Chapter 7 Intro To Constitution

Front 1

What terms of the Treaty of Paris did British ignore?

Back 1

-Kept troops at frontier posts in United States

Front 2

As the colonies created their state constitutions, how did they show their distrust of a single ruler?

Back 2

-Adopted constitutions that limited the power of the governor

Front 3

Two ways in which the colonial constitutions limited the power of legislatures

Back 3

-Bicameral legislatures
-State legislatures popularly elected, and elections were frequet

Front 4

Branch of government that had the most power in the new state government

Back 4

Legislatures , because people restricted the powers of governors

Front 5

Ordiance of 1785

Back 5

Law that established a procedure for surveying and selling the land north of Ohio River and divided western lands into township

Front 6

Northwest Ordiance of 1787

Back 6

-Created a single northwest territory out of the lands north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River
-Land divided into five territories
-Apply for statehood

Front 7

Financial problems of new government

Back 7

-Paper $ during war had depreciated
-Congress began to process their own paper money
-Had a huge debt [American citizens, foreign governments, and soldiers]

Front 8

Terms of Articles of Confederation

Back 8

-National government [Confederation Congress] had the authority to conduct foreign affairs, maintain armed forces, borrow $, issue currency
-Could not regulate trade, force soldiers to join army, or impose taxes
-States were not required to contribute
-Lacked a chief executive to enforce its laws

Front 9

Robert Morris' import tax plan

Back 9

-5% tax on imported goods
-Not all 13 states [12 approved], so it "killed the measure"

Front 10

How Great Britain and American states failed to live up to the terms of Treaty of Paris

Back 10

Britain
-Did not withdraw troops
-Kept Americans out of profitable British markets
America
-Did not pay Loyalists for property taken throughtout the war

Front 11

Problems between American states and Spain

Back 11

-Spain closed off lower Mississippi River to American shipping [worried that Americans might expand land into their territory]
-Agreement was reached between Americans & Spain, but Southern states rejected it <-- they would have to give up Mississippi River

Front 12

Farmers' problem

Back 12

-Couldnt sell their goods, so lead to problems paying the taxes that the states levied to meet the Revolutionary War debt

Front 13

Shay's Rebellion

Back 13

-Led by Daniel Shays
-Farmers forced courts in western Massachusetts to close so judges couldnt confiscate their lands
-Shays lead more than 1000 farmers to the federal arsenal
-Frightened many Americans --> worried whether the government could control unrest and prevent violence

Front 14

Change in institution of slavery

Back 14

-North abolished slavery
-South clung to slavery

Front 15

Virginia Plan

Back 15

-Devised by James Madison
-Two-house legislature
-Chief executive chosen by legislature
-Court system
-Members of lower house elected by people
-Members of upper house elected by those in lower house
-In the houses, # of representatives would be proportional to the population in states

Front 16

New Jersey Plan

Back 16

-William Paterson devised it
-Alternative plan that modified the Articles of Confederation
-Kept Confederation's one-house Congress with equal representation
-Proposed to give expanded power to tax and trade

Front 17

Roger Sherman & Great Compromise

Back 17

-Roger Sherman [representative from Connecticut]
-Two house legislature
-Lower house (House of Representatives), # of representatives would be proportional to population in state
-Upper house (Senate) each state would have two members

Front 18

Three-Fifths Compromise

Back 18

-Every five slaves would be equal to three white people
-Taxation and representation purposes

Front 19

Compromise regarding slave trade

Back 19

-Congress would not interfere with slave trade for 20 years
-After that Congress could limit slave trade

Front 20

Why delegates Elbridge Gerry and George Mason refused to sign Constitution

Back 20

No bill of rights was written at that time

Front 21

John Locke's view of government

Back 21

-Believed that all people should have a natural right to life, libery, and property
-Government is based on an agreement between the people and ruler [Contract protected the people and the rules]

Front 22

Montesquieu's idea about separating powers of government

Back 22

-Declared that powers of government should be separated and balanced against each other
-Separation would keep any one person or group from gaining too much power
-Powers should be defined & limited to prevent misuse

Front 23

Job of legeslative branch

Back 23

-Collecting taxes
-Coining money
-Regulating trade
-Could declare war
-Make all laws need to meet the functions given by the Constitution

Front 24

Job of executive branch

Back 24

-Carry out the nation's laws and policies
-President was to be head of it

Front 25

Job of judicial branch

Back 25

Supreme and federal courts
-Hear cases
-Judge laws

Front 26

Purpose of checks and balances

Back 26

Keep any branch from gaining too much power

Front 27

Federalists & Antifederalists

Back 27

-Federalists: supporters of Constitution [very organized]
-Antifederalists: opposers of ratification of Constitution [werent as organized]

Front 28

Book [The Federalist]

Back 28

-Written by Madison, Hamilton, and Jay
-Series of essays explaining and defending the Constitution

Front 29

Major critiscism of Constitution

Back 29

-Would give federal government too much power

Front 30

Added to Constitution in 1791

Back 30

Bill of Rights

Front 31

Two ways American citizens protected from injustices

Back 31

-Laws are to be passed
-Courts are to be run

Front 32

Two kinds of liberties

Back 32

-Liberty of individual
-Liberty of country

Front 33

Weaknesses ofthe Articles of Confederation

Back 33

-No chief executive
-Laws needed approval by nine of thirteen states
-Congress did not have the power to tax citizens [could only request tax $ from states]
-Congress did not have power to draft an army [could only request states to send men for military services]
-No national court system
-Any amendments [changes] to the Articles must be approved by all 13 states
-Congress did not have the power to collect state debts owed to federal government
-Congress did not have the power to settle disputes among states

Front 34

Weaknesses ofthe Articles of Confederation

Back 34

-No chief executive
-Laws needed approval by nine of thirteen states
-Congress did not have the power to tax citizens [could only request tax $ from states]
-Congress did not have power to draft an army [could only request states to send men for military services]
-No national court system
-Any amendments [changes] to the Articles must be approved by all 13 states
-Congress did not have the power to collect state debts owed to federal government
-Congress did not have the power to settle disputes among states

Front 35

What is government?

Back 35

Excercise of authority over an organization, state, district, or any other grouping of people

Front 36

Why government is needed

Back 36

Thomas Paine exaggerated that government is a necessary evil.

Front 37

Natural rights

Back 37

Life
Liberty
Property

Front 38

How natural rights is protected

Back 38

-People should make an agreement called a social contract
-Should give up some of their freedoms in exchange for protection and security
-Should consent to follow laws in exchange for protection of their natural rights [John Locke's idea]

Front 39

Democracy

Back 39

Government in which people rule themselves

Front 40

republican government

Back 40

-Citizens have to power to govern
-Citizens elect leaders to represent them and serve their interests
-Representatives are responsible for promoting the good of the entire community

Front 41

How republican government should be organized in order to make sure that common welfare would be properly served

Back 41

-Separate the powers
-Balance the powers
-Provide checks

Front 42

Legislative =

Back 42

Congress

House of Reps
Senate

Front 43

Executive =

Back 43

President

Cabinet

Front 44

Judicial

Back 44

Supreme Court

Appeals Courts

District Courts

Front 45

federalism

Back 45

-some powers reserved for individual states
-some powers reserved for national government

Front 46

Powers delegated to national government

Back 46

-Declare war
-Maintain armed forces
-Admit new states
-Regulate interstate and foreign trade
-Establish post offices
-Set standard weights and measures
-Coin money
-Establish foreign policy
-Make all laws necessary and proper for carrying out delegated powers

Front 47

Powers shared by national and state governments

Back 47

-Maintain law and order
-Levy taxes
-Borrow money
-Charter banks
-Establish courts
-Provide for the common welfare

Front 48

Powers reserved to states

Back 48

-Establish and maintain schools
-Establish local schools
-Conduct elections
-Create corporation laws
-Regulate business within the state
-Make marriage laws
-Provide for public safety
-Assume other powers not delegated to the national government or prohibited to the states