative branch

Answer 43

the law-making branch of a government

Question 44

So What? legislative branch

Answer 44

Congress is the legislative branch of the United States government

Question 45

Define executive branch

Answer 45

the branch of government that carries out national law and policy

Question 46

So What? executive branch

Answer 46

the executive branch was designed to be limited after the experience with British rule, but has the power to lead the armed forces

Question 47

Define judicial branch

Answer 47

the court system headed by the Supreme Court

Question 48

So What? judicial branch

Answer 48

the judicial branch interprets the meaning of laws and tries criminal and civil cases

Question 49

Define checks and balances

Answer 49

each part of the government has ways to limit the other parts so none can become too powerful

Question 50

So What? checks and balances

Answer 50

checks and balances ensure that power does not become concentrated in a single ruler or group of rulers

Question 51

Define amendment

Answer 51

changes or additions to the Constitution

Question 52

So What? amendment

Answer 52

the Constitution is flexible, so it can be modified to fit the needs of the country

Question 53

Define Electoral College

Answer 53

a special group of voters who are chosen by states to vote for the President

Question 54

So What? Electoral College

Answer 54

the Electoral College ensures that the states have a part in electing the President

Question 55

Define John Locke

Answer 55

English philosopher of the Enlightenment

Question 56

So What? John Locke

Answer 56

believed that all people have natural rights and that the government should be based on a agreement between the people and the ruler to protect the people's rights and limit the government

Question 57

Define Baron de Montesquieu

Answer 57

French philosopher of the Enlightenment

Question 58

So What? Baron de Montesquieu

Answer 58

believed that power should be separated and each ruling body balanced so that no single group or person could have too much power

Question 59

Define Federalist

Answer 59

supporters of the new Constitution and the new powers it provided

Question 60

So What? Federalist

Answer 60

George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, along with many other political thinkers, supported the Constitution

Question 61

Define Anti-Federalist

Answer 61

people who opposed the Constitution

Question 62

So What? Anti-Federalist

Answer 62

wrote their own essays opposing the Constitution and thought that it took away the freedoms that they had fought to win from Britain

Question 63

Define popular sovereignty

Answer 63

authority of the people

Question 64

So What? popular sovereignty

Answer 64

the Constitution is based on giving the people power through their representatives

Question 65

Define enumerated powers

Answer 65

powers that belong only to the federal government

Question 66

So What? enumerated powers

Answer 66

only the federal government can create money, regulate interstate and foreign trade, maintain the military, and create federal courts

Question 67

Define reserved powers

Answer 67

powers retained by the states

Question 68

So What? reserved powers

Answer 68

the states can establish schools, pass marriage and divorce laws, and regulate trade inside the state

Question 69

Define concurrent powers

Answer 69

powers shared between the federal and state governments

Question 70

So What? concurrent powers

Answer 70

the right to raise taxes, borrow money, provide for public welfare, and administer criminal justice

Question 71

Define implied powers

Answer 71

powers not specifically defined in the constitution

Question 72

So What? implied powers

Answer 72

Congress interprets the elastic clause to mean that it has implied powers that it can use to make laws that adapt to changing needs; Congress uses the commerce clause to regulate areas such airlines, radio, and television

Question 73

So What? Virginia Plan

Answer 73

smaller states did not like being represented by population and supported the New Jersey Plan instead