Goal 1 Test Review

1. Thomas Paine encouraged the American Colonies to declare their independence from Great Britain by writing: Common Sense Olive Branch Petition Federalist Papers Bill of Rights What was one weaknesses of the new government under the Articles of Confederation? Congress had no ability to tax There were different social & religious systems. There was one national government There were two documents defining conflicts between the colonies Goal 1 Test Review

2. Why were many Americans were nervous of a strong central government? People remembered how the King of England ruled the colonies. The colonies had never had a strong government. Colonial legislatures were weak and ineffective The colonists were eager to form a confederation of states Locke, a well-studied philosopher, influenced the colonists with his ideas on natural rights English common law the use of reason by leaders religious freedom for all citizens Goal 1 Test Review

3. Warm UP! • What were 2 of the compromises that helped create the Constitution?

4. REVIEW: COMPROMISES • The Great Compromise: Created a 2-house (bicameral) Congress with a Senate (2 representatives/VOTES per state) and a House of Representatives (representatives based on state’s population) • 3/5 Compromise: counted each slave as 3/5 of a person when determining a state’s population (to figure out representation/VOTESin the House of Representatives)

5. RATIFICATION (APPROVAL) • After the Constitution was written, it had to be approved by the states. • 9 of 13 states had to RATIFY or approve of the Constitution before it could become the law of the land. • NC was the 12th state to ratify the Constitution. • Several people were still weary of creating a government that was too strong because of their experience with England.

6. Anti-Federalists • The Anti-Federalists did not want to ratify the Constitution because • It gave too much power to the national government at the expense of the state governments. • There was no bill of rights guaranteeing freedoms for all citizens. • Congress was too powerful because their powers were vague in the new Constitution.

7. Anti-Federalists • Of these complaints, the lack of a bill of rights was the most effective. • The American people had just fought a war to defend their rights, and they did not want an intimidating national government taking those rights away again. • That is why the Articles of Confederation were so weak in the first place.

8. Federalists • The Federalists, on the other hand, had answers to all of the Anti-Federalist complaints. Among them: • The separation of powers (remember Montesquieu!) into three independent branches (executive, legislative, and judicial) protected the rights of the people • Shays’ Rebellion: Congress needed the power to provide defense (protecting law and order at home and protecting countries from foreign attacks)

9. The Federalist Papers • Prominent Federalists James Madison, John Jay, & Alexander Hamilton wrote letters to newspapers arguing for the new stronger government. Their arguments included: • Listing specific rights could be dangerous. • If the national government were to promise to protect those listed rights, what would stop it from violating rights that people have that may not be listed ones? • If we can't list every single right, it's better to list none at all.

10. Bill of Rights • In the end, a Bill of Rights (the first 10 AMENDMENTS or changes) was added to satisfy the Anti-Federalists. • The Bill of Rights was based on the Magna Carta & English Bill of Rights. • Some of the rights: • freedom of religion & speech • right to a trial by jury • freedom from cruel & unusual punishment