Study Guide
Creating the Constitution
1. Why was the Articles of Confederation unsuccessful as a government system?
2. What did the Three-Fifths Compromise establish?
3. Who authored the Bill of Rights and the “Virginia Plan”?
4. Which documents influenced the Bill of Rights?
5. Which group opposed the Bill of Rights because they believed the Constitution protected individual
rights?
6. What had to happen in order for Maryland to approve the Articles of Confederation?
7. Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress was unable to do what?
8. What was the Northwest Ordinance?
9. What was Shay’s Rebellion provoked by?
10. What was the purpose of the Constitutional Convention?
11. Describe the Virginia Plan
12. Describe the New Jersey Plan
13. What was the Great Compromise?
14. Why did the Anti-Federalists object to the proposed Constitution?
15. What major issues were addressed at the Constitutional Convention?
16. List the Shared powers between the State and Federal Governments.
17. Which group opposed a strong central government and favored a Bill of Rights?
18. How many amendments were originally submitted to the Bill of Rights?
19. List the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
20. Which 2 states refused to ratify the Constitution?
21. Which state did not send representatives to the Constitutional Convention?
22. What document written by George Mason reiterated the notion of individual rights?
23. What were the Federalist Papers?
24. Why didn’t the south was tariffs?
25. What does the Executive Branch do?
26. What does the Legislative Branch do?
27. What does the Judicial Branch do?
28. What is Federalism?
29. What is a bicameral legislature?
30. What is a unicameral legislature?
31. What is a tariff?
32. What “group” elects the President?
33. Who was considered the “Father of the Constitution”?
34. What is interstate commerce?
35. What does “ratify” mean?
36. Who was the President of the Constitutional Convention?
37. Which document outlawed an established church?
38. Describe the Land Ordinance of 1785
39. List 3 issues discussed at the Constitutional Convention and how they were resolved.