HW REVIEW
P.247
CREATING THE CONSTITUTION
1. Explain the importance of:
Constitutional Convention­
1787 meeting at which the U.S. Constitution was created.
Founders­
people who helped create the U.S. Constitution.
James Madison­
Prominent adviser to the Constitutional Convention.
Sometimes known as the “Father of the Constitution”.
Legislative branch­
Government department that makes laws.
Virginia Plan­
proposal for a two­house legislature with representation according to each state’s
population or wealth.
Checks & balances­
the ability of each branch of government to exercise checks, or controls, over the other
branches.
New Jersey Plan­
proposal for a legislature in which each state would have one vote.
Great Compromise­
agreement to establish a two­house national legislature, with all states having equal
representation in 1 house and each state having representation based on its population in the
other house.
Executive branch­
government department that enforces laws.
Judicial branch­
government department that interprets laws.
Three­fifths Compromise­
agreement that 3/5’s of a state’s slave population would be counted for representation
and taxation.
3. WHAT WAS THE RELATIONSHIP BETWEEN THE ANNAPOLIS CONVENTION AND THE
CONSTITUTIONAL CONVENTION?
Delegates at the Annapolis Convention wanted to create national trade laws, which led to the call
for a national convention­­ this then turned into the “Constitutional Convention”.
4. WHY DID THE VIRGINIA DELEGATES INSIST THAT THE NEW GOVERNMENT HAVE 3
BRANCHES?
The Virginia Plan:
3 Branches to the government:
Executive­ enforce the laws
Judicial­ interpret the laws
Legislative­ create the laws
A government that would be strong enough to protect the people’s rights, but not so
strong to oppress them.
Each of the 3 branches would act as a check (limit) on the power of the other
branches.
5. UNDER THE THREE­FIFTHS COMPROMISE, HOW WOULD EACH STATE’S
POPULATION BE DECIDED?
By counting all of a state’s free population, plus ⅗ of the slave population.