Kim 1

Chapter 5 Review

Kunwoo Kim

2nd hour

Group 11

1. Articles of Confederation

The Second Continental Congress was organized to create a national government.

The Continental Congress appointed a Committee of Thirteen, with one member from

each colony. This group was assigned to discuss and draft the Articles of

Confederation, the new national Constitution, the first Constitution in United States.

Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress would become the single branch of the

national government, but it would have limited powers in order to protect the liberties

of the people. This also means state government had the most power. Each state had

one vote in the Congress. Congress could settle conflicts among the states, issue

coins, borrow money, make treaties with other countries and with native Americans.

Congress could also ask the states for money and soldiers. However, states have

power to refuse these requests. There was no president or a national court system. It

passed on November 15, 1777 during the Second Continental Congress. Every state

except Maryland had ratified the articles, and refused to ratify the articles until Virginia

gave up their land claims. There were lots of weaknesses in the Articles. The Biggest

problem was the central government could not tax. Also, they can create the law, but

could not make the people to follow the law.

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2. Land Ordinance of 1785

Land ordinance of 1785, which set up a system for surveying and dividing western

lands. The land was split into townships, which were 36 square miles divided into 36

lots of 640 acres each. One lot was reserved for a public school, and four square miles

reserved for government use army base, post office, given to veterans. The remaining

lots were sold to the public. The Federal government did not sell the land less than a

dollar.

3. Northwest Ordinance

To form a political system for the region, congress passed the Northwest Ordinance of

1787. The Ordinance established the Northwest territory, which included areas that

are now in Illinois, Indiana, Michigan, Ohio, Minnesota, and Wisconsin. This Ordinance

created a system for bringing new states into the union. Congress agreed that the

Northwest territory would be divided into several smaller territories with a governor

appointed by congress. A territory must have 60,00 people before they could write a

state Constitution and apply for statehood. Their state Constitution was the application

for statehood. If approved by Congress, they would become a state equal to all states.

For the Northwest territory, they must be a republic, no slavery, must provide public

education.
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4. James Madison

James Madison was called for a Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on May of

1787 with Alexander Hamilton. He wrote the Virginia plan. He is called the Father of

the Constitution, because his Virginia Plan was basic of Constitution. He was

Federalist, and he did not want the Bill of Rights at first, because he did not think that

all the rights needed to be written down. He wrote the Bill of Rights. One of the men

who wrote Federalists Paper, and persuade to Antifederalists in Virginia.

5. Virginia Plan

James Madison wrote the Virginia plan. It states two house legislature, called

bicameral legislature. Congress would have power to regulate trade and tax. Three

branches of government, Legislature, Executive, and Judicial. Representation in both

houses would be based on a state population, and small states would never agree to

this. Large states would benefit more than the small states because of the Virginia

plan has representation in both houses based on population.

6. New Jersey Plan

William Paterson wrote the New Jersey plan. It states a unicameral, or one-house,

legislature. The plan gave each state an equal number of votes like the Articles of
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Confederation, and thus an equal voice, in the federal government. The plan gave the

federal government the power to tax citizens in all states, and it allowed the

government to regulate commerce. The New Jersey plan also had three branches of

government.

7. Great Compromise

Representation in both Houses of Legislature was debated for weeks, no solution. A

committee was formed, headed by Benjamin Franklin, to come up with a solution.

Finally, Roger Sherman of Connecticut proposed a compromise plan. Also called

Connecticut Compromise, because Roger Sherman was from Connecticut. The

legislative branch would have two houses. Each state, regardless of its size, would

have two representatives in the senate, or upper house. This would give each state

an equal voice, pleasing the smaller states. In the house of representatives, or lower

house, the number of representatives for each state would be determined by the

state’s population. This pleased the larger states. The agreement to create two-house

legislature became known as the Great Compromise. James Wilson, a great speaker,

saw his dream of a strong national government come true.

Southern wanted more population for representatives. So Southern wanted for slaves

to count as population, but does not want to tax them. Northern argues than slaves

should not be count as population, or count as population, but tax them. So they have

agreement, that only three out of five slaves count as population for number of

representatives.
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Southerners did no like the tariffs, especially protective tariffs make foreign goods

more expensive than American made goods. Northerners did like tariffs, because

most of the industries are in north. Southerners wanted two-third majority vote in

Congress on tariffs and protective tariffs. And Southerners said that they will leave the

Union if the importation of the slaves end. Commerce compromise allows simple

majority vote on all tariffs. In exchange, the importation of slave would not end until

1808. It negotiated during the Constitutional Convention.

8. Federalists

Federalist were supporters of the constitution, included James Madison, George

Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Alexander Hamilton. Most Federalists believed

that the Constitution offered a good balance of power between various political view.

Many Federalists were wealthy planters, large farmers, and lawyers. However, others

were workers and crafts people.

9. Antifederalists

Antifederalists are the people who opposed the Constitution, thought that the

Constitutional Convention should not have created a new government. Others thought

Constitution gave too much power to the central government. For some Antifederalists,

the main problem was that the constitution did not have a section that guaranteed
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individual rights. Delegates George Mason became an Antifederalist for this reason.

Many Antifederalists were small farmers ad debtors. Some patriots, including Samuel

Adams and Patrick Henry was antifederalists.

10. Bill of Rights

Bill of Rights are 10 of the proposed Amendments intended to protect citizens’ rights.

These 10 Amendments set a clear example of how to amend the Constitution to fit the

needs of a changing nation. James Madison wrote the Bill of Rights. The flexibility of

the U.S. Constitution has allowed it to survive for more than 200 years. Amendments

allow us to make additions or deletions to the Constitution. A proposed Amendments

must pass by a two thirds majority vote in both houses of Congress. Three fourths of

the state legislature must approve. The first 10 Amendments make up our Bill of Rights.