Historical Documents Study Guide

Name ________________ Test Date ___________

1. Federalists favored a strong national government and the Constitution. 2. Shays Rebellion is an example of why the Article of Confederation were weak and needed to be replaced. 3. Under the Three-Fifths Compromise, enslaved Africans were not totally included in the states population count for representation in Congress. 4. Delegates from small states opposed the Virginia Plan because it was based on population, which would give the larger states control of the government. 5. Gouvernour Morris, a lawyer and ally of George Washington, wrote the Preamble of the U.S. Constitution. 6. At the Constitutional Convention, the Great Compromise created a federal government plan that addressed the concerns of large and small states. 7. The Preamble of the Constitution was written to state the reasons for creating the government (form a more perfect union, establish justice, insure domestic tranquility, provide for the comm on defense, promote the general welfare, and secure the blessings of liberty). 8. Anti-Federalists were opposed to ratifying the Constitution because they didnt want a strong national government. 9. Three-fourths of the states had to ratify the Constitution before it was adopted by the United States. 10. The First Amendment in the Bill of Rights protects the freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and petition. 11. The Legislative Branch can make laws, declare war, collect taxes, approve judges, and overrule the Presidents decisions. 12. The Executive Branch, which includes the President, enforces and carries out the laws. 13. The President has the power to veto bills passed by Congress, offer ideas for new laws, can nominate people for government positions, and is Commander in Chief of the armed forces. 14. The Judicial Branch interprets the laws to decide if they are constitutional. 15. The first ten amendments are called The Bill of Rights. 16. The Bill of Rights was added to the Constitution because citizens worried their rights would not be protected. 17. The Constitutional Convention resulted in: improving the Articles of Confederation, dividing the government into three branches, compromising on the number of representatives for each state, and giving both state and national governments powers. 18. The Northwest Ordinance determined how new states would be added to the U.S. 19. George Mason, an anti-federalist, refused to sign the Constitution without a Bill of Rights. 20. Checks and Balances is a system by which each branch of government can limit the power of the other two branches. 21. James Madison is known as the father of The Constitution. 22. George Washington was the President of the Constitutional Convention, and helped to ratify The Constitution.