US History: Chapter 5 Homework Questions

Chapter 5 Questions

Section 1: Experimenting with Confederation

1.    Why did Americans debate republicanism?

2.    How did the colonies become states?

3.    How did the states unify?

4.    How did republicanism affect those writing constitutions for the estates?

5.    Why did the writers of state constitutions have difficulty figuring out how to create their documents?

6.    Why was representation an issue debated by the Continental Congress?

7.    Why was “supreme power” an issue that needed to be addressed by the Continental Congress?

8.    Why were the Articles of Confederation written?

9.    Why is the Land Ordinance of 1785 important?

10.  Why is the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 important?

11.  What political problems did the Confederation encounter?

12.  What economic problems did the Confederation encounter?

13.  How did debt form the Revolutionary War affect the new nation?

14.  Why did the United States suffer from foreign-relations problems?

 

Section 2: Drafting the Constitution

1.    Why did Shay’s Rebellion take place?

2.    Why is James Madison important?

3.    What convinced 12 of the states to send representatives to a new convention in Philadelphia in 1786?

4.    Identify the types of men who served as representatives to this new convention.

5.    Why is Roger Sherman important?

6.    How did “big states” and “little states” differ on the issue on representation?

7.    Why was the Three-Fifths Compromise “necessary?”

8.    Explain the Three-Fifths Compromise.

9.    Describe “federalism.”

10.  Explain “separation of powers.”

11.  Why was the electoral college established?

 

Section 3: Ratifying the Constitution

1.    Why is John Jay important?

2.    Why did the Constitution have to be “ratified?”

3.    How are federalists different from Antifederalists?

4.    Who wrote The Federalist?

5.    Why was The Federalist written?

6.    Why was Letters from the Federal Farmer written?

7.    Who likely write Letters from the Federal Farmer?

8.    Why did people demand a bill of rights?

9.    How was the Constitution finally ratified?

10.  What did the bill of rights “spell out?”

11.  To whom did the rights in the Constitution and Bill of Rights apply?