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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 position was James Wilson asked to take in the Constitutional debate?

2. What argument did James Madison make concerning the fear of a centralized government?

3. What fear kept the delegates from approving the Constitution draft and going home?

4. What was Mr. Mason's fear regarding the House of Representatives?

5. What symbol did Benjamin Franklin remark on, on the President's chair?

Short Essay Questions

1. What was dropped from the draft of the Constitution?

2. What did the dissenters say after losing the ratification vote in the Pennsylvania convention?

3. What were the "Federal Farmer's" arguments regarding ratification?

4. What was DeWitt's position on ratification?

5. How did Publius respond to Anti-Federalist concerns about tyranny in the Constitution?

6. What did "Brutus" argue concerning standing armies?

7. What were the different views on the question of ratification of the Constitution?

8. What did Massachusetts, Virginia, New York, North Carolina, and Rhode Island recommend after their ratification conventions?

9. Describe Patrick Henry's first speech to the Virginia legislature.

10. What position did "Centinel" take regarding the ratification of the Constitution?

Essay Topics

Write an essay for ONE of the following topics:

Essay Topic 1

Who is articulating the Anti-Federalist platform today? Compare and contrast Anti-Federalists today and Anti-Federalists of the 1780s.

Essay Topic 2

What values and what practical considerations were written into the Constitution regarding the election of government officials? How did the current electoral system evolve from the first debates through the draft Constitution and then the ratification process? What were the dominant arguments on either side of the debate, and whose values were ultimately written into the Constitution?

Essay Topic 3

As the delegates were ready to sign the Constitution, Mr. Gerry and Mr. Mason both made objections and predicted dire consequences if the Constitution gave too much power to the federal government. Have their predictions come true? Have their concerns been borne out?

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