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Line 1: − More tips on answer multiple-choice history questions:+ − + Line 7:
Line 7: − + − − Note about last week’s homework: Massachusetts did not have religious freedom. They came here for their personal religious freedom, but they did not give that freedom to others. Line 21:
Line 19: − + + + + + + + + + + + + + − <this is review, clean it up!> Before we won, there were meetings of the [[Continental Congress]] (initiated by the [[Committees of Correspondence]]) to organize war efforts and address issues common to all the colonies. It adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and proposed the Articles of Confederation in 1777. Eventually it was ratified by the 13 colonies (in 1781). It provided for a unicameral (one body) Congress to govern. No president and no courts. One vote for each state.+ + + + + + + + + + + − 9 out of 13 states’ approval were needed to pass anything. All 13 states’ approval was needed to amend it. Those percentages are just too high for a collection of states that were very different from each other. Now that the focus was off gaining freedom and onto building a new nation, the states had much less common ground.+ − Powers given to Congress by the Articles of Confederation: declare war, raise and army and navy, make commercial treaties, borrow money, control currency and levy assessments against the states.+ − Powers Congress lacked under the Articles of Confederation: could not impose taxes on the people or enforce its will against states that refused to cooperate. It could ask the states for money, but could not force them to pay.+ − Bottom line: most power remained in each state under the Articles of Confederation. The national government could not raise money to pay its own obligations. Americans were very wary of centralized power after their bad experience with England, but they took this so far that the central government was essentially worthless, and each state did as it pleased.+
American History Lecture Three (view source)
Revision as of 19:14, August 28, 2008
, 19:14, August 28, 2008no edit summary
As we move into our third week, here is another set of tips on multiple-choice history questions. Learn and use these skills! They will be valuable not only for this class but for the SAT, AP exams, CLEP, and every other multiple choice test you take.
1. Look for the best fit. The question is like a lock or key hole, and you are looking for the answer (key) that is the best fit. Matching the verb or concept behind the question with the best fitting verb or concept in the answer can help. For example, when the question asked about “exploration”, the answer that said to “find the best route” was the best fit and the correct answer.
1. Look for the best fit out of the answers given. The question is like a lock or key hole, and you are looking for the answer (key) that is the best fit. Matching the verb or concept behind the question with the best fitting verb or concept in the answer can help. For example, when the question asked about “exploration”, the answer that said to “find the best route” was the best fit and the correct answer.
2. Disqualify as incorrect answers which contain language that is too sweeping, such as “everyone” or “only”. Question: Why was George Washington elected president? Potential answer: Because everyone wanted him. Nope, not “everyone”. Question: Why was slavery used? Answer: Only because of greed. Nope. Not “only” because of greed. Some common "sweeping" words are: everyone, always, never, only, all, every.
2. Disqualify as incorrect answers which contain language that is too sweeping, such as “everyone” or “only”. Question: Why was George Washington elected president? Potential answer: Because everyone wanted him. Nope, not “everyone”. Question: Why was slavery used? Answer: Only because of greed. Nope. Not “only” because of greed. Some common "sweeping" words are: everyone, always, never, only, all, every.
3. When a question completely baffles you, such as a question asking for the political motive behind the “Wizard of Oz” movie, look for an economic or money answer. Historical events and politics are motivated more by money than most students realize.
3. When a question completely baffles you, such as a question asking for the political motive behind the “Wizard of Oz” movie, look for an economic or money answer. Historical events and politics are motivated more by money than most students realize.
4. View multiple choice questions like a puzzle. Enjoy solving it. This class has more talent than any other class in our state, and maybe in the country. Don’t let any test or question intimidate you.
4. View multiple choice questions like a puzzle. Enjoy solving it. This class has more talent than any other class in our state, and maybe in the country. Don’t let any test or question intimidate you. Multiple choice questions become much easier when you try your hardest and use common sense.
==Review==
==Review==
There has always been constant conflict between debtors (often farmers) and creditors (banks). Debtor’s prison: understand the financial motivation for it. <explain?> It’s wrong, but understand why it existed. See both sides of every dispute. <move this somewhere better>
There has always been constant conflict between debtors (often farmers) and creditors (banks). Debtor’s prison: understand the financial motivation for it. <explain?> It’s wrong, but understand why it existed. See both sides of every dispute. <move this somewhere better>
Learn to think in this way, and you will learn to understand history.
Learn to think in this way, and you will learn to understand history.
The American Revolution was a “conservative revolution.” <clarify?> We won the Revolution. What next?
The American Revolution was a “conservative revolution.” <clarify?> We won the Revolution. What next?
==State Constitutions==
==State Constitutions==
Soon after the end of the Revolution, all but two of the states adopted new constitutions. Rhode Island and Connecticut continued to use their charters, after removing all references to Britain.
Installing these new government when the war was hardly over was probably not a good idea. People were still stirred up over the revolt, and their fear and feelings came through in the states' constitutions.
Power was generally concentrated in the legislative branch. The concept of governors rankled with the states, after their bad experiences with governors appointed from England. These governors had absolute veto power. But the colonists took their experiences to harmful extremes. The new governors had no veto powers at all. A bill because law as soon as the legislature passed it. In many cases, the governor was elected by the legislature as well.
Term lengths were further evidence of the problems with the new constitutions, as many governors served terms of only one year!
The courts did not have much more power than the governor. In Pennsylvania, the general assembly could remove judges at any time for vaguely defined "misbehavior". The case was similar in Rhode Island. One judge decided that Rhode Island's attempts to force citizen to use paper money was unconstitutional. He and other judges who agreed with him were dismissed by the legislature.
The new state governments put in place after the war shied too violently away from the policies of the British, and the environment created was not conducive to liberty or justice. And it was not long before the federal government ran into problems of its own.
==The Articles of Confederation==
==The Articles of Confederation==
Before the war ended won, the [[Continental Congress]] met to organize war efforts and address issues common to all the colonies. It adopted the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and proposed the Articles of Confederation in 1777.
The Articles of Confederation established America's earliest federal government. The Articles were ratified by the 13 colonies in 1781. Due to grave problems that arose, they lasted a very short time, and were replaced by the Consitution in 1789 after only eight years.
The Articles provided for a unicameral (one body) Congress to govern the states. There was no president, but rather a committee formed of one representative from each state which wielded executive authority. There were no federal courts.
9 out of 13 states’ approval were needed to pass anything. And unanimous approval was required to amend the Articles. Those percentages were simply too high for a collection of states that were very different from each other. Now that the focus was off gaining freedom and onto building a new nation, the states had much less common ground.
Under the Articles of Confederation, Congress was given the power to declare war, raise and army and navy, make commercial treaties, borrow money, control currency, and levy assessments against the states. But Congress lacked the power to could not impose taxes on the people or enforce its will against states that refused to cooperate. It could ask the states for money, but could not force them to pay. Thus, Congress under the Articles of Confederation was destined to be very weak from the beginning.
==Problems with the Articles of Confederation==
Most power remained in each state under the Articles of Confederation. The national government could not raise money to pay its own obligations. It had no power or money in foreign relations. And its attempts to alter these problems lead to economic hardships.
Americans were very wary of centralized power after their bad experience with England, but they took this so far that the central government was essentially worthless, and each state did as it pleased. Newly free, the states were unstable and divided. The Confederation reflected this. The states were eager to control their own affairs, and they resisted giving up power to a central government. The Articles of Confederation reflected this independence. After all, just one state could stop an amendment to the articles.
Foreign relation problems.
Economic problems.
==The Northwest Ordinance==
==The Northwest Ordinance==