Slavery and the Constitution Flashcards
What was the Articles of Confederation and what were 3 weaknesses of it? PP
It was the first draft for the government. Some weaknesses of it were, states could tax other states’ goods. it also gave too much power to the states. a third weakness was that the central government could not tax states, so it ha not funding
What was the Constitutional Convention? When was It? Who attended? What was its purpose?
A meeting in 1787 when 12 of the 13 states sent representatives to meet together. Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, Roger Sherman, and George Washington were notable figures. They met to revise the articles of Confederation.
Aside from the “Great Compromise,” (over representation in the law making branch), describe three compromises reached by the delegates of the Constitutional Convention
- Three-fifths compromise: They decided to count slaves as three fifths of a person when deciding how many representatives someone should get in the house of representatives.
- Two-thirds compromise: If the president veto’s a law, the congress can override the veto with a two thirds vote
- 1808 compromise: They agreed that the slave trade would not be stopped until 1808.
Great Compromise
(Also known as the Connecticut Compromise) A compromise between small and bigger states during the 1787 Constitutional Convention on how to organize Congress, where each state has two representatives in the senate and where the number of representatives in the House of Representatives is based off of population size (1 rep.=40,000 people).
Who were anti-federalists? Explain two reasons why they opposed the constitution
Anti-federalists were people who did not support the constitution. One reason they didn’t support it at first is because it didn’t have a bill of rights. Another reason is they thought the government had too much power, and they thought state governments should have more power.
Shay’s rebellion
A rebellion of farmers who were angry because of the taxes being raised, 1786, it was significant because it caused the US to come up with a new government.
Who were the loyalists and how did the war affect them
The loyalists were inhabitants of the colonies who supported Britain. After the war, they were alienated by their friends and forced out of towns. Some of them even had property taken by the government.
Dunmore’s Proclamation
In 1775, the governor of Virginia gave thousands of slaves freedom, if they fought in the war.
Dunmore’s Proclamation
British governor of Virginia offered thousands of slaves freedom in 1775 if they fought against the Patriots.
How did the plight of women and slaves change as a result of the Revolutionary War?
Women had easier access to divorce and education. Also slaves that fought in the war got freed and several northern states freed all their slaves.
Slavery compromises in the constitution
3/5ths compromise - a slave counted as 3/5 of a person in determining the number of representatives state got in the House of Representatives. 1808 compromise- the slave trade would end in 1808, and every slave traded would be taxed $10.
NW Ordinance
The Northwest Ordinance, adopted July 13, 1787, by the Confederation Congress (Articles of Confederation), chartered a government for the Northwest Territory, provided a method for admitting new states to the Union from the territory.
How did the Constitution become the law of the land? (In other words, how was it ratified?)
9 of the 13 states ratified the constitution. Each state held a convention and voted on accepting or rejecting the Constitution.
Comparison: Explain three ways the Constitution was a better plan of government than the Articles of Confederation.
1: It had a Bill of Rights that had listed the rights of the people of the land.
2: The government had a President who could guild the country.
3: Strong central government through armies and taxes
explain 3 ways the constitution was a better plan of government than the articles of confederation
it created a strong central government
with no too little power or too much power.
regulation of trade.
