Question 1

When the United States got its independence from Britian in 1783, they formed a government based on a republic. What is a republic?

Accepted Answer

A form of Democracy in which people elect their leaders who then represent them in govrnment.

Question 2

What was the name of the first national government?

Accepted Answer

The Articles of Confederation

Question 3

Describe the relationship of power between the national government and the state governments during the era under the Articles of Conferderation.

Accepted Answer

The states had more power than the national govenrment; the national government were weak while the states were strong; the states were almost like independent contries and were not very united.

Question 4

Why did the americans create such a weak national government when they form the articles of confederation?

Accepted Answer

They wanted to protect the people and the states government from tyranny-from the abuses of a strong national government.

Question 5

(a) Name one reason the national government under the articles of confederation could be considered a success. (b) Name two reasons it could be considered a failure

Accepted Answer

(a) The national government did not become tyrannical; did not overtax the states; did not tax any citizen liberties.(b) The national government was too weak; it did not have the power to tax, had no president to offer leaderrship, had no national courts.

Question 6

One of the laws passed by Conggress under the Articles of Confederation was the land ordinance of 1785. What did this law do.

Accepted Answer

It divided the Northwest territories into 36 square miles townships that were divided into 36 small farms; the 16 farm was not sold, but reserved for a school and post office

Question 7

One of the laws passed by congress under the articles of confederation was the northwest ordinance of 1787. Explain how this law allowed western territories to become states.

Accepted Answer

once 5,000 people moved to a territory, citizens would apply for a self-governing legislature; but when 60,000 people moved to a territory citizens could apply to become a state

Question 8

(a) How did the land ordinance of 1785 encourage education?(b)How did the northwest ordinance deal with slavery

Accepted Answer

(a) this law divided western territories township with 36 farms per town.The 16th farm was not sold and was always reserved for public school. the school was funded by taxes from the other 35 farm;(b) the northwest of 1787 outlawed slavery of the northwes

Question 9

How did shay's rebellion lead to the formation of the constitution?

Accepted Answer

this rebellion proved that the articles of conferderation were to weak.When the national government could not collect taxes to raise an army to stop the rebellion, people began calling for a stronger national government and the constituion was created.

Question 10

Name two ways the national government under the constitution was stronger than the national government under the articles of conferderation.

Accepted Answer

Under the constution, the national government had the power to tax a president, a ntional court system, a national currency, a national bank, and had supremacy over the states.

Question 11

Why did 55 american meet in Philadelphia in 1787?

Accepted Answer

This meeting was called the constitutional convention and was held to find ways to revise the articles of conferation. Instead of fixing the articles they replaced this national government with the constitution.

Question 12

What was the name of the plan James Madison suggested that the national government have a president, a bi-cameral congress, and state representation in this congress determined by a state’s population size.

Accepted Answer

The Virginia Plan

Question 13

Explain the Northwest Ordinance's importance in the westward migration of Americans, and on slavery, public education, and the addition of new states

Accepted Answer

it established the precedent by which the federal government would be sovereign and expand westward across North America  with the admission of new states , rather than with the expansion of existing states and their established sovereignty under the Arti

Question 14

What was the name of this plan suggested that the national government have a congress in which every state had an equal number of representatives so that the large states did not overpower the smaller states

Accepted Answer

The New Jersey Plan

Question 15

During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, how did the “Great Compromise” settle the disagreement between the Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan?

Accepted Answer

This compromise created a bi-cameral Congress with a House of Representatives and a Senate. The Senate made the small states happy because each state had two representatives, regardless of its population size.

Question 16

During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, the Southern and Northern states disagreed over how to count slaves towards a state’s population size. How did the founding fathers settle this disagreement?

Accepted Answer

The Three-Fifths Compromise allowed states to count 3 of every 5 slaves. The South benefitted because they had more votes in the House of Representatives, but they also had to pay more in taxes.

Question 17

During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, what decision did the founding fathers make about whether or not to end slavery?

Accepted Answer

They compromised by not discussing slavery for 20 years.

Question 18

The Constitution is based on 5 major principles: popular sovereignty, limited government, federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances.  What are (a) popular sovereignty, and (b) limited government?

Accepted Answer

(a) The idea that the people (popular) have power (sovereignty) over their government. American citizens have the real power because they vote for leaders.  (b) The national government cannot take away citizens liberties and freedoms.

Question 19

The Constitution is based on 5 major principles: popular sovereignty, limited government, federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances.  What are (a) separation of powers, and (b) checks and balances?

Accepted Answer

(a) Power of the national government is divided among three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial branches. Each has their own powers and responsibilities;  (b) Each branch also has some power over the other two branches.

Question 20

The Constitution is based on 5 major principles: popular sovereignty, limited government, federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances.  What is federalism?

Accepted Answer

The idea that power is divided between the national government and state governments. The national government has powers to declare war, coin money, make laws and taxes, but the states have powers to create school, roads, make laws and taxes.

Question 21

Three part question:  (a) Which Article of the Constitution describes the legislative branch of government? (b) Which Article describes the executive branch? (c) Which Article describes the judicial branch?

Accepted Answer

(a) Article I, (b) Article II, (c) Article III

Question 22

Name one Constitutional power of the (a) legislative branch, (b) executive branch, (c) judicial branch.

Accepted Answer

Congress has the power to make laws,impeach and remove federal officials.the president has the power to enforce the laws passed by Congress, oversee the executive departments, negotiate treaties, appoint judges.The courts have the power to conduct trials,

Question 23

Three part question:  According to the Constitution, how long is the term of office for (a) a member of the House of Representative?  (b) a U.S. Senator,  (c) the President?

Accepted Answer

(a) 2 years, (b) 6 years,  (c) 4 years

Question 24

When the Constitution was approved by the members of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, it had to be ratified. What does “ratification” mean?

Accepted Answer

To be approved by the states. Nine of the 13 states had to ratify the Constitution to make it legal.

Question 25

Two groups played key roles in the debate over the ratification of the Constitution. What were the names of these two groups?

Accepted Answer

The Federalists and Anti-Federalists

Question 26

What were the “Federalist Papers”?

Accepted Answer

A series of essays written by Hamilton and Madison that argued in favor of ratification of the new Constitution. These essays were important in that they helped convince people that a stronger national government was needed.

Question 27

What compromise was reached between the Federalists and Anti-Federalists that helped ensure that the Constitution would be ratified?

Accepted Answer

The Federalists agreed to include a Bill of Rights in the Constitution. A Bill of Rights was demanded by the Anti-Federalists in order to protect the rights of citizens from their national government.

Question 28

Who were the first two American presidents?

Accepted Answer

George Washington and John Adams

Question 29

Which U.S. president agreed to the Judiciary Act of 1789, created the first cabinet, and approved of Hamilton’s Financial Plan?

Accepted Answer

George Washington

Question 30

Alexander Hamilton and Thomas Jefferson were important members of Washington’s first cabinet, but they disagreed on a lot of issues. Name 3 differences between Hamilton and Jefferson.

Accepted Answer

Hamilton was Sec of Treasury/ Jefferson was Sec of State;  Hamilton believed in a strong national government/Jefferson believed in a weak national government and more power to states;

Question 31

When Washington was president, Alexander Hamilton proposed a Financial Plan to improve the American economy. Name two parts to his plan.

Accepted Answer

The national government should pay off all state debts (called “assumption”); the national government should pay off all debts at full face value (“funding”) rather than cutting deals and paying less money than the U.S. owes;

Question 32

Why did Jefferson so strongly oppose Hamilton’s plan to create a national Bank of the United States?

Accepted Answer

The national bank would give too much power to the wealthy elite.The Constitution did not give Congress the power to make a bank (this strict interpretation of the Constitution is called “strict construction”).

Question 33

Why is Article I, Section 8, Clause 18 of the Constitution called the “Elastic Clause”?

Accepted Answer

This gives Congress flexibility to create laws that are not stated in the Constitution is they are “necessary and proper” (needed and don’t hurt anyone).

Question 34

What were America’s first two political parties?

Accepted Answer

Federalists and Democratic-Republicans (“Republicans”)

Question 35

Two part question: (a) What caused the Whiskey Rebellion?  (b) How did this rebellion come to an end?

Accepted Answer

(a)Hamilton encouraged Congress to pass a tax on whiskey and poor farmers in western Pennsylvania did not feel like this tax was fair.  (b) The rebellion ended when Washington showed up with 13,000 troops and ended the rebellion

Question 36

How did Shays’ Rebellion and the Whiskey Rebellion reveal differences between the powers of the national governments of the Articles of Confederation and the Constitution?

Accepted Answer

Shays’ Rebellion showed how weak the national government was during the era of the Articles of Confederation,Whiskey Rebellion showed how much stronger the national government was during the era of the Constitution

Question 37

Three part question:Which two nations went to war in 1793 that was a problem during Washington and Adams presidencies? Which side did Jefferson support in this war? What decision did Washington make regarding American involvement in this war?

Accepted Answer

(a) Britain and France; (b) France; (c) Proclamation of Neutrality; he said that America would not help either side

Question 38

What two pieces of advice did Washington give Americans in his Farewell Address in 1796?

Accepted Answer

Watch out for political parties; Avoid “entangling alliances” with foreign nations, especially European nations.

Question 39

Name two precedents that were established by George Washington while he was president.

Accepted Answer

two terms, strong/active leader, title is “Mr. President,” create a cabinet of advisors, America should remain neutral in foreign wars.

Question 40

During the presidency of John Adams, France and England were at war and the French were seizing American merchant ships. When Adams tried to negotiate an end to this harassment, French officials demanded a bribe. What was the name of this event?

Accepted Answer

XYZ Affair

Question 41

Why were the Alien and Sedition Acts that were passed by Federalists during John Adams presidency such a big mistake for the Federalists?

Accepted Answer

This laws make it illegal to criticize the president; Republicans argued that this was a violation of peoples’ right to freedom of speech. The Federalists were never able to recover from this mistake.

Question 42

Jefferson and Madison were so outraged by the Alien and Sedition Acts passed by Federalists that they wrote a essays arguing that states can ignore (“nullify”) national laws that are unfair. What was the name of this series of essays?

Accepted Answer

Virginia and Kentucky Resolves

Question 43

Two part question:  (a) Who won the Election of 1800 and became our third president?  (b) Which political party was he a part of?

Accepted Answer

(a) Thomas Jefferson;  (b) Democratic-Republican (“Republican”)

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Mid-Term Final