SAQs for APUSH Topic 3.8— The Constitutional Convention

Fifteen questions designed to help students review for the annual exam and that relate to a gathering of “demigods” in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania in 1787

The delegates from the states at the Constitutional Convention, after much negotiation, collaboration, and compromise, proposed a constitution that created a limited but dynamic central government embodying federalism and providing for a separation of powers between its three branches.

1. What is mean by the phrase “a government embodying federalism?”
2. What is meant by the claim “the constitution provides for a separation of powers between its three branches?”
3. Name and briefly describe one major way in which the Constitutional Convention delegates compromised over the question of how many representatives in Congress should each state have.
4. Name and briefly describe one major way in which the Constitutional Convention delegates compromised over the question of how should slaves be counted when determining a state’s total population.
5. Name and briefly describe one major way in which the Constitutional Convention delegates compromised over the question of how should the president be chosen.
6. When first arriving at the Constitutional Convention, what were the delegates intended to do to the Articles of Confederation?
7. Briefly explain how one specific historical development represents an accomplishment of the national government under the Articles of Confederation.
8. Briefly explain one specific argument delegates used at the Convention to support the call for a revising of the Articles of Confederation.
9. Briefly explain one specific way in which the United States Constitution addresses a criticism of the Articles of Confederation.
10. The Constitutional Convention delegates compromised over the question of to what extent should the federal government have a role in regulating the slave trade. Name and briefly describe one piece of evidence in support of this claim.
11. The Constitutional Convention delegates proposed a constitution that provided for a separation of powers between its three branches. Given one argument in favor of those who called for a three-branch separation of power and one argument in favor of those who opposed such a call.
12. Briefly describe one major similarity and one major difference between the US Constitution and the Articles of Confederation.
13. Briefly describe one major similarity and one major difference between the US Constitution and the Declaration of Independence
14. In the debate over ratifying the Constitution, Anti-Federalists opposing ratification battled with Federalists, whose principals were articulated in the Federalist Papers. What were the Federalist Papers?
15. Federalists ensured the ratification of the Constitution by promising the addition of a Bill of Rights that enumerated individual rights and explicitly restricted the powers of the federal government. What is the Bill of Rights? What was one reason explaining why the Bill of Rights were drafted?

This image can be used to answer Question #2