Study Guide ….Quiz #4
Civics: Ch. 3 (The Constitutional Convention) Reading Guide KEY
1. What is a “Founding Father”?
 The delegates who gathered at the constitutional convention would become what we now call the
Founding Fathers. These were the writers and framers of our constitution.
2. Why do you think they chose Washington to lead the Constitutional Convention?
 Washington was the hero of the Revolutionary War. His proven leadership qualities were greatly needed
in order to guide the state delegates to create a government that had more national power.
3. What were the three rules that the delegates agreed to at the meeting?
 One state one vote; majority decides (so 7 of 13 states would be majority); and keep the proceedings
secret.
4. Why was secrecy so important?
 If the public knew about the convention, it would make it harder for the delegates to modify their
opinion without receiving criticism.
5. Why didn’t Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, or Patrick Henry attend the Constitutional Convention?
 Jefferson was serving as ambassador in France; Adams was serving as ambassador in London, GB; and
Henry refused to go because he feared the convention would take away all of the rights of individual
states.
6. Read the two plans from pgs 36-37. Compare and contrasts the Virginia Plan (favored by the Nationalists) and
the New Jersey Plan (favored by the Confederationists). Why are these similarities and differences important?
 These similarities and differences are important because both plans represented two sides to the overall
problem of creating a new constitution. Both plans were proposing a set of ideas that would need to be
compromised by the two sides in order for our nation to create the new constitution.
7. What were the components of the Great Compromise?
 The national Congress would have both proportional and equal representation
 Each state would elect members to the House of Representatives based on the population of the state.
 Each state legislature would also choose two people to represent their state in the Senate. ( So unlike the
House of Representatives, every state would have same amount to represent them in the Senate House)
8. What was the Three-Fifths Compromise?
 The number of representatives elected to the House from each state would be based on total free
population plus 3/5 of the number of slaves in a state. This compromised the southern slave owning
states.
 However, counting each slave as 3/5 of person meant that slave owners would pay more taxes.
9. What was the compromise they made about commerce?
 Congress would have the power to regulate international commerce/trade (from the U.S. to other
countries) and interstate trade (from state to state) for all states.
10. What was the compromise they made concerning slavery?
 Other than the three-fifths compromise, Congress would not do anything to stop the import of slaves for
20 years.
11. How does the Electoral College work?
 Electors vote for the president
 State legislatures choose the electors (each state has as many electors as they do representatives in
Congress)
12. Why do you think our Founding Fathers set up the Electoral College?
 (your opinion based on the previous question and answer)
13. Who could vote? (*make sure you read the whole section before you answer)?
 Each state would decide “who” could vote.
o In some states only white adult male freeholders (property owners) could vote.
o Most states let other white adult males vote(this right for women & blacks came later in our history)
14. What did the Federalists want?
 They wanted a strong central or federal government that would share certain powers with the states.
15. What did the Anti-Federalists want?
 They opposed the ratification of the Constitution. They wanting to keep the current Articles of
Confederation, with some additions from the New Jersey Plan. They did not want a powerful central
government at the expense of state powers.
16. What were the Federalist Papers? Who wrote them?
 Alexander Hamilton, with help from James Madison and John Jay, published a series of 85 articles that
explained the Constitution and argued for ratification. These pro-Constitution papers were intended to
sway New Yorkers and people from other states to ratify (approve) the Constitution.
17. Read the excerpt from the Federalist Paper, No. 51 (on page 41). Why does the writer think that a system of
checks and balances is necessary? Do you agree? Why or why not?
 According to the writers, a system of checks and balances was necessary because the government must
control the people, and in order to do this the government was to have a system that controls them from
(one branch or person) gaining too much power.
18. There are two steps in the process by which the Constitution may be amended. In what two ways can an
amendment be proposed? In what two ways can an amendment be ratified?
 Amendments can be proposed in these 2 ways:
o Two-thirds of the members of both houses of the federal Congress must vote to
o Two-thirds of the state legislatures must vote

Amendments can be ratified in these 2 ways:
o Three-fourths of the state legislatures must vote to approve the amendment
o Conventions in three-fourths of the states must approve the amendment.