Name: Visions Of America A History Of The United States, Combined Volume 2E by Keene - Test Bank
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CHAPTER FIVE

A VIRTUOUS REPUBLIC: CREATING A WORKABLE GOVERNMENT, 1783–1789

Multiple Choice

1. Why did Americans of the revolutionary generation look to the Roman Republic as a model?

A) It represented imperial power.

B) It represented the ideal of republic virtue.

C) It represented the mythical past.

D) It represented the separation of church and state.

E) It represented equality and democracy.

Answer: B

Page Ref: 128

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: Introduction

2. Women were expected to participate in the political life of the new republic by

A) adorning their homes with patriotic images.

B) inspiring their husbands through their wit and beauty.

C) taking up the profession of teaching.

D) cultivating patriotism and virtue in their children.

E) managing their households.

Answer: D

Page Ref: 128, 133–134

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

3. What was the Newburgh conspiracy?

A) a Loyalist scheme

B) a speech by George Washington

C) a planned military coup

D) a group of treasonous officers

E) an attempt to break apart the United States

Answer: C

Page Ref: 130

Skill: Factual

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

164

A) state constitutions.

B) education by mothers and wives.

C) religion.

D) folk traditions.

E) public education.

Answer: D

Page Ref: 130–133

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

5. This chest of drawers represents

A) a turn toward classical style.

B) the continuing popularity of British trends.

C) a rejection of simplicity.

D) the aspiration for wealth.

E) the idealization of feminine beauty.

Answer: A

Page Ref: 132

Skill: Factual

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

Text Asset: Image 5.3 Samuel McIntire Carving

165

intended to teach what along with such skills as reading, writing, and arithmetic?

A) obedience to authority

B) patriotism

C) skills needed in the military

D) scientific observation

E) Christian values

Answer: B

Page Ref: 133

Skill: Factual

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

Text Asset: Image 5.4 Book of Children’s Verses

7. What motivated the Confederation Congress to print paper currency?

A) an attempt to placate merchants

B) a desire to encourage inflation

C) a shortage of silver and gold

D) a need to encourage exports

E) a lust for more wealth

Answer: C

Page Ref: 138

Skill: Factual

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

166

Continental Army?

A) Its meetings were rare.

B) It did not have the power to levy taxes.

C) It could not print currency.

D) It had no authority to make laws.

E) It was dominated by poorly educated representatives.

Answer: B

Page Ref: 138

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

9. The Revolution challenged traditional republican theory, according to which citizens were

expected to

A) defer to their betters.

B) remain out of the public eye.

C) challenge authority.

D) defend the nation without question.

E) serve as legislators.

Answer: A

Page Ref: 135

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

10. What type of men dominated the colonial assemblies before the Revolution?

A) military men

B) small farmers

C) plantation owners

D) the wealthy

E) the middle class

Answer: D

Page Ref: 135

Skill: Factual

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

11. Why was George Washington looked upon as a model of civic virtue?

A) He served his country when needed.

B) He was able to persuade others through speeches.

C) He was at heart a country farmer.

D) He toured the nation in order to present himself as virtuous.

E) He forcefully squashed the Newburgh conspiracy.

Answer: A

Page Ref: 130–131

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

167

A) increased wealth

B) trade deficits

C) an inability to pay debts

D) a return to bartering

E) severe inflation

Answer: E

Page Ref: 138

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

13. According to Enlightenment thinking, why might it be possible to use education to create

model citizens?

A) Republicanism was believed to be completely rational, so instruction in logic would produce

compliant citizens.

B) The system could create a virtuous elite to enforce republican ideals throughout the nation.

C) Children were seen as innately good, requiring little instruction to foster their virtue.

D) People were thought to be born a blank state upon which republican ideals could be written.

E) Schooling would keep even young children occupied and prepare them for a life of work.

Answer: D

Page Ref: 132

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

14. In The Memorial and Remonstrance Against Religious Assessments, James Madison and

Thomas Jefferson argued against

A) the inclusion of Catholics and Jews in government.

B) state support for religion.

C) religious dissent.

D) the value of religion in the daily lives of Americans.

E) the taxing of religious institutions.

Answer: B

Page Ref: 135

Skill: Factual

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

168

and New Jersey,” the change in the makeup of state legislatures after the Revolution implies that

the new nation would

A) force the wealthy to abandon the States for Canada or Britain.

B) do away with class distinctions.

C) allow the well-to-do to become much more powerful.

D) become more democratic and representative of the population.

E) let state legislatures overrule the national legislature.

Answer: D

Page Ref: 137

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

Text Asset: Image 5.7 The Democratization of the State Legislatures

169

in this portrait?

A) Voters tended to place their faith in political leaders who were seen as devoted to their

children and grandchildren.

B) Political leaders preferred to be shown in grand style, whether or not it were accurate.

C) Smith longed to retire from business and political life.

D) The life of a prosperous merchant was not perceived as being most compatible with

republican virtue.

E) By presenting himself as a simple working man, Smith believed he would gain the trust of his

constituents.

Answer: D

Page Ref: 136

Skill: Analytical

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

Text Asset: Image 5.6 William Smith and His Grandson

170

A) an ambition to compete with British influences.

B) an innovative American style.

C) a looking back to the Roman Republic.

D) a complete departure from prevailing tastes.

E) a turn toward continental European grandeur.

Answer: C

Page Ref: 128

Skill: Factual

Topic: Introduction

Text Asset: Image of Virginia State Capitol on page 129

171

championed in the formative years of the United States?

A) Women were seen as embodying republican ideals but not participating in them.

B) Women were not seen as rightfully belonging in the public.

C) Women were seen as too idle and frivolous to contribute anything of merit to the republic.

D) Women were seen as contributing to the work of establishing the new nation only by having

children.

E) Women were seen as endangered in the new republic.

Answer: B

Page Ref: 134

Skill: Analytical

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

Text Asset: Image of the engraving Keep Within the Compass on page 134

19. What caused the trade deficit with Britain after the Revolution?

A) the need to replace items destroyed in the war

B) continuing boycotts

C) desire for luxury goods that had been unavailable during the war

D) the refusal of banks to extend credit

E) America’s first depression

Answer: C

Page Ref: 138

Skill: Factual

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

172

A) the authority of American diplomats to negotiate abroad.

B) the contributions of the French to American victory.

C) the independence of any state beyond the original thirteen.

D) the interests of the Indian peoples.

E) the Mississippi River as the western border of the United States.

Answer: D

Page Ref: 139

Skill: Factual

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

21. Thomas Jefferson’s initial plan for the Northwest Territory called for

A) the curtailment of westward expansion.

B) government of the territories by Congress in perpetuity.

C) the end of slavery in the western territories after 1800.

D) equal legal and economic rights for Indians.

E) the creation of townships of 36 square miles.

Answer: C

Page Ref: 140

Skill: Factual

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

22. The United States faced military conflicts with all of the following EXCEPT

A) the British.

B) pirates.

C) Indians.

D) Loyalists.

E) the Spanish.

Answer: D

Page Ref: 138–139

Skill: Factual

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

23. How did the Land Ordinance of 1785 effectively bar the average citizen from directly

obtaining land in the Northwest Territories?

A) It restricted the religious freedom of those settling west of the Appalachian Mountains.

B) It allowed Indians to remain in their ancestral lands.

C) Its system for distributing land in the territories was prohibitive.

D) It granted the territories to speculators at no cost to them.

E) It required that shares of land in the territories be very small.

Answer: C

Page Ref: 140

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

173

A) force Massachusetts to secede from the Confederation

B) take over the state militia

C) overthrow the Articles of Confederation

D) stop farm foreclosures

E) oust the state legislature

Answer: D

Page Ref: 141

Skill: Factual

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

25. As a result of the economic, diplomatic, and political crises of the 1780s,

A) the new nation was in serious danger of being reoccupied by the British.

B) supporters of the Articles of Confederation grew in numbers.

C) westerners were the only Americans who were satisfied with governmental policies.

D) state governments were clamoring to secede from the new nation.

E) a small but powerful group of nationalists believed that constitutional reform was needed.

Answer: E

Page Ref: 143

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

174

thinking?

A) The territories are numbered rather than named.

B) The territories are arranged in a grid.

C) There are more territories than there were colonies.

D) Natural features are disregarded in the borders of the territories.

E) The territories are much larger than the first thirteen states.

Answer: B

Page Ref: 140–141

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

Text Asset: Image 5.10 Jefferson’s Plan for the West

27. How did the Articles of Confederation reflect the colonial experience of Americans?

A) Americans continued to fear British rule and so created a government that could protect their

interests in Europe.

B) Americans had hated George III but admired the British and so created a British-style

government without a monarch.

C) Americans held a grudge against the British and so created a government that was the

opposite of that of the British.

D) Americans held to their ideal of a virtuous republic and so created a strong government that

would tax fairly.

E) Americans had resented taxation and government by the British and so created a weak central

government.

Answer: E

Page Ref: 138

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

175

Confederation?

A) It revealed the vulnerability of a nation with a weak central government.

B) It showed that the judicial branch had overstepped its authority.

C) It exposed the need for better checks and balances.

D) It demonstrated the failure of republican ideals.

E) It suggested that voting rights should be restricted.

Answer: A

Page Ref: 142

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

29. The Northwest Ordinance of 1787 did which of the following?

A) provided no process by which territories might gain statehood

B) encouraged slavery in the Northwest Territories

C) proposed a method by which territorial lands might be sold to small farmers

D) created a political structure for the new territories

E) returned the Northwest Territories to Indian rule

Answer: D

Page Ref: 140–141

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

30. Where did the convention to reform the Articles of Confederation take place?

A) Philadelphia

B) Annapolis

C) New York

D) Washington, D.C.

E) Mount Vernon

Answer: A

Page Ref: 143

Skill: Factual

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

31. The Virginia Plan was primarily drafted by

A) Alexander Hamilton.

B) Thomas Jefferson.

C) James Madison.

D) George Mason.

E) George Washington.

Answer: C

Page Ref: 143

Skill: Factual

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

176

A) the right of state courts to strike down federal laws

B) the requirement that the courts review all new laws

C) a system of funding the federal judiciary

D) the power of the courts to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional

E) a theory stating the primacy of the judicial branch

Answer: D

Page Ref: 146–147

Skill: Factual

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

33. The New Jersey Plan was proposed in the interests of

A) limiting taxation.

B) accommodating the interests of smaller state .

C) maintaining a weak central government.

D) opposing slavery.

E) protecting the rights of individual citizens.

Answer: B

Page Ref: 144

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

34. Which of the following is NOT true of the Virginia Plan?

A) It proposed a separate judicial branch.

B) It proposed a single executive system.

C) It proposed a two-house legislature.

D) It was based on the one-state one-vote principle.

E) It gave Congress powers to legislate where individual states could not.

Answer: D

Page Ref: 143–144

Skill: Factual

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

35. What compromise did the Constitutional Convention reach in regards to the slave trade?

A) Congress did not have the authority to ban the slave trade until 1808.

B) The slave trade was banned in all states but Virginia.

C) Only Southern states could conduct the slave trade.

D) The international slave trade continued, but interstate trade was banned.

E) No protections for slavery were included in the Constitution.

Answer: A

Page Ref: 146

Skill: Factual

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

177

A) James Madison.

B) Benjamin Franklin.

C) George Washington.

D) Thomas Jefferson.

E) Alexander Hamilton.

Answer: D

Page Ref: 143

Skill: Factual

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

37. How does Thomas Rossiter portray the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in this

nineteenth-century painting?

A) as cloaked in secrecy

B) as hopelessly old-fashioned

C) as grim and contentious

D) as haloed in light

E) as disorderly and confused

Answer: D

Page Ref: 144

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

Text Asset: Image 5.12 Constitutional Convention

178

A) as likely to allow the nation to return to monarchy

B) as a solid though temporary solution

C) as nearly perfect

D) as an offense that should not be signed

E) as a step backwards

Answer: C

Page Ref: 147

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

39. In what way is the Constitution a departure from the original plan for government embraced

after the Revolution?

A) Americans originally wanted a strong central government, whereas the Constitution created

an economically and politically weak government.

B) Americans originally wanted a government that exemplified democracy and could not

become too powerful, whereas the Constitution did not allow for a directly elected president but

did allow for taxation.

C) Americans originally wanted a government with a system of checks and balances, whereas

the Constitution created a government with three branches that worked independently of each

other.

D) Americans originally wanted each state to have a wholly separate government, whereas the

Constitution severely limited the powers of state governments.

E) Americans originally wanted a virtuous and democratic government with equal rights for all,

whereas the Constitution granted only limited rights to individual Americans.

Answer: B

Page Ref: 143–147

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

40. The Great Compromise, devised by Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth,

A) resolved the dispute over representation in Congress.

B) aggravated the tension between free and slave states.

C) proposed that members of Congress be directly elected by the people.

D) gave each state one vote in Congress.

E) was ultimately rejected by the convention.

Answer: A

Page Ref: 145

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

179

A) two houses, one representing each state equally and one determined by population.

B) two houses, each with equal representation for large and small states.

C) three houses, one for each branch of the government.

D) one house directly elected by the people.

E) one house with equal representation for each state regardless of size.

Answer: A

Page Ref: 147

Skill: Factual

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

42. The first sentence of the Constitution states: “We the People of the United States, in Order to

form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the

common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves

and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America.”

The words “insure domestic Tranquility” may have been a reference to

A) the dispute between Federalists and Anti-Federalists.

B) the British maintenance of forts in the Old Northwest.

C) plans to extend westward, even beyond the Northwest Territories.

D) Shays’s Rebellion.

E) the desire of some to abolish slavery.

Answer: D

Page Ref: 141–142

Skill: Analytical

Topic: Life under the Articles of Confederation

43. On June 21, 1788, which state’s vote gave Federalists the nine states needed to ratify the

Constitution?

A) New Hampshire

B) New York

C) Delaware

D) Massachusetts

E) Virginia

Answer: A

Page Ref: 151

Skill: Factual

Topic: The Great Debate

180

considered essential?

A) North Carolina and Rhode Island

B) New York and Massachusetts

C) New York and Virginia

D) Virginia and New Hampshire

E) Massachusetts and Rhode Island

Answer: C

Page Ref: 151

Skill: Factual

Topic: The Great Debate

45. What is the most likely reason why most state politicians were Anti-Federalists?

A) They were angry that they had not been invited to the Constitutional Convention.

B) Many were likely to lose their jobs when the Constitution was ratified.

C) They could lose a lot of power relative to the central government established by the

Constitution.

D) They felt that without a bill of rights, the new government would do little to protect states’

rights.

E) They wanted to be able to negotiate treaties and engage in foreign diplomacy.

Answer: C

Page Ref: 153

Skill: Analytical

Topic: The Great Debate

46. Which is most likely NOT a reason that the Federalist position ultimately prevailed?

A) The Federalist position of supporting the Constitution was simpler than that of the Anti-

Federalists.

B) Many of the most esteemed and politically influential men in the United States had

contributed to the Constitution.

C) The form of government established by the Constitution is the only one that could have

succeeded.

D) Several states were quick to ratify the Constitution, thus creating momentum toward

ratification.

E) Those with powerful economic interests tended to be Federalists.

Answer: C

Page Ref: 148–153

Skill: Analytical

Topic: The Great Debate

181

EXCEPT

A) the states as being like elements of a temple.

B) states that had ratified the constitution.

C) a reference to the ideals of the Roman Republic.

D) the increasing strength of the United States.

E) the growing barrier between Federalists and Anti-Federalists.

Answer: E

Page Ref: 152

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: The Great Debate

Text Asset: Massachusetts newspaper celebrates New York as “the eleventh pillar,” from page

152

48. Most Anti-Federalists

A) supported a strong central government.

B) distrusted the social and economic elite.

C) felt that the influence of the average citizen on government should be checked.

D) placed their trust in the virtue of representatives and leaders.

E) believed that a large and diverse United States would be most successful.

Answer: B

Page Ref: 150

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: The Great Debate

49. Many Anti-Federalists were concerned that the Constitution did not

A) create a bicameral national legislature.

B) propose to end slavery.

C) provide specific language about judicial review.

D) include a bill of rights.

E) establish a plan for the addition of new states.

Answer: D

Page Ref: 151

Skill: Factual

Topic: The Great Debate

182

A) was likely to ignore and alienate the minority.

B) would give too much power to the national government.

C) did not reflect the goals of the American Revolution.

D) was an enemy of true republicanism.

E) offered the best hope for safeguarding individual rights.

Answer: E

Page Ref: 148

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: The Great Debate

51. Why did the artisans of New York City support the ratification of the Constitution?

A) They championed the Constitution’s establishment of a limited central government.

B) They believed that the new Congress would encourage international trade.

C) They wanted a strong government to protect their economic interests.

D) They rallied behind the Constitution’s support for those of moderate means.

E) They believed that the business sector would thrive due to the Constitution’s economic plan.

Answer: C

Page Ref: 151

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: The Great Debate

52. Supporters of ratification of the Constitution included large segments of all the following

groups EXCEPT

A) inhabitants of frontier regions.

B) merchants.

C) backcountry farmers.

D) officers of the Continental Army.

E) residents of small states.

Answer: C

Page Ref: 153

Skill: Factual

Topic: The Great Debate

53. After the Constitution was ratified, Anti-Federalists chose to

A) support the Constitution provisionally unless certain amendments were made.

B) work within the framework provided by the Constitution to secure their goals.

C) form an anti-Constitutional party.

D) leave the United States.

E) win seats in the First Congress so that they could rewrite the Constitution.

Answer: B

Page Ref: 153

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: The Great Debate

183

A) It was crude rather than sophisticated in its methods of persuasion.

B) It supported the Anti-Federalist rather than the Federalist position.

C) Its arguments would be of interest to posterity rather than fleeting.

D) Its purpose was simply to describe rather than to influence.

E) It appealed to reason rather than to emotion.

Answer: A

Page Ref: 150

Skill: Conceptual

Topic: The Great Debate

Text Asset: Image 5.15 The Looking Glass for 1787

55. Which of the following events happened first?

A) the ratification of the Constitution

B) Shays’s Rebellion

C) the signing of the Treaty of Paris

D) America’s first economic depression

E) the ending of the Newburgh conspiracy

Answer: C

Page Ref: the whole chapter

Skill: Factual

Topic: review of the whole chapter

True/False

56. Beginning in 1785, Virginia became one of many states that demanded that candidates

declare their belief in the divinity of Jesus to hold public office.

A) True

B) False

Answer: B

Page Ref: 135

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

184

elite.

A) True

B) False

Answer: B

Page Ref: 135–136

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

58. Unlike the British in the Old Northwest, the Spanish in the Old Southwest were open to

sharing access to such resources as the Mississippi River with the United States.

A) True

B) False

Answer: B

Page Ref: 140

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

59. Shays’s Rebellion stemmed more from racial than class animosity.

A) True

B) False

Answer: B

Page Ref: 141–142

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

60. Thomas Jefferson was especially disheartened by the news of Shays’s Rebellion and

chastised the dissent as un-American.

A) True

B) False

Answer: B

Page Ref: 142

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

61. The Virginia Plan suggested that the legislature should include two houses in which each

state had representation in proportion to its population.

A) True

B) False

Answer: A

Page Ref: 143–144

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

62. Neither the Virginia Plan nor the New Jersey Plan proposed a federal judiciary.

A) True

B) False

Answer: B

Page Ref: 145

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

185

Confederation.

A) True

B) False

Answer: B

Page Ref: 147

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

64. Whereas Federalists favored local militias, the Anti-Federalists supported the establishment

of a federal standing army.

A) True

B) False

Answer: B

Page Ref: 151

Topic: The Great Debate

65. Samplers are a form of needlework that was a standard part of the education of a young

woman’s education.

A) True

B) False

Answer: A

Page Ref: 134

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

66. In the Constitutional Convention, delegates from Southern states viewed slaves as property

and did not want them counted when calculating representation in the lower house.

A) True

B) False

Answer: B

Page Ref: 145

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

67. At the New York ratification convention, moderate Anti-Federalists were led by Melancton

Smith.

A) True

B) False

Answer: A

Page Ref: 152

Topic: The Great Debate

186

growth and centralization of the federal government.

A) True

B) False

Answer: A

Page Ref: 152

Topic: The Great Debate

69. Post-revolutionary American furniture used much simpler, more classical lines than did

highly ornate pre-revolutionary styles.

A) True

B) False

Answer: A

Page Ref: 132

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

70. Thomas Jefferson’s fanciful scheme for setting up new territories in the West used major

landforms such as rivers and mountains as a source of territorial names.

A) True

B) False

Answer: A

Page Ref: 140

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

Fill-in-the-Blank

71. Under the Land Ordinance of 1785, land in the Northwest Territories was to be sold for

________ per acre.

Answer: no less than one dollar

Page Ref: 140

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

72. The style of post-revolutionary American furniture was influenced by ________ values.

Answer: republican

Page Ref: 132

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

73. New York was the eleventh state to ratify the ________.

Answer: Constitution

Page Ref: 152

Topic: The Great Debate

74. The ________ suggested that each state should have equal representation in the legislature.

Answer: New Jersey Plan

Page Ref: 144

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

187

have equal representation and one house in which representation would be proportional to

population.

Answer: Great Compromise

Page Ref: 145

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

76. The Treaty of Paris was signed in the year ________.

Answer: 1783

Page Ref: 138

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

77. In 1787, participants in ________ closed courts throughout Massachusetts.

Answer: Shays’s Rebellion

Page Ref: 142

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

78. George Washington was frequently compared to the Roman general ________.

Answer: Cincinnatus

Page Ref: 130

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

79. A speech by George Washington to army officers in 1783 ended the ________.

Answer: Newburgh conspiracy

Page Ref: 130

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

80. After the war, the number of wealthy Americans in the state legislatures ________.

Answer: Decreased

Page Ref: 137

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

81. The British refused to abandon their forts in the Old Northwest because the states had not

met all the obligations of the ________.

Answer: Treaty of Paris

Page Ref: 139

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

82. The Land Ordinance of 1785 called for the creation of 36-square-mile ________.

Answer: townships

Page Ref: 140

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

188

________.

Answer: Northwest Ordinance of 1787

Page Ref: 140

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

84. The Virginia Plan was primarily drafted by ________.

Answer: James Madison

Page Ref: 143–144

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

85. At the Constitutional Convention, William Patterson proposed the ________.

Answer: New Jersey Plan

Page Ref: 144

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

Essay

86. Describe the values of republicanism, as viewed by Americans of the revolutionary

generation. What qualities constituted republican virtue? By what methods were these qualities

supposed to be instilled in the citizenry?

Page Ref: 130–135

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

87. Compare and contrast the Federalist and Anti-Federalist positions. For what reasons did the

Federalists support ratification of the Constitution? For what reasons did the Anti-Federalists

oppose it? What different visions of the American republic were represented by each position?

Page Ref: 148–153

Topic: The Great Debate

189

Revolution? How did he come to personify civic virtue in the new nation? What do such works

of art as Jean-Antoine Houdon’s sculpture of Washington as the modern Cincinnatus and

Thomas Rossiter’s painting of the Constitutional Convention suggest about his public image?

Page Ref: 130–131, 143

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

Text Assets: Images 5.1 George Washington as the Modern Cincinnatus and 5.12 Constitutional

Convention

89. Describe Republican ideals of womanhood. What roles were women expected to play in the

new republic? What does the needlework sampler made by Nabby Martin of Providence, Rhode

Island suggest about the changing roles of women?

Page Ref: 133–134

Topic: Republicanism and the Politics of Virtue

Text Asset: Nabby Martin, Sampler, 1786, on page 134

190

Mason play during the debate? How were the conflicts resolved, and in what ways did the

Constitution treat the institution?

Page Ref: 145–146

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

91. Describe the diplomatic challenges faced by the United States in the years directly following

the American Revolution. With what nations did the United States come into conflict, and why?

How did the structure of the government established by the Articles of Confederation contribute

to the difficulties of the new nation?

Page Ref: 138–140

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

92. What were the causes of Shays’s Rebellion? Why were courts the targets of the Shaysites?

Why did this conflict persuade nationalists of the need for constitutional reform?

Page Ref: 141–142

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

93. Compare and contrast the Virginia Plan and New Jersey Plan. In what ways were they

similar, and in what ways were they different? What motivated those differences? How did the

Great Compromise resolve the conflict reflected in the two plans?

Page Ref: 143–145

Topic: The Movement for Constitutional Reform

94. Explain the causes of America’s first depression. What were the causes and consequences of

the glut of paper currency in the economy? What were the causes and consequences of the trade

deficit with Great Britain? How did the structure of government established by the Articles of

Confederation contribute to these problems?

Page Ref: 138

Topic: Life Under the Articles of Confederation

95. Describe the process by which the Constitution was ratified. Why was ratification by

Virginia and New York seen as necessary? For what reasons did the Anti-Federalists decide to

discontinue their opposition of the Constitution?

Page Ref: 148–153

Topic: The Great Debate

Learning Objectives and Answers

After a careful examination of Chapter 5, students should be able to answer the following

questions:

1. What role did the concept of virtue play in American politics after the Revolution?

Answer: After the Revolution, virtue was an ideal held in high esteem by many

Americans. George Washington epitomized the ideal of virtue. He used a plea of “reason

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were angry at Congress regarding their pay and pensions. Washington’s passionate

speech quelled the Newburgh conspiracy and allowed civic virtue to triumph over

corruption. He later resigned from office to take leave of “the employments of public

life” and go back to a simple life of the plow. Washington was seen as placing the good

of the nation ahead of personal glory.

Washington notwithstanding, the republican emphasis on virtue permeated American

culture. The first state constitutions in places such as Massachusetts and Virginia

contained declarations of rights in which the ideal of virtue was literally written into

American law. These declarations outlined the rights of citizens and also taught citizens

the premises of virtuous republican government.

Virtue was also reflected in the nation’s art, architecture, and fashion. After the

Revolution, the decorative elements of home furnishings that copied British fashions

were replaced with the symbols that represented the new republican values. For example,

the fancy carvings in a chest of drawers of the colonial era might be replaced by the

goddess of liberty along with a set of carvings that illustrate the prosperity that

republicanism.

Education was also linked with virtue in the new nation. The Massachusetts Constitution

expressly linked republicanism, virtue, and education by providing public primary

education for boys and girls. In Virginia, Thomas Jefferson sought to have a publicly

funded system of education where white children (including boys and girls) would be

educated at public expense for three years; however, Jefferson’s bill never passed in the

state legislature.

Enlightenment ideas were also used to further the concept of virtue. Jefferson and other

American Founders felt that people should cultivate their innate morality to become

enlightened citizens. Such a fusion of Lockean psychology and Enlightenment moral

theory resulted in the belief that education could shape morality and mold character. This

led to the founding of new educational institutions to help create an enlightened citizenry.

North Carolina, Georgia, and Vermont established public institutions of higher education,

while private colleges were created in Massachusetts (Williams), Kentucky

(Transylvania), South Carolina (the College of Charleston), and Maine (Bowdoin). In

schools, educators used patriotic lessons with illustrations that reinforced their republican

message. The Great Seal of America became the new nation’s official symbol of virtue

and had designs representing the new government’s power to make war and negotiate

peace. Women also had new opportunities, as reformers sought ambitious plans to

educate the nation’s female population. People like Benjamin Rush felt that women

should be familiar with the political ideas of republicanism, and so new institutions were

created, such as the Philadelphia Young Ladies Academy. This school offered classes in

music, dance, needlework, rhetoric, oratory, and history.

Other Americans used religion to foster virtue in the new nation. Some ministers believed

that religion was closely tied with the morals of the people, though post-revolutionary

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somewhat tolerated. Some states continued to bar Catholics and Jews from public office

because the underlying notion was that only Protestants had the necessary virtue to seek

the public good. This idea slowly changed as America moved toward the separation of

church and state, and religious tests requiring potential office holders to swear a belief in

the divinity of Jesus were abolished in many states.

What major problems did America face during the Confederation period?

Answer: The economy was a problematic issue during the Confederation period.

Congress had relatively little power compared to the states. Congress did not have the

power to tax, so it could not resolve the nation’s economic problems after the Revolution.

The Articles relied on the states providing funding for government business, but few

states complied with these requisitions in a timely manner, which led to a shortage of

funds in Congress. Because of the dire lack of funding, Congress was forced to print

almost $250 million in paper currency, which had no gold or silver backing. Staggering

inflation occurred as a result of this and the Continental dollars had very low purchasing

power. Other economic issues arose due to the boycotts of British goods and the

disruption of trade during wartime. Post-war, the demand for British luxury goods soared,

and the new nation was flooded with imports. Americans often bought those goods on

credit, while few American goods went to Britain to offset the increase in imports. This

trade deficit cleared the country’s remaining gold and silver reserves, which eventually

resulted in a constriction of credit by the bankers and merchants, who were forced to call

in debts to satisfy their British suppliers. The economy suffered drastically, with a drop in

agricultural prices and falling wages. This period marked the nation’s first depression.

There were also various military issues faced by the nation during the Confederation

period. There was not a powerful navy to protect American commerce, which meant that

ships were often attacked by pirates, especially from the Barbary States of Africa.

American sailors who could not pay the ransom required by Barbary pirates were taken

captive and moved to North African prisons or they were sold into slavery. The American

navy was too weak to challenge these pirates, which was a source of embarrassment for

the new nation. The nation also faced threats along its borders from Indians, the British,

and the Spanish in North America. And because Congress had little power to make the

states follow the treaties it had negotiated, Americans did not pay prewar debts and

compensate Loyalists for property confiscated during the war. Britain used the non-

repayment to justify keeping control of its forts in the Old Northwest, which allowed it to

continue a lucrative fur trade with the Indians. Issues with the Indians were also prevalent

because of the fact that the Treaty of Paris was unfavorable to their interests. The treaty

gave the entire Old Northwest territory to the United States, and the American diplomats

were not sympathetic to their claims. And so Indians organized to resist the encroachment

of their lands and the post-Revolution period was one of continued conflict between

Indians and Americans. As a result of the Indians’ resistance, Congress was forced to

shift its policy toward Indians and negotiate more fairly and peacefully through such

means as missionary work and trade. The Spanish were also a threat in that they denied

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economy since they were along the transport route for ocean-bound goods.

The economic downturn then led to frustrations boiling over in such uprisings as Shays’s

Rebellion. In it, Daniel Shays and an armed crowd of protesters shut down the local

courts of Northampton by preventing the judges from entering the courthouse. The

protesters were alarmed by the increase of farm foreclosures and wanted to stop creditors

from taking away their farms for the “good of the commonwealth.” This inspired angry

farmers in Great Barrington in western Massachusetts to close their local court, which

drew the state militia. Interestingly, it turned out that 800 of 1,000 members of the militia

actually supported the rebels and wanted to keep the courts closed. Shays and his

followers were later defeated in a battle near Springfield. Despite this failure, Shays’s

Rebellion was a major impetus to those eager to reform the structure of the Articles of

Confederation and create a more powerful central government.

What were the main differences between the Articles of Confederation and the

Constitution?

Answer: There were a few major differences between the Articles and the Constitution.

The Articles allowed for a one house legislature in which each state had one vote. The

Constitution created a two-house legislature, with one determined by a state’s population

and the upper house having equal representation. Regarding taxation, the Articles did not

give Congress the power to tax, while the Constitution did. The Articles did not create a

judicial branch, but the Constitution vested such power in the federal judiciary. As far as

an executive branch, the Articles used a committee of states to perform executive

functions when Congress was not in session. The Constitution allowed for the executive

(president) to be chosen by electors who were in turn chosen by state legislators. Overall,

the Constitution created a government that was far more powerful than the government

under the Articles.

What were the Anti-Federalists’ major objections to the Constitution?

Answer: The Anti-Federalists felt that they were the true supporters of federalism and

called pro-Constitutional forces “consolidationists” who wished to consolidate the union

into a single national government and take away the states’ power. Anti-Federalists

wanted the bulk of governmental power and most functions to be in the hands of the

states. Anti-Federalists supported the theory that a republican government could only

survive if a nation remained small and the people’s interests were homogeneous. The

Anti-Federalist author Brutus argued that when a republic became too large, the common

good was sacrificed because competing factions were only concerned with their own

narrow interests. Many Anti-Federalists felt that the lawyers and rich merchants who

backed the Constitution favored the interests of the aristocratic few over those of the

democratic many. In short, Anti-Federalists feared that the federal government would

become tyrannical under the Constitution.

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Why did Americans believe Washington was the modern Cincinnatus? (p. 130)

Answer: George Washington epitomized the ideal of virtue. He had a reputation for public

virtue, and his ability to command the respect of his troops had saved the Continental Army in its

more difficult campaigns during the Revolutionary war. He used a plea of “reason and virtue” to

prevent a possible military coup by the Continental Army’s officers, who were angry at Congress

regarding their pay and pensions. Washington’s passionate speech quelled the Newburgh

conspiracy and allowed civic virtue to triumph over corruption. He later resigned from office to

take leave of “the employments of public life” and go back to a simple life of the plow.

Washington was seen as placing the good of the nation ahead of personal glory by turning over

his military commission to Congress after the war. Washington, like the Roman general

Cincinnatus, had returned to his farm after serving as supreme commander of the republic’s

army.

What was the Newburgh Conspiracy? (p. 131)

Answer: This conspiracy was a potential uprising in Newburgh, New York, by the Continental

Army’s officers, who were frustrated by Congress’s failure to deal with complaints about their

pay and pensions. These officers had considered an armed revolt against Congress, but

Washington quelled the uprising with his plea that his men give posterity “proof of unexampled

patriotism and patient virtue.”

How did changes in furniture design reflect the influence of republican ideas? (p. 132)

Answer: Before the Revolution, decorative elements on American furniture copied British

fashions with their fanciful designs. But after the Revolution, such purely decorative elements

were replaced by symbols representing new republican values. For example, a fancy carving on a

chest of drawers might be replaced with the goddess of liberty herself. The chest would have two

classical columns to reflect the ideal of Roman

Republicanism, along with another set of carvings to illustrate the future prosperity of

republicanism.

Why was education so important to the Founders of the American Republic? (p. 133)

Answer: Education was considered to be linked with virtue and the Enlightenment ideal that

reason and science would improve humanity. People like Rush and Jefferson believed that

education would help nurture the virtue necessary for the survival of republicanism. And so

Americans founded new educational institutions to create an enlightened citizenry. Educators

would include patriotic lessons with illustrations to reinforce their republican message.

How did republican ideas change notions about women’s roles? (p. 134)

Answer: Educational reformers recommended more ambitious plans to educate the nation’s

female population to increase their role as republican citizens. As the mothers of future citizens

of the republic, women had a special role to play. This led to the creation of new institutions for

educating women.

Republican ideas mostly kept the traditional view that a woman’s primary duties were to her

family, but in some needlework imagery, politics replaced the home as the symbol of

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Rhode Island State House instead of the home.

Why did many supporters of republicanism fear democracy? (p. 135)

Answer: Supporters of the elitist republican view of politics felt that the humble origins of the

new politicians would prevent them from being good legislators. And so “a man of middling

circumstances” and “common understanding” was seen to be a less virtuous member of society

as compared to a man of wealth or the educated elite. For example, one Boston newspaper writer

complained that “since the war, blustering ignorant

men” had pushed “themselves into office.”

Why did William Smith’s portrait cast him as a country gentleman rather than an urban

merchant? (p. 136)

Answer: Smith was depicted this way in order to symbolize his virtue and dispute the claims of

his enemies, who alleged he became rich at the expense of the poor. The painter Charles Wilson

Peale chose not to include symbols that reflected Smith’s life as a wealthy city merchant and

instead made him appear as a country gentleman who was a man of great knowledge, integrity,

and character and was above temptation.

How did the composition of the state legislatures change after the American Revolution?

(p. 137)

Answer: The composition of the state legislatures changed significantly after the Revolution. The

Revolution greatly expanded the number of white male voters eligible to participate in the

political process, and most states lowered the property requirements for voting. As a result, the

percentage of wealthy citizens elected to the legislature dropped, while the numbers of those in

the middle classes increased. This meant that ordinary citizens felt more encouraged to serve in

government. For example, the economic status of legislators in New Hampshire, New York, and

New Jersey changed in the following manner:

pre-war: moderate 17%; wealthy 36%; well-to-do 47%; and

post-war: moderate 62%; wealthy 12%; well-to-do 26%.

Why did the Articles of Confederation fail to give the Confederation Congress power to

tax? (p. 138)

Answer: The main reason was that Americans had been angered by British efforts to tax them

before to the Revolution, and so these fears of strong government and the hostility towards

taxation resulted in the Articles being a rather weak constitution that withheld the power to tax

from Congress.

What diplomatic frustrations hampered the new American nation? (p. 139)

Answer: There were various military issues faced by the nation during the Confederation period.

There was not a powerful navy to protect American commerce, which meant that ships were

often attacked by pirates, especially from the Barbary States of Africa. American sailors who

could not pay the ransom required by Barbary pirates were taken captive and moved to North

African prisons or were sold into slavery. The American navy was too weak to challenge these

pirates, which was a source of embarrassment for the new nation.

196

America. Because Congress had little power to make the states follow the treaties it had

negotiated, Americans did not pay prewar debts and compensate Loyalists for property

confiscated during the war. Britain used the non-repayment to justify keeping control of its forts

in the Old Northwest, which allowed it to continue a lucrative fur trade with the Indians. Issues

with the Indians were prevalent because of the fact that the Treaty of Paris was unfavorable to

their interests. The treaty gave the entire Old Northwest Territory to the United States, and the

American diplomats were not sympathetic to Indian claims. Indians organized to resist the

encroachment on their lands and the post-Revolution period was one of continued conflict

between Indians and Americans. As a result of the Indians’ resistance, Congress was forced to

shift its policy toward Indians and negotiate more fairly and peacefully through such means as

missionary work and trade. The Spanish were also a threat in that they denied Americans free

access to the Mississippi and New Orleans, which were important to the economy since they

were along the transport route for ocean-bound goods.

What was the theory of conquest, and how did it influence diplomatic relations with Indian

peoples? (p. 140)

Answer: The theory of conquest reflected the fact that American diplomats were not sympathetic

to the land claims of Indians after they were defeated. From the American view, Indians were “a

subdued people” who should relinquish all claims to Western lands and allow expansionism to

continue. As a result, the period after the Revolution was one of continued conflict between

Indians and Americans. However, the Indian resistance caused Americans to negotiate more

fairly by the use of missionary work and trade, instead of conquest and military confrontation.

What republican features distinguish the Northwest Ordinance? (p. 141)

Answer: The Northwest Ordinance as planned by Thomas Jefferson would combine republican

theories of self-government with Enlightenment ideas about geography. The names for the new

territories (such as Polypotamia, which meant “land of many rivers”) chosen by Jefferson

reflected republicanism. Jefferson also wanted the new territories to be incorporated into the

union as states on an equal basis with the original thirteen. He also sought local self-government

for settlers in the new territories. Given that Jefferson envisioned the Northwest Territory to be

populated by white yeoman farmers, he recommended that land be available in parcels small

enough for average Americans to purchase.

But the final Northwest Ordinance that was actually adopted in 1787 was less democratic than

Jefferson’s original proposal, though it maintained his orderly model for dividing up the

territory. When the population of a given territory reached 5,000 adult males, the settlers could

elect their own territorial legislatures. If the population reached 60,000 free inhabitants

(including women), the territories could seek admission to the Confederation.

The language of the Northwest Ordinance represented republican ideals, in that the “fundamental

principles of civil and religious liberty” would be the foundation for the new states to be created.

The ideals of virtue and the need for education were seen in the Ordinance’s declaration that

“Religion, morality, and knowledge, being necessary to good government and the happiness of

mankind, schools and the means of education shall forever be encouraged.” The Ordinance also

rejected slavery in the new states.

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Answer: Shays’s Rebellion was one of the many uprisings that occurred post-Revolution due to

the economic downturn. In it, Daniel Shays and an armed crowd of protesters shut down the

local courts of Northampton by preventing the judges from entering the courthouse. The

protesters were alarmed by the increase of farm foreclosures and wanted to stop creditors from

taking away their farms for the “good of the commonwealth.” This inspired angry farmers in

Great Barrington in western Massachusetts to close their local court, which drew the state militia.

Interestingly, it turned out that 800 of 1,000 members of the militia actually supported the rebels

and wanted to keep the courts closed. Shays and his followers were later defeated in a battle near

Springfield. Despite this failure, Shays’s Rebellion was a major impetus to those eager to reform

the structure of the Articles of Confederation and create a more powerful central government.

What were the main features of the Virginia Plan? (p. 143)

Answer: This plan had a model of government with both federal and national features. The states

would retain power, but the national government would rule in those areas it was given authority.

The new government included a single executive, a two-house legislature, and a separate judicial

branch. The lower house of Congress would be directly elected by the people, and the upper

house would be elected by the lower house based on a list provided by the state legislatures. This

meant that each state’s representation was in proportion to its population. The new Congress had

the power “to legislate in all cases to which the separate States are incompetent.” The authors of

the Virginia Plan used a more general grant of authority, rather than a long list of enumerated

powers.

Why did small states oppose the Virginia Plan? (p. 144)

Answer: The Virginia Plan proposed that each state’s representation be in proportion to its

population, which favored larger states over small states. This was a major change from the

Articles, in which small states had the same vote as large states based on the one-state one-vote

principle.

How did the conflict over slavery shape the debates of the Constitutional Convention? (p.

145)

Answer: The issue was whether to count slaves in the apportionment of the new lower house.

The Southern states wanted slaves to be counted, while opponents of slavery wanted to see

slaves taxed as property but did not wish to count them when calculating representation in the

new lower house. The convention settled on a solution in which slaves were counted as three-

fifths of a person for purposes of taxation and legislative apportionment.

This issue led to a lot of conflict during the Constitutional Convention. A compromise was

reached that Congress could not ban the slave trade until 1808. The word slavery never appeared

in the Constitution, but a number of clauses in the document protected it, such as Article IV,

Section 2 (fugitive slaves law) and Article I, Section 8 (which prevented the products of slave

labor from being taxed).

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republicanism? (p. 146)

Answer: The electoral college was composed of men chosen by each state as according to the

individual state legislatures. This gave the states some control over selection of the president.

The electoral college reflected the ideals of republicanism because it created a filtering

mechanism for the selection of the president, which helped to ensure that the men chosen were

taken from the ranks of the leading citizens, with these men having traits of knowledge and

virtue.

What were the most important differences between the federal Constitution and the typical

state constitutions of this period? (p. 147)

Answer: Unlike most state constitutions, the federal Constitution did not have a declaration of

rights containing the basic rights and liberties of the people. The federal Constitution also did not

reassert the basic republican ideals upon which government rested. The Constitution also

provided for an indirect method of electing the president, while the states directly elected their

governors.

Why did Federalist and Anti-Federalist authors adopt names such as Publius and Brutus?

(p. 148)

Answer: They used such names because they were associated with the ideal of Roman virtue,

which had the purpose of focusing the public’s attention on the ideas behind their essays, and not

the authors themselves.

Why did Brutus and Publius differ about the relationship between size and republicanism?

(p. 149)

Answer: Brutus, the Anti-Federalist, felt that a free republic could survive only on a small scale

in which the people shared the same values, culture, and history. If a republic became too large,

the common good would be sacrificed because competing factions would seek to promote their

own narrow interests. History had shown that it was impossible for a nation the size of the

United States to remain a free republic without having a confederation-style government.

Publius, the Federalist, disputed the traditional theory of republicanism advanced by Brutus. By

increasing the number of factions and expanding the size of the republic, it was less likely for

any one faction to further their agenda and dominate politics. This would allow politics to

become a kaleidoscope of ever-shifting alliances, with the political system itself acting like a

filter to yield leaders of skill and talents. Such a federal system would also act like a firewall,

isolating factions within individual states and preventing them from poisoning other states.

How does The Looking Glass for 1787 portray the Anti-Federalists? (p. 150)

Answer: The Anti-Federalists were denounced as “Shaysites” by the cartoon and made to look

silly, with one Anti-Federalist character having his bottom exposed to his Federalist opponents.

The cartoon also implies that Anti-Federalists would lead Connecticut toward a shadowy future,

which is symbolized by dark clouds. In contrast, the Federalists proclaim “Comply with

Congress” and pull the state toward a bright sun.

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Answer: Urban artisans in places such as New York City felt that a strong government could

protect their economic interests from foreign competition. These artisans sang that “All Arts

Shall Flourish in Columbia’s Land.”

Why did New York Anti-Federalists compromise on the question of amendments? (p. 152)

Answer: New York Anti-Federalists compromised on the question of amendments because if

they had insisted on amendments before ratification, Federalists would likely have stood their

ground and the convention might have failed to ratify the Constitution.

Why was there no anti-Constitution movement after ratification? (p. 153)

Answer: There was no such movement because the Anti-Federalists conceded that they would

now have to work within the framework of the Constitution. They also realized that continued

opposition to the Constitution might lead to anarchy, which most Anti-Federalists wanted to

avoid just like the Federalists. The Anti-Federalists thus were more concerned with securing

future amendments to the Constitution.

Review Questions and Answers

1. Americans in the post-revolutionary era looked to Rome for inspiration in building a

virtuous republic. How were these ideas reflected in American art and architecture in this

period?

Answer: After the Revolution, the decorative elements of home furnishings that copied

British fashions were replaced with the symbols that represented the new republican

values. For example, the fancy carvings in a chest of drawers of the colonial era might be

replaced by the goddess of liberty along with a set of carvings that illustrate the

prosperity that republicanism.

Jefferson’s design for the new Virginia Capitol was a visible symbol of a virtuous

republic with its reforming of architecture with republican values.

As far as art, educators used illustrations to reinforce a republican message. For example,

the bald eagle from the Great Seal might be used in a book of alphabet rhymes. The

design of the Great Seal also reflected virtue. It depicted an American eagle clutching an

olive branch and thirteen arrows, which symbolized the new government’s power to

make war and negotiate peace. The thirteen states are represented by the same number of

stars, stripes, and arrows. The fact that the eagle bore a shield symbolized that “the

United States ought to rely on their own Virtue.”

2. What were the most notable achievements and failures of the Confederation government?

Answer: There were not many notable achievements of the Confederation government. It

was able to end the taxation without representation imposed by the British government,

but because Congress had no power to tax Americans, it relied on requisitions made to

the states to fund government business. This failed miserably, and few states complied

200

Because of the dire lack of funding, Congress was forced to print almost $250 million in

paper currency, which had no gold or silver backing. Staggering inflation occurred as a

result of this, and the Continental dollars had very low purchasing power. Other

economic issues arose due to the boycotts of British goods and the disruption of trade

during wartime.

The economic downturn then led to frustrations boiling over in such uprisings as Shays’s

Rebellion. Despite its failure, Shays’s Rebellion was a major impetus to those eager to

reform the structure of the Articles of Confederation and create a more powerful central

government.

There were also various military issues faced by the nation during the Confederation

period. There was not a powerful navy to protect American commerce, which meant that

ships were often attacked by pirates, especially from the Barbary States of Africa.

American sailors who could not pay the ransom required by Barbary pirates were taken

captive and moved to North African prisons or they were sold into slavery. The American

navy was too weak to challenge these pirates, which was a source of embarrassment for

the new nation. The nation also faced threats along its borders from Indians, the British,

and the Spanish in North America. Because Congress had little power to make the states

follow the treaties it had negotiated, Americans did not pay prewar debts and compensate

Loyalists for property confiscated during the war. Britain used the non-repayment to

justify keeping control of its forts in the Old Northwest, which allowed it to continue a

lucrative fur trade with the Indians. Issues with the Indians were also prevalent because

of the fact that the Treaty of Paris was unfavorable to their interests. The treaty gave the

entire Old Northwest territory to the United States, and the American diplomats were not

sympathetic to Indians’ claims. Indians organized to resist the encroachment on their

lands, and the post-Revolution period was one of continued conflict between Indians and

Americans.

What were the most divisive issues the Constitutional Convention faced and what

compromises did the delegates reach to solve them?

Answer: There were a few divisive issues. One was the question of how the states would

be represented in the legislatures. The small states favored the one state-one vote idea,

while the large states wanted representation to be in proportion to their populations. The

compromise that was reached resulted in there being two houses: one determined by

population, and an upper house with equal state representation.

Another major issue was slavery. The issue was whether to count slaves in the

apportionment of the new lower house. The Southern states wanted slaves to be counted,

while opponents of slavery wanted to see slaves taxed as property but did not wish to

count them when calculating representation in the new lower house. The convention

settled on a solution in which slaves were counted as three-fifths of a person for purposes

of taxation and legislative apportionment.

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executive, which could better represent the different regional interests of the nation. The

method to elect the executive was also a contested issue. The convention settled on a

unitary executive, who was chosen by electors that were chosen by state legislators.

4. Which groups in society tended to support or oppose the Constitution?

Answer: Support for the Constitution was strongest along coastal regions and frontiers

exposed to threats from external enemies (such as Indians) and among the smaller states.

These were often merchants and artisans in regions tied to commerce, such as seacoasts

and inland areas close to navigable rivers, who sought a stronger union to protect their

economic interests. Officers of the Continental Army who had dealt with a weak

Congress under the Articles also supported the Constitution.

Anti-Federalists were a diverse coalition that opposed any effort to centralize authority

and lessen the power of the states. This included backcountry farmers, particularly those

less closely connected to major commercial markets. State politicians, especially the

newly empowered men of moderate wealth and more humble origins who dominated

politics in states such as Pennsylvania and New York, were strongly Anti-Federalist.

Also, wealthy planters in the South who feared that a distant and powerful government

would not represent their interests became Anti-Federalists.

5. Anti-Federalists were alarmed by the power of the federal government. Do you

think the Anti-Federalist objections to the Constitution have any validity today?

Answer: The debate over the role of the federal government vs. states’ rights continues

today. Rather than accept the need for an overly powerful central government, many

people would agree with the Anti-Federalists that the bulk of governmental functions

should reside with the states.

MyHistoryLab Connections Questions for Analysis

1. How did George Washington embody the ideas of republicanism?

http://media.pearsoncmg.com/ph/hss/SSA_SHARED_MEDIA_1/history/MHL/US/documents/Was

hington_Newburgh_Address.html

Answer: George Washington epitomized the ideal of virtue. He had a reputation for

public virtue, and his ability to command the respect of his troops had saved the

Continental Army in its more difficult campaigns during the Revolutionary war. He used

a plea of “reason and virtue” to prevent a possible military coup by the Continental

Army’s officers, who were angry at Congress regarding their pay and pensions.

Washington’s passionate speech quelled the Newburgh conspiracy and allowed civic

virtue to triumph over corruption. He later resigned from office to take leave of “the

employments of public life” and go back to a simple life of the plow. Washington was

seen as placing the good of the nation ahead of personal glory by turning over his military

commission to Congress after the war. Washington, like the Roman general Cincinnatus,

had returned to his farm after serving as supreme commander of the republic’s army.

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Revolution?

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Answer: The republican emphasis on virtue permeated American culture. The first state

constitutions in places such as Massachusetts and Virginia contained declarations of

rights in which the ideal of virtue was literally written into American law. These

declarations outlined the rights of citizens and also taught citizens the premises of

virtuous republican government.

Virtue was also reflected in the nation’s art, architecture, and fashion. After the

Revolution, the decorative elements of home furnishings that copied British fashions

were replaced with the symbols that represented the new republican values. For example,

the fancy carvings in a chest of drawers of the colonial era might be replaced by the

goddess of liberty along with a set of carvings that illustrate the prosperity that

republicanism.

Education was also linked with virtue in the new nation. The Massachusetts Constitution

expressly linked republicanism, virtue, and education by providing public primary

education for boys and girls. In Virginia, Thomas Jefferson sought to have a publicly

funded system of education where white children (including boys and girls) would be

educated at public expense for three years. However, Jefferson’s bill never passed in the