Transcript The Constitutional Era 1781-1789

The Constitutional Era
1781-1789
What is a republic?
• A representative
democracy
How does a republic
work?
• The people elect
representatives
• Representatives make the
laws
What was the first attempt at
workable government in the
United States?
• The Articles of
Confederation
What was the basic problem
with the government under the
Articles of Confederation?
• Too weak
What does the
Constitution provide?
• The basic framework for the
U.S. government
For what two reasons had
Americans fought the
Revolutionary War?
• Unfair taxation by
Parliament
• King George III had ruled
like a tyrant
How did the Articles of
Confederation limit Congress’
lawmaking power?
• No power to tax
• No power to regulate
interstate commerce
What is a synonym for
commerce?
• Trade
What is currency?
• Paper money
Where did the Constitutional
Convention meet?
• Philadelphia,
Pennsylvania
What is a compromise?
• An agreement in which
both sides get part of what
they want, but neither side
gets all of what it wants
What two Virginians played
important roles at the
Constitutional Convention?
• George Washington
• James Madison
What position did George
Washington hold at the
Constitutional Convention?
• President (chairman) of the
Constitutional Convention
Who wrote the
“Virginia Plan”?
• James Madison
Who often led the debate and
kept a written record of the
Constitutional Convention?
• James Madison
Who is considered the
“Father of the Constitution”?
• James Madison
What is another name for
national law?
• Federal law
What does it mean to say that
federal law is the supreme law
of the land?
• When state law conflicts with
federal (national) law, then
the federal law overrides the
state law.
What clause of the
Constitution says that federal
law is the supreme law of the
land?
• The supremacy clause
What type of national
legislature did Madison’s
“Virginia Plan” propose?
• A two-house legislature
• Population would determine
a state’s representation in
both houses of Congress
What effect would the
“Virginia Plan” have on the
smaller states’ influence in
the government?
• Reduce it greatly
How did the small states
respond to the “Virginia
Plan”?
• Rejected it
• Proposed the “New Jersey
Plan”
What did the
“New Jersey Plan”
say about representation in the
national legislature?
• Each state would have equal
representation, regardless
of population.
Which states would have
been hurt by the
“New Jersey Plan”?
• The large states
What solved the large
state/small state
disagreement about
representation in Congress?
• The Great Compromise
How did the Great
Compromise solve the big
state/small state
disagreement about
representation in the
national legislature?
• Congress would be a twohouse legislature: the Senate
and the House of
Representatives
• Each state would have two
U.S. Senators
• Population would decide a
state’s membership in the
House of Representatives
What balanced power in
Congress between the
large and small states?
• The Great Compromise
What states had decided to
abolish (end) slavery in the years
right after the Revolution?
• The Northern states
What states had decided to
keep slavery after the
Revolution?
• The Southern states
Did the North want slaves
counted in figuring a state’s
representation in the House of
Representatives?
• No
Did the South want slaves
counted in figuring a state’s
representation in the House of
Representatives?
• Yes
What was the
3/5 Compromise?
• Compromise between the
North and the South
• Slaves would count as 3/5 of
a person in figuring a state’s
representation in the House
of Representatives
Define the term
separation of powers?
• The division of power
among different branches
of government
What three branches of
government did the
Constitution create?
• Legislative
• Executive
• Judicial
What is the name of the
legislative branch of the
federal government?
• Congress
What does the
legislative branch do?
• Makes the laws
What official leads the
executive branch?
• The President
What does the
executive branch do?
• Enforces the laws
What court leads the judicial
branch of the federal
government?
• The Supreme Court
What does the
judicial branch do?
• Interprets or explains the
meaning of the laws
Define
checks and balances
system.
• A government in which
each branch can stop or
check the actions of the
other branches
How many states had to
ratify the Constitution
before it could take effect?
•9
What does ratify mean?
• Approve
Why was the ratification
debate in Virginia
very important?
• Virginia was the largest state
in population and located on
the Atlantic coast right in the
center of the United States.
Who were the Federalists?
• Supporters of the
Constitution
Who were the
Anti-Federalists?
• Opponents of the
Constitution
Who were the two leading
Federalists in Virginia?
• George Washington
• James Madison
Why did the
Anti-Federalists fear a
powerful national
government?
• Believed it would destroy
the rights of individuals and
the power of the states
Who were the two leading
Anti-Federalists in
Virginia?
• Patrick Henry
• George Mason
What group wanted a Bill of
Rights included in the
Constitution?
• Anti-Federalists
Who took responsibility for
drafting a Bill of Rights?
• James Madison
What two documents did
Madison use to write the
Bill of Rights?
• Virginia Declaration of
Rights
• Virginia Statute for
Religious Freedom
Who wrote the Virginia
Declaration of Rights?
• George Mason
What was the basic idea of
the Virginia Declaration of
Rights?
• Government should not
violate basic human rights
Who wrote the
Virginia Statute for
Religious Freedom?
• Thomas Jefferson
What did the
Virginia Statute for
Religious Freedom forbid?
• An established church
Which church had been the
established church in
colonial Virginia?
• The Anglican Church
Define the term
established church.
• The practice of the colony
giving government
support to one favored
church
What basic idea did the
Virginia Statute for Religious
Freedom support?
• Freedom of religion
What is the
Bill of Rights?
• The first ten amendments
to the Constitution
What is a constitutional
amendment?
• An addition to the
Constitution
What rights are guaranteed
by the First Amendment?
• Freedom of Speech
• Freedom of the Press
• Freedom of Religion
• Freedom of Assembly
• The Right of Petition
What does freedom of
assembly mean?
• The right to gather at
public meetings
What does the right of
petition mean?
• The right to make written
requests to make changes
in the government
Define free markets.
• Business and trade
without government
regulation or rules