Lecture 4

Question 1

What is the Articles of Confederation?

Answer 1

Ratified in 1781, the first loosely organized federal government was written by the Continental Congress and created a decentralized union of autonomous states.

Question 2

Signs of Social Disorder

Answer 2

Massive national debt.
Incidents such as Shay’s Rebellion, 1786-87: unrest in western Massachusetts.
Economic division.

Question 3

Responses to Social Disorder

Answer 3

Cultural production (art, music, literature)
Benjamin Franklin’s Autobiography, Part II
Constitutional Convention

Question 4

Constitutional (Federal) Convention

Answer 4

Convened May 25th, 1787 in Philadelphia

Question 5

What were Federalists?

Answer 5

Supporters of a strong centralized government, led by James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay.

Question 6

Who was James Madison?

Answer 6

Advocated a strong central government and he co-wrote the Federalist Papers and became the fourth President of the United States.

Question 7

What was the Federalist No. 10 Paper about?

Answer 7

It was a response to common perceptions that a republic could only function properly if small and identified the origin of factions.

Question 8

What was the Federalist No. 54 Paper about?

Answer 8

It explains the Constitution’s methods for including slaves in calculating taxation and congressional representation.

Question 9

What were the Anti-Federalists?

Answer 9

Feared centralized powers could tyrannize people and
promoted the “reflection” principle: that the government should reflect, not filter, the makeup of society.