1. One of the few successes of the Articles of Confederation involved A) B) C) D) E) the Northwest Ordinance federal taxation Shays' Rebellion foreign relations the coining of money 2. Which of the following were economic crises experienced by the Continental Congress following the Revolutionary War? I. Britain imposed trade restrictions after the war. II. Financial crisis occurred for domestic manufacturers and merchants. III. The colonies were trading with foreign nations independently. A) I only C) III only E) I and II B) II only D) II and III only 3. One of the lasting impacts of the Shay’s Rebellion was that A) it identified the mistreatment that the Native Americans were being subjected to by the colonists B) it demonstrated the inherent flaws of slavery C) it provided evidence that a more centralized government was necessary to prevent future rebellions D) it demonstrated the need for a stronger American naval fleet E) it put a limit on the number of immigrants that could enter America over the following century 4. What was Shay’s Rebellion? A) A violent mob reaction by Western Massachusetts Farmers in response to strict foreclosure laws and increased state taxes B) An outburst by Irish immigrants to the horrible factory conditions in the north C) A slave rebellion on board one of the incoming slave ships from Africa D) A rebellion in North Carolina where the protesters committed many violent acts in response to legislative mistreatments E) A protest against a tax imposed on whiskey by Congress 5. Why did the creators of the Articles of Confederation make state sovereignty a fundamental theme of the government? A) They wanted to create a conglomerate of states in which each could last on its own. B) They strived to prevent the abuses of power that had existed under British rule. C) It was a concept embraced by many of the Enlightenment’s philosophers whom the American colonial leaders emulated. D) It was an attempt to re-strengthen the colonial economies which had emerged prior to the American Revolution. E) State Sovereignty provided an opportunity to assist the Southern States in their efforts to gain a manufacturing base. 6. The man most influential in the development of the Articles of Confederation was A) John Adams C) James Madison E) John Dickinson B) Patrick Henry D) Alexander Hamilton 7. The Newburgh Conspiracy in 1783 was attempt to accomplish what? A) A colonial military attempt to force England to evacuate its forts in the colonies as mentioned in the Treaty of Paris B) An attempt by a zealous Loyalist to assassinate George Washington C) The use of the colonial military to force the states to surrender more power to the national government D) A way of ameliorating the severe economic crisis that the American colonies were experiencing by granting lucrative commercial privileges to Spain E) The creation of a newly independent nation out West 8. Which best explains the dissatisfaction of the merchant class with the Articles of Confederation? A) Congress’ power to tax was unlimited. B) Individual states lacked the power to regulate commerce. C) The President’s treaty-making power was unchecked. D) There was no provision for a uniform currency. E) Congress did not have the right to borrow money from other nations. 9. What were the “Continentals”? A) new regions that had been settled west of the Appalachians B) fervent supporters of the Articles of Confederation C) native-Americans who settled within the colonies and accepted the Articles of Confederation D) large amounts of paper money which Congress had to print since it could not levy taxes E) representatives who attended the meetings of the Continental Congress 10. The Articles of Confederation was given permission to do all of the following EXCEPT A) B) C) D) E) control foreign policy settle disputes between states control interstate commerce borrow money from other nations admit new states into the Union 11. One similarity between the policies under the Continental Congress and the Articles of Confederation was A) the right to make war and to sign treaties B) a unicameral congress in which each state would have one vote C) Congressional sessions would always take place in either Washington D.C. or New York City D) neither Congress had the right to act as an intermediary and settle disputes between states E) both governments were allowed to print currency 12. The development of the Articles of Confederation in 1777 arose from the A) need for a stronger union and a government powerful enough to defeat Great Britain B) suggestion by Alexander Hamilton to create a central government to dictate military strategy C) belief that a new nation must have a constitutional order appropriate to its republican character D) agreement made by the Second Continental Congress to create a permanent institution to dictate colonial affairs. E) need for foreign recognition and aid 13. The Great Compromise between the Virginia and New Jersey plans addressed A) North and South state disagreement over how slaves should be counted in the population B) representation in the legislature determined by population or per state C) the creation of a national bank and the location of the U.S. capital D) large and small state divisions over assumption of states' debt by the federal government E) the structure of federalism favoring the state or national governments 14. The power to tax, the power to regulate interstate commerce, and three separate branches of government with checks and balances are all examples of A) characteristics that state governments shared with the national government B) ideas borrowed by Americans from Enlightenment philosophers C) laws established by the Bill of Rights and other Amendments D) goals of the Founding Fathers in fighting the Revolutionary War E) changes in the structure of the federal government made by the Constitution from the Articles of Confederation 15. The electoral college was created to A) B) C) D) E) ensure fair elections protect the president from popular sentiment limit state autonomy weaken the legislative branch weaken the executive branch 16. The Federalist Papers were written to A) B) C) D) E) argue for national independence promote the Articles of Confederation demand a Bill of Rights support ratification of the Constitution set the platform for the Federalist Party 17. The Great Compromise at the Constitutional Convention dealt with the issue of A) B) C) D) E) citizens' representation slavery trade the presidency ratification 18. Patrick Henry and John Hancock were not selected as delgates to the Constitutional Convention, perhaps because A) they were generally opposed to centralized government B) at the time, their heroism had not yet been recognized C) they were part of a lower social class than most delegates D) they did not sign the Declaration of Independence E) many believed they were still loyal to the British crown 19. The direct result of the Annapolis Convention was the A) B) C) D) E) Declaration of Independnce U.S. Constitution Articles of Confederation Constitutional Convention Second Continental Congress 20. According to the original, un-amended Constitution, the American people must directly elect which of the following? A) B) C) D) E) The President Senators Representatives Secretary of State The Electoral College 21. Which of the following is not a right reserved to the federal government, as established by Article I of the Constitution? A) The granting of copyrights and patents B) The regulation of intrastate commerce C) The power to borrow money in the name of the United States D) The authority to establish a national immigration policy E) The ability to establish courts inferior to the Supreme Court 22. On a demographic level, the adoption of the Constitution did not significantly change from the Articles of Confederation because A) the Constitution appointed a Electoral College to elect the President B) women, slaves, Native Americans, and free blacks were completely disenfranchised C) only one representative from each colony was given the right to vote D) only white men of the wealthiest class had any political power in the newly-established government E) voting rights were based on inheritance 23. The ratification of the Bill of Rights in 1791 illustrated a commitment to A) limiting the power of state governments B) expanding the power of Congress C) satisfying the political desires of both Federalists and Anti-Federalists D) protecting individual liberties E) giving the states and the national government equal power 24. Initially-reluctant states like Virginia and Massachusetts finally agreed to ratify the Constitution with the promise of what? A) The creation of Supreme Court B) Establishment of the nation's capital city in Washington D.C. C) Adoption of a Bill of Rights D) George Washington would be appointed President E) Alexander Hamilton had to resign from the political arena 25. Who of the following composed The Federalist Papers, a series of eighty-five newspaper essays arguing for the support of the Constitution? A) Luther Martin, John Hancock, and Samuel Adams B) Alexander Hamilton, George Washington, and James Madison C) George Mason, John Jay, and John Hancock D) James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and John Jay E) John Marshall, James Madison, and George Washington 26. What was one advantage that the Anti-Federalists had above the Federalists? A) They offered a clear prescription for the nation’s ills. B) They were a well-organized organization, with definite political leaders and supporters. C) The Anti-Federalists were better financed than the Federalist party. D) They had the support of the two most prominent national politicians, Benjamin franklin and George Washington. E) The Anti-Federalists had the support of most state politicians and the American people. 27. All of the following were strong advocates of the Federalist Party EXCEPT A) B) C) D) E) John Adams Alexander Hamilton George Mason John Jay James Madison 28. The agreement about the issue of slavery made by the Constitutional delegates was known as the A) B) C) D) E) New Jersey Plan Virginia Plan Three-Fifths Compromise The Great Compromise Bill of Rights 29. At the Constitutional Convention in the summer of 1787, James Madison and Edmund Randolph devised a plan of national government known as the “Virginia Plan” which called for what? A) The establishment of an executive branch and a bicameral congress each with representatives elected by population B) The creation of a three-branch form of government with an executive, legislative, and judicial branch each with headquarters in Richmond, Virginia C) A form of government with a unicameral legislature with equal representation for the states D) A bicameral system with one house based on population and the other with an equal number of representatives E) A highly-centralized government where the President would have complete control over foreign policy and the power to veto Congress’ legislation 30. Federalists' principal objections to a Bill of Rights were addressed in the A) B) C) D) E) First Amendment Second Amendment Fourth Amendment Fifth Amendment Ninth Amendment 31. The tenth amendment of the Bill of Rights was significant in particular, because it A) defined the rule of the construction of the Constitution B) guaranteed trial by jury C) provided for laws concerning prosecution, including the requirement of a grand-jury indictment and the protection from testifying against oneself D) guaranteed that any powers not specifically delegated to the federal government or denied to the states in the Constitution rest with the states or the people E) gave the right to bear arms 32. The Bill of Rights included all of the following EXCEPT A) the first twelve amendments made to the Constitution B) a means of limiting the power of the federal government to those specified in the Constitution C) a way of securing the rights of individual citizens D) a promise by Federalists to meet some of the desires of the Anti-Federalists as long as they ratified the Constitution E) ideas mainly developed by George Mason and James Madison 33. The main reason why the Federalists originally rejected the idea of creating a Bill of Rights was that A) they feared that the Anti-Federalists could use such a document as a means of gaining power B) they didn’t see the necessity of it since the Constitution already enumerated all of the rights of the national government C) it would require more time before a national government could be implemented and thus continue to leave the nation vulnerable D) they didn’t want to give in to the demands of the Anti-Federalists E) they felt that the Bill of Rights went against their philosophy of a centralized national government 34. The Bill of Rights that was adopted by the Constitutional Delegates was filled with the philosophy of which philosopher who wrote extensively about the natural rights of mankind against injustice? A) B) C) D) E) John Locke Thomas Hobbes Jean-Jacques Rousseau Aristotle Plato 35. The roots of the Bill of Rights lie in which document from Anglo-American history? A) B) C) D) E) The Mayflower Compact Magna Carta Declaration of Independence Treaty of Paris Declaration of the Rights of Man Answer Key Constitution Review Mazzini 1. A 2. E 3. C 4. A 5. B 6. E 7. C 8. D 9. D 10. C 11. B 12. A 13. B 14. E 15. B 16. D 17. A 18. A 19. D 20. C 21. B 22. B 23. D 24. C 25. D 26. E 27. C 28. C 29. A 30. E 31. D 32. A 33. B 34. A 35. B