Answer Key Chapter Creating Republican Governments, 1776–1790

Answer Key Chapter: Creating Republican Governments, 1776–1790 1. To what form of government did the American revolutionaries turn after the war for independence? a. republicanism b. monarchy c. democracy d. oligarchy 2. Which of the following was not one of Franklin’s thirteen virtues? a. sincerity b. temperance c. mercy d. tranquility 3. What defined republicanism as a social philosophy? 4. Which of the following figures did not actively challenge the status of women in the early American republic? a. Abigail Adams b. Phillis Wheatley c. Mercy Otis Warren d. Judith Sargent Murray 5. Which state had the clearest separation of church and state? a. New Hampshire b. Pennsylvania c. Virginia d. New York 6. How would you characterize Thomas Jefferson’s ideas on race and slavery? 7. Which of the following states had the most democratic constitution in the 1780s? a. Pennsylvania b. Massachusetts c. South Carolina d. Maryland 8. Under the Articles of Confederation, what power did the national Confederation Congress have? a. the power to tax b. the power to enforce foreign treaties c. the power to enforce commercial trade agreements d. the power to create land ordinances 9. What were the primary causes of Shays’ Rebellion? 10. Which plan resolved the issue of representation for the U.S. Constitution? a. the Rhode Island Agreement b. the New Jersey Plan c. the Connecticut Compromise d. the Virginia Plan 11. How was the U.S. Constitution ratified? a. by each state at special ratifying conventions b. at the Constitutional Convention of 1787 c. at the Confederation Convention d. by popular referendum in each state 12. Explain the argument that led to the three-fifths rule and the consequences of that rule. Critical Thinking Questions 13. Describe the state constitutions that were more democratic and those that were less so. What effect would these different constitutions have upon those states? Who could participate in government, whether by voting or by holding public office? Whose interests were represented, and whose were compromised? 14. In what ways does the United States Constitution manifest the principles of both republican and democratic forms of government? In what ways does it deviate from those principles? 15. In this chapter’s discussion of New York’s ratifying convention, Alexander Hamilton takes issue with AntiFederalist delegate Melancton Smith’s assertion that (as Hamilton says) “a pure democracy, if it were practicable, would be the most perfect government.” What did Smith—and Hamilton—mean by “a pure democracy”? How does this compare to the type of democracy that represents the modern United States? 16. Describe popular attitudes toward African Americans, women, and Native Americans in the wake of the Revolution. In what ways did the established social and political order depend upon keeping members of these groups in their circumscribed roles? If those roles were to change, how would American society and politics have had to adjust? 17. How did the process of creating and ratifying the Constitution, and the language of the Constitution itself, confirm the positions of African Americans, women, and Native Americans in the new republic? How did these roles compare to the stated goals of the republic? 18. What were the circumstances that led to Shays’ Rebellion? What was the government’s response? Would this response have confirmed or negated the grievances of the participants in the uprising? Why? Answer Key 1. a. republicanism 2. d. tranquility 3. Republicanism as a social philosophy emphasized the importance of civic virtue, popular sovereignty, and the common good. It advocated for representative government, where elected officials serve the interests of the people, and rejected monarchy and aristocracy. 4. b. Phillis Wheatley 5. b. Pennsylvania 6. Thomas Jefferson's ideas on race and slavery were complex. While he publicly denounced slavery and expressed beliefs in the equality of all men, he also owned enslaved individuals and held views of racial inferiority. His actions and writings reflected the contradictions between his ideals and practices regarding race and slavery. 7. a. Pennsylvania 8. b. the power to enforce foreign treaties 9. Shays' Rebellion was primarily caused by economic grievances among debt-ridden farmers in Massachusetts who were facing foreclosures and tax burdens. They rebelled against perceived injustices and economic inequalities. 10. c. the Connecticut Compromise 11. a. by each state at special ratifying conventions 12. The three-fifths rule was a compromise in the U.S. Constitution that counted enslaved individuals as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of determining a state's representation in the House of Representatives and electoral votes for the presidency. This compromise was reached between Northern and Southern states and gave disproportionate political power to Southern states with large enslaved populations, contributing to sectional tensions over slavery. Critical Thinking Questions 13. State constitutions that were more democratic typically expanded suffrage rights, allowing more white males to participate in government through voting or holding public office. These states often had weaker property qualifications for voting and more frequent elections. Less democratic constitutions tended to restrict suffrage to property-owning white males and had stronger executive branches, limiting popular participation in decision-making. 14. The United States Constitution manifests the principles of both republican and democratic forms of government through its establishment of a representative democracy with checks and balances, separation of powers, and protection of individual rights. However, it deviates from these principles in certain aspects, such as the electoral college system and the initial exclusion of certain groups from full citizenship rights. 15. "A pure democracy" refers to a system where all citizens directly participate in decisionmaking processes, which Hamilton and Smith believed was impractical due to issues of scale and complexity. Modern United States democracy is based on representative democracy, where citizens elect representatives to make decisions on their behalf. 16. In the wake of the Revolution, attitudes toward African Americans, women, and Native Americans remained largely unchanged, with these groups continuing to face discrimination and marginalization. The established social and political order depended on maintaining hierarchies and excluding these groups from full citizenship rights. Any change to these roles would have required significant societal and political adjustments. 17. The process of creating and ratifying the Constitution, along with its language, confirmed the marginalized positions of African Americans, women, and Native Americans in the new republic. These groups were largely excluded from the political process and denied full citizenship rights. These roles contradicted the stated goals of the republic, which emphasized equality and liberty. 18. Shays' Rebellion was sparked by economic grievances and a perceived lack of government responsiveness to the needs of debt-ridden farmers. The government's response, including the deployment of militia and the passage of laws to address economic issues, may have negated the grievances of the participants by suppressing the rebellion and maintaining the existing power structure. However, it also highlighted the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation and contributed to calls for constitutional reform.