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The Constitution: A More Perfect Union — Practice Questions

  1. 1. Which house of the U.S. Congress was specifically created by the Great Compromise to satisfy the demands of smaller states like New Jersey?

    • A. The Senate
    • B. The House of Representatives
    • C. The Cabinet
    • D. The Supreme Court
  2. 2. The creation of a bicameral legislature, consisting of two separate houses, was a key feature of which agreement?

    • A. The Articles of Confederation
    • B. The Declaration of Independence
    • C. The Great Compromise
    • D. The Bill of Rights
  3. 3. Under the Great Compromise, how is representation determined in the House of Representatives?

    • A. Each state receives two representatives
    • B. It is based on the state's population
    • C. It is determined by the state's geographic size
    • D. Representatives are appointed by the Senate
  4. 4. The conflict between the Virginia Plan and the New Jersey Plan at the Constitutional Convention was primarily about what issue?

    • A. Judicial power
    • B. State vs. federal power
    • C. Presidential term limits
    • D. Slavery
  5. 5. At the Constitutional Convention, what was the primary point of conflict between states with large populations and states with small populations?

    • A. The power of the executive branch
    • B. The method of electing the president
    • C. How states would be represented in the legislative branch
    • D. The authority to levy taxes on imported goods
  6. 6. What major event was a direct consequence of the national government's inability to handle Shays' Rebellion?

    • A. The start of the American Revolution
    • B. The signing of the Declaration of Independence
    • C. The calling of the Constitutional Convention in 1787
    • D. The election of George Washington as the first president
  7. 7. In what city did the Constitutional Convention of 1787 take place?

    • A. New York City
    • B. Boston
    • C. Philadelphia
    • D. Williamsburg
  8. 8. Who was the leader of the revolt in Massachusetts that exposed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation?

    • A. Thomas Jefferson
    • B. George Washington
    • C. Alexander Hamilton
    • D. Daniel Shays
  9. 9. What was the primary reason American leaders created a weak national government under the Articles of Confederation?

    • A. They wanted to give the president absolute authority.
    • B. They feared creating a powerful central government similar to the British monarchy.
    • C. They planned to have each state operate as a completely independent country.
    • D. They were following the direct orders of the French government.
  10. 10. The uprising known as Shays' Rebellion primarily involved which group of people?

    • A. Boston merchants protesting taxes on tea
    • B. Enslaved people seeking their freedom
    • C. Angry farmers in Massachusetts protesting debt and taxes
    • D. British soldiers who refused to leave their forts