Download “The Constitution” Outline Confederation of States When did the

“The Constitution” Outline
I.
Confederation of States
a. When did the states establish independent governments? (15)
i. What did each state create to outline the different roles of government? (15)
1. Who elected state legislatures and governors? (15)
2. What freedoms were granted in states’ bills of rights? (16)
b. What kind of government did the 13 states create in 1781? (16)
i. How did the national government work?
1. What powers did the congress have? (16)
2. What powers did the states have? (16)
a. What powers did congress not have? (16)
i. Why was this a problem? (16)
ii. What office was not a part of the Articles of Confederation government? (16)
1. How many states did it take to get a law passed? (16)
a. Why was this a problem? (16)
c. What territory did congress declare its authority over in 1785? (16)
i. How did congress manage this land? (16)
ii. What did congress ban in this area? (16)
d. Troubles Grow in the 1780s
i. What issues did the independent American government have with Spain in the 1780s?
(16)
ii. What issues did the independent American government have with England in the 1780s?
(16)
iii. Why did the U.S. face an economic depression in the 1780s?
1. What happened to farmers during the depression?
a. How did the courts deal with this? (16)
b. What movement arose in Massachusetts because of this situation? (16)
i. How did the government deal with it? (16)
II.
The Constitutional Convention
a. Why did wealthy white elites call for a Constitutional Convention in 1787? (17)
i. What was their goal? (17)
b. What was the New Jersey plan? (17)
i. Why did they propose this?
c. What was the Virginia plan? (17)
i. Why did they propose this? (17)
ii. What compromise was reached between the two states? (17)
d. What was the main conflict between Northern and Southern states? (17)
i. How did they resolve this? (17)
1. What does this say about the delegates to the Constitutional Convention? (17)
III.
The Struggle over Ratification
a. What did the states have to do before the Constitution went into effect? (17)
i. Who supported the Constitution? (17)
1. What did they write to support it? (18)
ii. Who was against the Constitution? (18)
iii. What major compromise was reached between the two groups? (18)
1. What rights did this guarantee? (18)
IV.
Principles of the Constitution
a. How was power in the new constitution divided? (20)
i. What could states no longer do? (20)
ii. What could states still do? (20)
iii. What powers did they share? (20)
b. How did the constitution separate the powers of the federal government? (20)
i. What power did congress have? (20)
1. How can the president over-rule congress? (20)
2. How can congress over-rule the president? (20)
3. How can the courts over-rule congress and the president? (20)
ii. Why did the constitution divide the powers of the federal government? (20)
iii. How can the constitution be changed? (20)