The Articles of Confederation (College Board AP® US History): Flashcards
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Which body instructed each former colony to write a state constitution?
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Cards in this collection (27)
Which body instructed each former colony to write a state constitution?
The Second Continental Congress instructed each former colony to write a state constitution.
Why did political leaders want each state constitution written in a single document?
Great Britain had no formal constitution; its government structure and rights were spread across several documents.
True or False?
After independence, political leaders wanted an all-powerful legislative body to replace the British monarch.
False.
Leaders did not want to be ruled by another monarch or an all-powerful legislative body again, so they limited the power of any one person or group.
What were the first state constitutions designed to do?
The first state constitutions were designed to keep most power in the hands of the people and to have a checks and balances system.
How many branches of government did most state governments have?
Most state governments had three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial.
Most state governments set up legislatures.
Most state governments set up bicameral legislatures.
True or False?
Governors held the most power in most early state governments.
False.
Legislative branches were the most powerful, and state constitutions usually limited governors' powers.
How were judges usually selected under the early state constitutions?
Judges were often selected by legislators, the governor, or both working together.
Who was eligible to vote under most early state constitutions?
Only men aged 21 or over who owned property or paid a certain amount of taxes could vote.
True or False?
No state allowed Black men to vote after independence.
False.
Some states allowed free Black men to vote.
Why were the Articles of Confederation designed to create a weak central government?
The states wanted to rule themselves, and nobody wanted a repeat of Parliament and King George III.
True or False?
The Articles of Confederation created three branches of federal government.
False.
The Articles provided only a legislative branch, with no executive or judicial branch.
What problem did the lack of an executive branch cause under the Articles?
There was no one to carry out the laws Congress made.
How did Congress obtain money and troops under the Articles?
Congress had to ask the states for money and troops, and the states did not have to cooperate.
New laws under the Articles needed approval from of the 13 states.
New laws under the Articles needed approval from nine of the 13 states.
What was needed to amend the Articles of Confederation?
Amendments needed the approval of all 13 states.
Define Northwest Ordinance (1787).
The Northwest Ordinance (1787) organized the Northwest Territory, north of the Ohio River and east of the Mississippi, and set rules for statehood.
Under the Northwest Ordinance, a territory needed at least residents to become a state.
Under the Northwest Ordinance, a territory needed at least 60,000 residents to become a state.
True or False?
The Northwest Ordinance allowed slavery in the Northwest Territory.
False.
The Northwest Ordinance banned slavery in the Northwest Territory.
How did the Northwest Ordinance encourage education?
The Northwest Ordinance set aside land in each township for public schools.
Why could Congress not pay its war debts under the Articles?
Congress could not tax citizens, so it had no way to pay its debts.
True or False?
The paper money printed by the Continental Congress held its value during the Revolutionary War.
False.
The value of the continentals plummeted, falling from 40 to 1 Spanish silver dollar in 1779 to 146 to 1 in 1781.
Why could Congress not force the British out of forts in the Great Lakes region?
Congress could not force the British out of the Great Lakes forts because it could not draft troops and had to ask the states for soldiers.
How did Spain try to stop American expansion in the 1780s?
Spain closed the southern part of the Mississippi River to American shipping.
Define Shays' Rebellion.
Shays' Rebellion (1786-1787) was a revolt by Massachusetts farmers who forced courts to close to stop judges taking their land over debts.
Why was Shays' Rebellion significant?
Shays' Rebellion made many Americans realize they wanted a stronger central government.
True or False?
The federal government put down Shays' Rebellion.
False.
The state militia stopped the farmers; under the Articles, the federal government could not handle unrest.
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