Constitution of the United States

A meeting was called by _______________________ in ______ (year) to discuss the disputes over Maryland and Virginia.

George Washington

1785

_______________________ proposed that representatives from each state meet to discuss common problems of commerce. However, only ______ states sent representatives to that meeting.

James Madison

5

Another meeting was held in _______________________ with George Washington heading the delegation.

Philadelphia

Who were some famous Americans who attended the Constitutional Convention?

• George Washington

• Benjamin Franklin

• James Madison

• Alexander Hamilton

• John Dickinson

Who were not present in the Constitutional Convention?

• _______________________, who was serving as the American minister in Paris

• _______________________, who was serving as a minister to Great Britain

• _______________________ and _______________________, who were the leading defenders of states' rights

Thomas Jefferson

John Adams

Samuel Adams

Patrick Henry

What were two actions taken at the Convention?

• #1: to elect _______________________ as chairman

• #2: to vote to ________________________________ and to allow no _______________________ of their progress

George Washington

conduct all their sessions in private

news releases or reports

The delegate from Virginia, _______________________, was the first major speaker, and it was his proposal that first led to the decision to _______________________ rather than _______________________. This is called the Virginia Plan.

Edmund Randolph

draft a new document

amend the old one

What is the most important decision the Convention made?

to create a new government of three separate branches

What are the three branches that the Virginian delegate suggested the new government should have?

• supreme legislative

• judiciary

• executive

Delegates from _______________________, _______________________, _______________________, and _______________________ spoke out against the Virginia Plan.

Connecticut

Maryland

Delaware

New Jersey

_______________________ of New Jersey presented an alternative plan based on the wishes of the small states.

William Patterson

What did the New Jersey Plan suggest?

• It called for a one-house legislature in which each state would cast __________ vote(s).

• Unlike the Articles of Confederation, the New Jersey Plan would allow Congress to _______________________ and to _______________________.

• It would provide for an _______________________ and a _______________________, but Congress would restrict the powers of both.

only one

regulate trade

impose tariffs

executive council

federal judiciary

Delegates furiously debated the two plans for _______________________. The heart of the quarrel was whether the central government would be given _______________________ the states.

two weeks

power to control

On ________, Washington called for a vote on the New Jersey Plan. The result was _________. ____________ delegates were divided, _______________ delegates had still not arrived, and _______________ was boycotting the convention.

July 2

a tie

Georgia

New Hampshire

Rhode Island

The compromise committee suggested the creation of a two-house legislature composed of a _______________________ and _______________________.

• To satisfy those who supported the Virginia Plan, members of the House were to be allotted to the states based on _______________________. The House members were to vote individually, not as part of a _______________________.

• To satisfy followers of the New Jersey Plan, the states would have _______________________ in the Senate. Each state would elect _______________________ who would vote individually.

House of Representatives

a Senate

population

state delegation

equal representation

two senators

This "Great Compromise," as it came to be called, was accepted by the convention on _________.

July 16

Only _____________ enslaved people will be counted in population totals.

3 out of 5

What was decided upon with the executive powers?

It is entrusted to one man. His term of office is four years, and he is chosen by electors, who were selected by the states in whatever manner they choose.

Which government system was considered the weakest?

the court system

Judges were to be appointed by _______________________.

the President

_______________________ feared that Congress, under _______________________ influence, might establish tariff duties that would block the free flow of goods to and from the country.

Southerners

northern

Delegates from _______________________ caused controversy when they proposed a ban on making the Atlantic slave trade illegal, outraging many northern delegates who wanted to see the constitution put an end to the slave trade.

South Carolina

The delegates from _______________________ and _______________________ vowed to not approve a new constitution that did not protect the Atlantic slave trade.

South Carolina

Virginia

Although Congress could not prevent the importation of slaves before _________, it could place a ban on _______________________ after that date, and it could levy a tax of ______________ on each imported enslaved person.

1808

the Atlantic slave-trade

ten dollars

Congress could not impose duties on __________, and a __________ vote was needed in the Senate to ratify a treaty.

exports

two-thirds

By _______________________, the convention had completed its outline for a new form of government. No delegate was satisfied with every part of the Constitution, but ___________ were willing to sign the document.

September 1787

thirty-nine

Those who favored the Constitution became known as _______________________; opponents became known as _______________________.

Federalists

Antifederalists

Had the Constitution been put to the test of popular vote in the fall of _______, it would probably have been defeated. If it were adopted:

• The new government would destroy _______________________

• A _______________________ would violate the freedom of citizens

• _______ would be sharply increased

• _________________ interests would be sacrificed to _______________________ interests

• Individual liberties would be violated because the Constitution had _______________________.

1787

state sovereignty

standing army

Taxes

Agricultural

commercial

no bill of rights

_______________________, _______________________, and _______________________ wrote a series of essays outlining the weaknesses of the Articles and the strengths of the Constitution.

Alexander Hamilton

James Madison

John Jay

From _______________________ through _______________________, these articles were printed in many newspapers and in a book called _______________________.

October 1787

August 1788

The Federalist

List in chronological order the states who decided to ratify the Constitution.

• Delaware

• Pennsylvania

• New Jersey

• Connecticut

• Georgia

• Massachusetts

• Maryland

• South Carolina

• New Hampshire

• New York

• Virginia

In Massachusetts, ratification was uncertain until _______________________ threw his support to the Constitution.

John Hancock

In Virginia, the battle over ratification centered on _______________________ and _______________________, who were for states' rights, and _______________________, _______________________, and _______________________, who supported the Constitution.

Patrick Henry

George Mason

James Madison

Edmund Randolph

John Marshall

What convinced Virginia to support the Constitution? _______________________

that it would have a Bill of Rights

Preparations were made to elect a _______________________, a _______________________, and _______________________.

President

Vice President

members of Congress

In _______, the new government had actually taken over the reins of power when _______________________ decided to ratify. Not until ______, however, after being guaranteed that a Bill of Rights would be added to the constitution, did _______________________ join the ranks of those who ratified the Constitution.

1789

North Carolina

1790

Rhode Island

To work out the Constitution, the Founding Fathers drew upon their knowledge of government _______________________, government _______, and _______________________ principles.

histories

types

Enlightenment

One of the most difficult problems they faced was the distribution of power between the _______ and the _______________________.

states

central government

How did they solve their most difficult problem?

they built the government around a federal system

Another way in which the Constitution has proved successful is its system of ___________________.

checks and balances

Under the system established by the Constitutional Convention, the president can check Congress by ___________________, however Congress can overrule his veto if they have a ______________________ in favor of the bill.

vetoing legislation

two-thirds majority

_______________, on the other hand, can check both the president and members of the Court through its power to _______________ for "treason, bribery, or other high crimes and misdemeanors.”

Congress

impeach government officials

The _______________ has the ability to declare laws unconstitutional through judicial review.

Supreme Court

This complicated system of checks and balances has prevented the concentration of _______________________ in any one branch of the government.

political power

Congress was given the authority to "_______________________ which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into execution the foregoing powers.” Congress and the Courts have interpreted this "necessary and proper" clause to _______________________.

make all laws

meet the needs of the times

What are the three ways in which the Constitution can be amended?

• #1: an amendment may be proposed by _______________________ and ratified by _______________________.

• #2: it may be ratified by _______________________ in three-fourths of the states.

• #3: for an amendment to be proposed by a special convention called upon application by _______________________ and ratified by _______________________.

two-thirds of Congress

three-fourths of the states

special conventions

two-thirds of the state legislatures

three-fourths of the state legislatures

The constitution can be divided into three major parts:

• the preamble

• the articles

• the amendments

What does the preamble do?

It lays out the purpose of creating the constitution and the goals that it means to accomplish.

The _______________________ describe how the government will be set up and how each part of the government should function.

Articles of the Constitution

What are the seven articles in the constitution?

• Article I – Outlines the _______________________

• Article II – Outlines the _______________________

• Article III – Outlines the _______________________

• Article IV – Defines the ________________ and _______________________

• Article V – States the ________ and _______________________

• Article VI – Declares that the _______________________

• Article VII – Outlines the process for _______________________

Legislative Branch

Executive Branch

Judicial Branch

rules for

relationship between the states

rules

procedures for amending the Constitution

Constitution is the Supreme law of the land

ratifying, or approving, the Constitution

_______________________, the first ten amendments to the Constitution, is a safeguard of the rights of individuals.

The Bill of Rights

Congress proposed the amendments for the Bill of Rights in _______ that went into effect in _______.

1789

1791

Freedom of expression

• the right to _______________

• freedom of the _______________

• freedom to _______________

• freedom to _______________

• the government will neither endorse nor create a _______________, nor violate people's freedom to practice their _______________.

free speech

press

assemble

protest

religion

religion

Protection of personal property - the government is banned from ________________ and __________________.

unreasonable search

seizure of personal property

Protection for those accused of crimes

• trial by ______

• due process of the _____

• protection from _______________________

jury

law

self-incrimination

Further protection of the accused

• an ___________________ of one's peers

• a __________________ process.

impartial jury

speedy trail

Protection of the rights of states - powers that have not been granted to the federal government belong to the _____.

stateV

What are the ten protections the Bill of Rights guarantees?

1. Freedom of expression

2. Freedom to keep and bear arms.

3. Freedom from having to use your home to house soldiers.

4. Protection of personal property

5. Protection for those accused of crimes

6. Further protection of the accused

7. Guarantees the right to a trial by jury in federal cases.

8. Protection from cruel and unusual punishment and excessive fees to get out of jail.

9. Freedom to keep rights that have not been specified by the constitution.

10. Protection of the rights of states