50 CHAPTER 2|THE CONSTITUTION AND THE FOUNDING
THE HISTORICAL CONTEXT OF THE CONSTITUTION
E Describe the historical circumstances that led to the Constitutional Convention of 1787. Pages 25–30
SUMMARY
The U.S. Constitution was shaped by historical events pre-
ceding its creation, particularly the period of British rule over
the colonies, the Revolutionary War, and the states’ experi-
ence under the Articles of Confederation. Under British rule,
the colonies were relatively independent of one another, and
the framers sought to create a strong nation while still main-
taining the autonomy of the states in the system. The framers
based the Constitution on three key principles: the rejection
of a monarchy, popular control of the government, and a lim-
ited government that protected against tyranny.
KEY TERMS
Articles of Confederation (p. 26)
limited government (p. 26)
monarchy (p. 28)
republican democracy (p. 28)
republicanism (p. 29)
“consent of the governed” (p. 29)
natural rights (p. 29)
Federalist Papers (p. 29)
Federalists (p. 30)
Antifederalists (p. 30)
STUDY GUIDE
PRACTICE QUIZ QUESTIONS- How were members of Congress selected under the
Articles of Confederation?
a) by the state governor
b) by the state legislature
c) by the state supreme court
d) by popular election
e) by random lot - What power did the president have under the Articles
of Confederation?
a) power to raise an army
b) power to veto congressional legislation
c) power to negotiate foreign agreements
d) power to nominate federal judges
e) There was no president under the Articles
of Confederation. - At the American Founding, what is the best way to
describe the economic inequality among classes and
the economic inequality among regions?
a) high / high
b) high / low
c) low / high
d) low / low
PRACTICE ONLINE with WWNORTON.COM/STUDYSPACE
Diagnostic Quiz & Key Term Flashcards for This Chapter
THE POLITICS OF COMPROMISE AT THE CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION
E Analyze the major issues debated by the framers of the Constitution. Pages 31–37
SUMMARY
While the framers of the Constitution agreed that the
Articles of Confederation needed to be changed, there
was little consensus otherwise. The Federalists and Anti-
federalists clashed on several issues, though the most
important were (1) balancing majority rule with minority
rights, (2) allocating power between large and small states,
(3) allocating power between the legislature and execu-
tive, (4) allocating power between the national govern-
ment and the states, and (5) determining how to handle
slavery.