ch7 quiz – Flashcards

Which of the following groups tended to be Anti-Federalist during the ratification debates? a.wealthier citizens b.rural residents closely tied to the commercial marketplace c.merchants engaged in foreign commerce d.state politicians fearful of a strong central government e.urban artisans, laborers, and sailors

The New Jersey Plan: a.was mainly supported by the smaller, less populated states. b.contained a gradual emancipation requirement that proved quite controversial. c.was a thinly disguised attempt to resurrect monarchy in America. d.found its greatest support from the Pennsylvania and Massachusetts delegations. e.called for a radical departure from the Articles of Confederation in every way.

Which of the following is true of the Virginia Plan? a.James Madison opposed it, but the other delegates from Virginia supported it. b.a one-house legislature, with population determining representation. c.It proposed a two-house legislature, with population determining representation in each house. d.It called for each state to have one vote in Congress. e.It was strongly opposed by the larger, more populated states.

In The Federalist, James Madison argued that: a.the large size of the United States was a source of political stability. b.to be a republic, a country must be geographically small. c.church and state must be linked in order to encourage republican virtue. d.it was essential that slavery be abolished for liberty to flourish. e.presidential power must be stronger than that of Congress and the courts.

Hector St. John Crèvecoeur's Letters from an American Farmer: a.popularized the idea of the United States as a melting pot of ethnicities. b.was a thinly disguised allegory explaining the need for the Constitution. c.made the author so unpopular in the United States that he was forced to return to France. d.argued that America should reject manufacturing and remain an agrarian nation. e.made the case that free African Americans were "citizens of color" deserving of full legal rights.

The Constitution explicitly granted Congress the power to do all of the following EXCEPT: a.pass tariffs. b.coin money. c.regulate interstate commerce. d.issue patents. e.emancipate slaves.

Why did the founding fathers create the electoral college? a.They did not; it was added to the Constitution after the disputed election of 1796. b.Small states insisted that they have a chance to play a role in choosing the president, and that wouldn't have been possible with direct elections. c.Alexander Hamilton wanted a king, James Madison wanted no president, and the result was this compromise so that there could be a president. d.They did not trust ordinary voters to choose the president and vice president directly. e.They knew the Constitution would make them unpopular, so they wanted to create a way to avoid letting voters choose the president, thereby giving themselves a chance to be elected.

Shays's Rebellion: a.drew on the terminology of revolution and liberty. b.was aimed at the Vermont government, which was especially hard on debtors. c.ended only because the Confederation government used force to put it down. d.had the support of George Washington, but not of Thomas Jefferson. e.arose from the struggle to ratify the Constitution in 1787-1788.

Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress was able to: a.establish national control over land to the west of the thirteen states. b.sign major treaties with France and Spain. c.create a new tax policy that would better fund the government. d.eliminate a provision giving judges power to reject congressional acts. e.block the passage of numerous constitutional amendments.

The three-fifths clause in the U.S. Constitution: a.requires that all revenue bills receive a three-fifths affirmative vote in the U.S. House. b.gave the white South greater power in national affairs than the size of its free population warranted. c.explicitly declared that slaves were not fully human and were therefore undeserving of legal rights. d.made it easier to amend the Constitution than it had been to amend the Articles of Confederation. e.expired in the year 1808 because of a key sectional compromise at the Constitutional Convention.

Which of the following was a characteristic of the federal government under the Articles of Confederation? a.Congress was a two-chambered body, with a House of Delegates and a Council. b.Congress could not levy taxes or regulate commerce. c.Congress could amend the Articles by a two-thirds vote. d.There were two branches of government—judicial and legislative—but no executive. e.The more populous a state, the more votes it cast in Congress.

With regard to slavery, the Northwest Ordinance of 1787: a.allowed for new territorial governments to ban or permit the institution as they saw fit. b.allowed the importation of slaves into the Old Northwest for at least another twenty years. c.banned slavery in the area north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi River. d.made no difference, because the U.S. Supreme Court declared it unconstitutional the following year. e.gave slaveholders the right to recover slaves who escaped into the area north of the Ohio River.

The Naturalization Act of 1790 allowed: a.all immigrants to become citizens. b.only Irish, English, and German immigrants to become citizens. c.everyone except blacks to become citizens. d.only free white persons to become citizens. e.only white men to become citizens.

During the early years of the republic, African-Americans: a.were far fewer in number than Native Americans, so ignoring them was easy for the founders and early leaders. b.enjoyed none of the rights whites enjoyed. c.made up about 20 percent of the total population. d.were all held as slaves except for a few free blacks in Massachusetts. e.found a champion for the cause of emancipation in Hector St. John Crèvecoeur.

The Anti-Federalist James Winthrop argued that a bill of rights was necessary in the Constitution because: a.the English had one, so America ought to mirror that example. b.the right to bear arms for the militia should be guarded by law. c.using the examples of Wilkes and Zenger, the protection of speech and press was essential. d.it would secure the minority against the usurpation and tyranny of the majority. e.ratification of the Constitution was in doubt without the inclusion of the Bill of Rights.

What was Congress able to accomplish with its Native American policy under the Articles of Confederation? a.Nothing; Congress was so powerless under the Articles that nothing happened in this area. b.It negotiated treaties for the tribes to keep their lands, but Congress was so lacking in power that the treaties proved useless. c.Congress demanded and received surrenders of large amounts of Indian land north of the Ohio River and in the South. d.Congress backed away from any involvement when land companies requested that the government step aside and leave the West's economic development in private hands. e.Congress recruited enough state militias to force the Native Americans off of their land.

Which of the following is NOT a check against presidential power in the Constitution? a.Congress can override a president's veto with a two-thirds vote. b.The House can impeach the president for "high crimes and misdemeanors." c.The House can remove the president from office after impeaching him. d.Congress has the authority to accept or reject some presidential appointments. e.Although the president appoints judges, they serve for life to ensure their independence.

Which of the following did states NOT do during the period when the Articles of Confederation governed the United States? a.They imposed their own tariffs. b.They printed their own money. c.They postponed debt collection. d.They called out militias to stop foreclosures on the homes of debtors. e.They held legislative elections in which candidates attacked creditors.

Why did Congress claim that some Indians had forfeited their land rights in the aftermath of independence? a.Because they did not farm it. b.Because they had never believed that the Indians owned the land. c.Because they were racially inferior. d.Because they had no written title to the land. e.Because they had aided the British during the war.

Shays's Rebellion was significant because it demonstrated: a.that land distribution policies were out of date. b.that controversies over the emancipation of slaves could turn violent. c.that Congress's attempts to pass pro-debtor laws were unpopular with farmers. d.the need for a stronger central government. e.the chaotic nature of Indian policy after the Battle of Fallen Timbers.

Which two prominent men were not at the Constitutional Convention? a.Benjamin Franklin and John Adams b.Thomas Jefferson and George Washington c.John Adams and George Mason d.Thomas Jefferson and John Adams e.Benjamin Franklin and George Washington

Which of the following is true regarding Congress and the African slave trade in the United States under the Constitution? a.Congress never prohibited this slave trade. b.The First Congress under the Constitution prohibited the importation of slaves into the United States. c.Congress always let individual states make their own decisions with regard to importing slaves. d.Congress prohibited the African slave trade ten years after ratification of the Constitution. e.Congress prohibited the African slave trade twenty years after ratification of the Constitution.

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787: a.established the policy to admit the area's population as equal members of the political system. b.regulated western land sales through a policy that was amicable to the Indians. c.abolished the Articles of Confederation and called for a second Constitutional Convention. d.was the first step in Alexander Hamilton's plan for economic growth. e.declared all Indian land to be the possession of the U.S. government.

What was "the first object of government," according to James Madison? a.Feed the poor. b.Protect free speech. c.Guarantee voting rights. d.Protect property rights. e.Secure freedom.

How did southern states react to the Constitution's provisions regarding slavery? a.South Carolina and Georgia immediately began importing increased numbers of Africans, because in twenty years, the international slave trade could be constitutionally prohibited. b.They refused to ratify the Constitution without assurances that a bill of rights would be added to protect their right to slave property. c.The personal opposition of Jefferson and Madison to slavery prompted Virginia to oppose ratification at first. d.They objected to the electoral college on the grounds that it ignored the number of slaves in their states and thereby reduced their power. e.They were critical of the provision in Article I allowing African-Americans to be armed during wartime.