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This test consists of 5 short answer questions, 10 short essay questions, and 1 (of 3) essay topics.

Short Answer Questions

1. What question surrounds the division of the Western Territories?

2. What does Edmund Randolph propose on the final day of the Convention?

3. By August 30th, what date has been set for the final adjournment?

4. Why is merchant Jonas Phillips opposed to a test oath for government officers?

5. In Chapter 21, what does George Mason want to be included in the Constitution?

Short Essay Questions

1. What is the difference between the British and American views of the farmer during the eighteenth century?

2. What is Thomas Jefferson's reaction to the Constitution?

3. Why is ratification an important issue?

4. Why does Randolph decline to sign the Constitution?

5. Why are test oaths an issue for the delegates?

6. What are the differences between living conditions along the Atlantic coastline and in the interior country or back land?

7. Why do the delegates vote against adding the Bill of Rights to the Constitution?

8. Why is the Northwest Ordinance called the third great document of American history?

9. What are the arguments presented against including a Bill of Rights in the Constitution?

10. What arguments do the Anti-federalists use in their opposition to the Constitution?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

In a well-crafted essay, compare the proposals for the office of executive (presidency) as outlined in the Virginia Plan, the New Jersey Plan, and the final Constitution. What concerns do delegates have regarding this aspect of government? How are their concerns resolved?

Essay Topic 2

The Bill of Rights is not included in the original Constitution, but is added upon recommendations from the state conventions. In a well-crafted essay, address the reasons why delegates feel a Bill of Rights is not needed in the Constitution. Discuss how the individual amendments that comprise the Bill of Rights are extensions, elaborations, or modifications to specific Articles from the Constitution.

Essay Topic 3

Throughout the book, Bowen refers to interactions between European countries and the United States. What evidence does she present about past events? What evidence does she show about the contemporary situation? What fears do the delegates express about the relationship - past, present, and future - between the states and Europe? How do the relationships between the United States and England and France shape the final Constitution? In a well-crafted essay, describe the relationships between the United States and European countries, with careful attention to how those relationship influence the final Constitution.

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