Kap study guide for essay test 2

An armed uprising of debt-ridden western Massachusets farmers protesting tax collections and farm foreclosures.

Shays’ Rebellion (1786-1787)

Exposed the military weakness of the confederation government and catalyzed calls for a Constituational Convention.

Significance of Shays’ Rebellion

Unpaid war debts, hyperinflation from unregualted state paper money, and psot war trade depression.

Economic Instability under the Articles of Confederation

Braitian mantianed forts in the Northwest Terriotory, and Spain cloesed the lower Mississippi River to U.S. Trade.

Foregin trade problems under the Articles of Confederation

Congress had no direct power to tax and could only request money donations from state governments.

Taxing power under the Articles of Confederation

There was no independent execuative branch to enforce federal laws or direct national Defense.

Executive leadership under the Articles Of Confederation

Required unanimous consent (13 out of 13 states), making structual chnages nearly impossible.

Amendment process under the Articles of Confederation

Congress lacked power to regulate interstate commerce, leading to trade barriers between states.

Regulation of interstate commerce under the Articles Of Confederation

Article 1, Section 8 empowered Congress to directly lay and collect taxes.

Taxation power under the U.S. Constituation

Grants Congress power to regualte interstate and foregin trade, ending internal state trade tarriffs.

The Commerce Clause

Article 2 creates an independent President as Commander-in-cheif law executor.

Executive power under the U.S. Constituation

Article 3 establishes the Supreme Court and federal court system to resolve national disputes.

Federal judiciary under the U.S. Constitution

Declares the Consitution and federal laws the supreme law of the land over conflicting state laws.

The Supremacy Clause

Article 5 allows amendments through 2/3 vote in Congress and ratification by ¾ of the states.

Amendment process under the U.S. Constitution

A structual mechanism where each branch of government can limit or review the powers of the other branches.

Checks and Balances

A system of government where power is constitutionally divided between a central national government and state governments.

Federalism

The national government acts directly on individual citizens via federal laws and taxes, not just on states.

Direct Authority over citizens under the U.S. Constitution

Established a bicameral legislature: equal representation in the Senate and population-based representation in the House.

The Great Comprimise (Connecticut Compromise)

Federalists supported ratifying the Constitution; Anti-Federalists feared centralized power and demanded a Bill of Rights.

Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists

Essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay encouraging ratification of the constitution by explaining its design.

The Federalist Papers

A notable achievement under the Articles that created a pathway to statehood and banned slavery in the Old Northwest.

The Northwest Ordinance of 1787

A western Pennsylvania farmer rebellion suppressed by Washington, demonstrating the new Constitution’s enforcement power.

Whiskey Rebellion