Unit Guide
History 8
Overall Purpose:
Analyze the factors
that affected American’s views of government between
1776-1787. Describe the
protections against tyranny contained in the Constitution.
Main Ideas:
A. What were the two main factors that led to the creation of a weak national government following the Revolutionary War?
B. What actions did the states take in regard to:
1. Writing Constitutions
2. Religion
3. Landownership and Voting
4. Slavery
C. List the seven major weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
D. Explain the purpose of the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787. What factors prevented the settlement of the western lands?
E.
Be able to name and locate the nine
townships in
F. Describe the problems that crippled American industry following the revolution.
G. Describe the factors that led to currency inflation.
H. Explain the causes of Shays’ Rebellion (1786). What effect did the rebellion have?
I. Identify the major factors that led to calls for a stronger national government in 1787.
J. Identify the major groups that led the call for a stronger national government in 1787.
K. When and where was the federal convention held? What was its agreed upon purpose? What was the central question of the convention? How was this resolved?
L. Explain the following powers:
1. Exclusive powers of the national government
2. Powers shared between the states and national government
3. Powers reserved to the states
4. Powers prohibited the national government
5. Implied powers
M. What was the Great Compromise?
N. What compromises were made at the constitutional convention between the northern and southern states?
O. Explain the composition, selection, term, and functions of the following branches of the federal government:
1. Legislative Branch
2. Executive Branch
3. Judicial Branch
P. Describe the Electoral College system.
Q. Explain the structure of the Indiana state government. In what ways does it differ from the federal government?
R. What two specific crimes did President Nixon commit during the Watergate Crisis? How did he defy the two other branches of government during the Watergate investigation?
S. What examples of the system of checks and balances can be found in the story of Watergate?
T. What is the purpose of the system of checks and balances? Explain the following checks:
1. President on Congress
2. Congress on the President
3. Courts on Congress
4. Courts on the President
5. President on the Courts
6. Congress on the Courts
U. Why are Supreme Court decisions so difficult to change?
V. How is the constitution amended?
W. Describe the impeachment process.
X. What were the major arguments in favor of ratifying the constitution? What were the major arguments against ratification? What were the three main factors that led to ratification?
Key Terms:
1. sovereignty
2. precedent
3. bicameral
4. bill
5. Land Ordinance of 1785
6. Northwest Ordinance (1787)
7. township
8. Alexander Hamilton
9. James Madison
10. “We the People”
11. Federalism
12. ex post facto
13. habeas corpus
14. Elastic Clause
15. Census
16. Gerrymandering
17. Richard Lugar
18. Evan Bayh
19. Julia Carson
20. Dan Burton
21. Cabinet
22. Primary
23. Caucus
24. Nominating Convention
25. appellate court
26. Joe Kernan
27. Mitch Daniels
28. Bart Peterson
29. Unigov
30. veto
31. impeachment
32. Federalists
33. Federalist Papers