Flashcards on Formation of the Early American Republic
Formation of the Early American Republic: Key Debates & Structure
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Early United States Government
13 cards
Card 1
Question: What economic problems challenged the new republic and led to unrest among Americans after the Revolutionary War?
Answer: Depression, inflation, and high taxes made life miserable for many Americans.
Card 2
Question: What event in western Massachusetts highlighted the national government's inability to maintain order and prompted calls for change?
Answer: Shays' Rebellion in 1786.
Card 3
Question: What was the main outcome of the panic caused by events like Shays' Rebellion?
Answer: A convention was called to address the shortcomings of the national government; it convened in Philadelphia in 1787.
Card 4
Question: What was the central debate about representation of slave states during the Constitutional Convention?
Answer: Whether slaves should be counted as persons or as property for purposes of representation and taxation.
Card 5
Question: How did the Constitution resolve the dispute over counting slaves for representation and taxation?
Answer: By the Three-Fifths Clause, which allowed three-fifths of all slaves to be counted as people.
Card 6
Question: What three branches did the Constitution propose for the new federal government?
Answer: Legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
Card 7
Question: What was the main concern of Anti-federalists about the new Constitution?
Answer: They argued the Constitution would allow a potentially tyrannical central government to dominate the states.
Card 8
Question: What was the Federalist response to concerns about the Constitution creating a too-strong central government?
Answer: Federalists defended the necessity of a strong national government and praised the Constitution.
Card 9
Question: What compromise during ratification led to adding protections for individual rights, and what form did it take?
Answer: Debates over ratification led to the Bill of Rights, composed of ten amendments to the Constitution.
Card 10
Question: What two emerging political groups formed during the debates over the Constitution and national policy?
Answer: Hamilton's Federalists and Jefferson's Republicans.