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Questions and Answers
What was the primary purpose of the Articles of Confederation?
What was the primary purpose of the Articles of Confederation?
To serve as the first form of government for the U.S. after independence.
What was one major weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
What was one major weakness of the Articles of Confederation?
The national government could not enforce its laws.
How did Shays' Rebellion highlight the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
How did Shays' Rebellion highlight the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?
It exposed the inability of the government to maintain order and address economic issues.
What was the Great Compromise?
What was the Great Compromise?
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What did the Three-Fifths Compromise address?
What did the Three-Fifths Compromise address?
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What system did the Articles of Confederation provide for managing new Western territories?
What system did the Articles of Confederation provide for managing new Western territories?
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What prompted the Constitutional Convention in 1787?
What prompted the Constitutional Convention in 1787?
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What was the attitude of many Americans toward a strong central government after independence?
What was the attitude of many Americans toward a strong central government after independence?
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Study Notes
Articles of Confederation
- First form of government established by the U.S. post-independence from Britain.
- Created as the initial plan for uniting the original 13 states.
- Distrust of a strong central government stemmed from experiences under British rule.
- A decentralized political system was implemented, granting significant power to state governments.
Problems and Weaknesses
- Lacked effectiveness due to the predominance of state power over national authority.
- Congress relied on states for military support, funding, and manpower.
- The federal government lacked enforcement power for its laws.
- Congress frequently overturned presidential vetoes, undermining executive authority.
- States had control over taxation, currency, and trade regulations.
Successes of the Articles
- Established a governing framework for Western territories and a procedure for admitting new states to the Union.
Constitutional Convention (1787)
- Convened in Philadelphia with key American delegates to address the Articles' weaknesses.
- Driven by the need for a stronger central authority to curb state dominance.
- The meeting was prompted by Shays' Rebellion, which highlighted the need for a stronger national government.
Shays’ Rebellion (1786)
- A revolt demonstrating dissatisfaction with fiscal policies and lack of government support.
- Significantly influenced public opinion on the necessity of a stronger national government.
- Contributed directly to the call for the Constitutional Convention.
Great Compromise
- Resolved differing opinions on state representation in Congress.
- Small population states favored equal representation (e.g., New Jersey plan).
- Larger states advocated for representation based on population size (e.g., Virginia plan).
- Resulted in a bicameral legislature:
- House of Representatives based on population.
- Senate providing equal representation for all states.
Three-Fifths Compromise
- Addressed the representation dilemma for states with large slave populations.
- Established that three-fifths of the slave population would be counted for House representation.
Other Major Compromises
- Included agreements on slave trade regulations, taxation policies, and presidential election processes.
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Description
Test your knowledge on the Articles of Confederation, the first form of government used by the U.S. after gaining independence from Britain. This quiz covers the key concepts and the decentralized political system established to protect individual liberties among the 13 original states.
