American History: A Survey (Brinkley), 13th Edition

Chapter 6: THE CONSTITUTION AND THE NEW REPUBLIC

Study Questions

1
Who were the advocates of centralization, and why did they want to alter or abolish the Articles of Confederation?
2
What did those who favored centralization see as the most serious problem of the Articles, and how would they have changed them? What had prevented these changes?
3
What were the characteristics of the men who met at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia? Whose presence was essential to the meeting's success? Why?
4
What were the two major points of view that divided the convention? What plans did each side propose to carry its view?
5
How were the differences between the "large state" and the "small state" plans resolved? What other issues divided the convention, and how were they resolved?
6
What was to be the role of various branches of government under the new Constitution?
7
Why did the supporters of the new Constitution call themselves "Federalists"? Were they actually Federalists, or did their philosophy of government reveal them to be something else? If so, what?
8
What method did the Federalists employ to get their views across to the people? What were their arguments, and how did the "Antifederalists" respond?
9
What was the process by which the Constitution was finally ratified? Which states supported it, by what margins, and which states did not? What objections were raised by the states?
10
What was the process by which the new government set up operations? What were the initial matters discussed, and how were they resolved?
11
In what way did Congress continue the work of the Constitutional Convention? What "gaps" in the Constitution did Congress fill?
12
Who were the men Washington selected for his cabinet, and on what basis did he choose them?
13
How did the divisions of the 1790s reflect the differences in philosophy that were at the heart of the debate over the Constitution?
14
What was the view of society and politics held by Hamilton? Who did he feel should govern, and why?
15
What was Hamilton's plan for paying the nation's debts and restoring credit on a sound basis? To which social, economic, and political groups would this have appealed?
16
How did Hamilton propose to enact his programs? Who opposed him, and to what degree was Hamilton successful?
17
How did political parties rise as a result of Hamilton's programs?
18
What was the political philosophy of Jefferson and Madison? How did it differ from that of Hamilton?
19
How did the French Revolution highlight the differences between the Federalists and the Republicans?
20
How did Washington's reaction to the Whiskey Rebellion underscore the difference between the Constitution and the Articles of Confederation?
21
How did the government under the Constitution guarantee that people on the frontier would be loyal to it? What was the impact on Native Americans?
22
What diplomatic problem did the French Revolution and the war that followed pose for the United States? How did Washington and Congress deal with this problem?
23
What were the circumstances that sent John Jay to England, and what were the results of his mission?
24
How did Jay's Treaty affect American relations with Spain?
25
Why was John Adams selected as the Federalist candidate in 1796?
26
What circumstances led to an administration with a Federalist president and a Republican vice president?
27
What caused the "quasi war" with France during the Adams administration? What as the result of this struggle?
28
How did the Federalists attempt to silence those who opposed the undeclared war, and what groups did these attempts most affect?
29
What gave rise to the Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions, and what attitude toward the nature of the federal government did these resolutions reveal?
30
What were the issues in the election of 1800, and what were the reactions of the losers and the victors?
Glencoe Online Learning CenterSocial Studies HomeProduct InfoSite MapContact Us

The McGraw-Hill CompaniesGlencoe

Please read our Terms of Use and Privacy Notice before you explore our Web site. To report a technical problem with this Web site, please contact the Web Producer.