CheckPoint™
1. Analyze some of the weaknesses of government under the Articles of
Confederation [8.30]
2. Identify the major leaders of the Constitutional Convention and
explain what role they played [8.31]
3. Analyze the major issues debated during the Convention and how
they were resolved [8.31]
Number your paper from 1-7, write your
name on it, and wait for further
instructions.
1. One of the primary weaknesses of Congress under the Articles of
Confederation which led to inflation
a.
No power to tax
b.
No power to regulate interstate commerce
c.
No common currency
d.
No executive [president]
2. At the Constitutional Convention, the Virginia Plan proposed
a.
A bicameral legislature based on proportional representation
b.
A unicameral legislature based on equal representation
c.
Two branches of government: legislative and executive
d.
That most power remain with the states
3. The New Jersey Plan represented the interests of the small states
because
a.
It called for a Bill of Rights
b.
It proposed proportional representation among the states in the
congress
c.
It called for a strengthened executive
d.
It proposed equal representation among the states in the congress
4. Because Congress had no power to regulate interstate trade [commerce]
under the Articles of Confederation
a
States made agreements with one another that made trade easier
b
British merchant ships easily took control of trade routes
c
Economically depressed farmers in Massachusetts rebelled
d
States often did not cooperate, causing trade to be more difficult
5. George Washington’s served as the presiding officer during the
Constitutional Convention but his most important contribution may have
been
a.
His ability to manage the daily business of the meetings
b.
The public trust he brought to the gathering
c.
Writing the Virginia Plan
d.
Writing the Bill of Rights
6. Convention delegates broke the deadlock between large and small states
when they approved
a.
The Great Compromise
b.
The Three-Fifths Compromise
c.
The Virginia Plan
d.
The Slave Trade provision
7. Convention delegates reached a compromise between southern slave
states and northern free states when they approved the Three-Fifths
Compromise. What did it call for [say]?
CheckPoint™
TIME IS UP.
Put away your pencils and get a red pen.
1. One of the primary weaknesses of Congress under the Articles of
Confederation which led to inflation
a.
No power to tax
b.
No power to regulate interstate commerce
c.
No common currency
d.
No executive [president]
2. At the Constitutional Convention, the Virginia Plan proposed
a.
A bicameral legislature based on proportional representation
b.
A unicameral legislature based on equal representation
c.
Two branches of government: legislative and executive
d.
That most power remain with the states
3. The New Jersey Plan represented the interests of the small states
because
a.
It called for a Bill of Rights
b.
It proposed proportional representation among the states in the
congress
c.
It called for a strengthened executive
d.
It proposed equal representation among the states in the congress
4. Because Congress had no power to regulate interstate trade [commerce]
under the Articles of Confederation
a
States made agreements with one another that made trade easier
b
British merchant ships easily took control of trade routes
c
Economically depressed farmers in Massachusetts rebelled
d
States often did not cooperate, causing trade to be more difficult
5. George Washington’s served as the presiding officer during the
Constitutional Convention but his most important contribution may have
been
a.
His ability to manage the daily business of the meetings
b.
The public trust he brought to the gathering
c.
Writing the Virginia Plan
d.
Writing the Bill of Rights
6. Convention delegates broke the deadlock between large and small states
when they approved
a.
The Great Compromise
b.
The Three-Fifths Compromise
c.
The Virginia Plan
d.
The Slave Trade provision
7. Convention delegates reached a compromise between southern slave
states and northern free states when they approved the Three-Fifths
Compromise. What did it call for [say]?
Every five slaves would count as three persons in the states
population for basis of taxation and representation
The Constitution Ratification Debate
TODAY’S LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Explain the ratification process [8.32]
2. Describe the conflict between Federalists and Anti-Federalists in the
ratification debate [8.32]
INSTRUCTIONS:
 Read pages 198-199: Debate and Adoption
 read pages 192-193: What do you think?
 Complete Parts 1, 2 and 3 on your OneSheets.
How was the new US Constitution to be ratified?
1.
Before the Constitution could go into effect, how many states had to ratify
9
[approve]? __________________________
2.
Delaware
Which was the first state to ratify the US Constitution? ________________________
3.
Though technically adopted as the law of land with the ratification by
New Hampshire
________________________,
the Constitution and the government it created could not have
succeeded without the votes from these two largest states
Virginia and New York
_____________________________________________________________________
4.
Some states, such as Virginia, refused to ratify the Constitution unless promises
An amendment with a Bill of Rights be made.
were made that _____________________________________________
Part 2 Describe the conflict between Federalists and Anti-Federalists in the ratification debate
Federalists
Anti-Federalists
For ratification
Position on Constitution: ______________________
Against ratification
Position on Constitution: ______________________
Argument: ___________________________________
Argument: ___________________________________
A new powerful federal
____________________________________________
A powerful federal government
____________________________________________
____________________________________________
would trample the rights of
____________________________________________
individuals
Key Leader (s): ________________________________
Key Leader (s): ________________________________
Washington, Adams, Madison,
____________________________________________
Patrick Henry, Richard Henry
____________________________________________
government with shared powers
and Hamilton
____________________________________________
Lee, and Thomas Paine
____________________________________________
Part 3
Who wrote the Federalist Papers and why?
James Madison
A. Hamilton
John Jay
1. ______________________, ____________________,
and _____________________
wrote a series of essays
defending
explaining
_____________________
and ______________________
the Constitution during the states’ own ratification debate.
What was the main argument of Federalist #10
Among the numerous advantages promised by a well constructed Union, none deserves to be more
accurately developed than its tendency to break and control the violence of faction....
By a faction, I understand a number of citizens, whether amounting to a majority or a minority of the
whole, who are united and actuated by some common impulse of passion, or of interest, adverse to the rights of
other citizens, or to the permanent and aggregate interests of the community....
….Extend the sphere and you take in a greater variety of parties and interests; you make it less probable that a
majority of the whole will have a common motive to invade the rights of other citizens;…
Impulse of passion or of interest
1. According to Madison, what causes factions? ______________________________________________________
Could be imposed on all
2. Why would factions be dangerous? ______________________________________________________________
3. How does Madison propose to ease the danger and influence of factions?
The larger the area governed the more likely that opposing factions would cancel
_____________________________________________________________________________________________
one another out
Republicanism
4. What principle of government is Madison arguing for (page 206)? _____________________________________
What was the main argument of Federalist #51
In order to lay a due foundation for that separate and distinct exercise of the different powers of government, which
to a certain extent is admitted on all hands to be essential to the preservation of liberty, it is evident that each
department should have a will of its own; and consequently should be so constituted that the members of each should
have as little agency as possible in the appointment of the members of the others.
But what is government itself, but the greatest of all reflections on human nature? If men were angels, no government
would be necessary. If angels were to govern men, neither external nor internal controls on government would be
necessary.
It is equally evident, that the members of each department should be as little dependent as possible on those of the
others, for the emoluments annexed to their offices. Were the executive magistrate, or the judges, not independent of
the legislature in this particular, their independence in every other would be merely nominal. But the great security
against a gradual concentration of the several powers in the same department, consists in giving to those who
administer each department the necessary constitutional means and personal motives to resist encroachments of the
others. The provision for defense must in this, as in all other cases, be made commensurate to the danger of attack.
Ambition must be made to counteract ambition. The interest of the man must be connected with the constitutional
rights of the place.
1. What does Madison mean by “ambition must be made to counter ambition”?
The human ambitions of one man would keep the ambitions of
another in check and vise versa
________________________________________________________________________________________________
2. What two principles of government is he arguing for (page 209)?
Separation of Power and Check and Balances
_______________________________________________________________________________________________
The Constitution Ratification Debate
TODAY’S LEARNING OBJECTIVES:
1. Explain the ratification process [8.32]
2. Describe the conflict between Federalists and Anti-Federalists in the
ratification debate [8.32]
Questions?