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Topic 9 · Competency 2: The U.S. Constitution

Creating and Ratifying the Constitution: Practice Questions

61 practice questions on the Constitutional Convention, the Great Compromise, Federalists vs. Anti-Federalists, and the ratification fight. Answers are hidden until you click "Show answer."

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Original practice questions written to the FCLE competencies, not actual exam items.

The Ratification Fight and the Bill of Rights as Its Price (13)

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  1. Which state was the last of the original thirteen to ratify the Constitution?

    1. Georgia
    2. Delaware
    3. North Carolina
    4. Rhode Island
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    D. Rhode Island: Rhode Island ratified in 1790.

  2. Which state was the ninth to ratify the Constitution, putting it into effect in 1788?

    1. New Hampshire
    2. New York
    3. Rhode Island
    4. Virginia
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    A. New Hampshire: Article VII required nine states; New Hampshire was ninth.

  3. The New Jersey Plan proposed

    1. representation based only on population
    2. abolishing state governments
    3. a one-house legislature with equal representation for each state
    4. a monarchy
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    C. a one-house legislature with equal representation for each state: Small states favored equal representation.

  4. The Virginia Plan proposed

    1. no executive branch
    2. a legislature with representation based on population
    3. equal representation for every state
    4. a single-house legislature with one vote per state
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    B. a legislature with representation based on population: Large states favored the Virginia Plan.

  5. Which was the first state to ratify the Constitution?

    1. Pennsylvania
    2. Virginia
    3. New York
    4. Delaware
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    D. Delaware: Delaware ratified unanimously on December 7, 1787, and calls itself "The First State."

  6. Which was the last of the original thirteen states to ratify the Constitution?

    1. North Carolina, in 1789
    2. Rhode Island, in 1790
    3. New Hampshire, in 1788
    4. Georgia, in 1788
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    B. Rhode Island, in 1790: Rhode Island ratified in May 1790, after the new government had already begun operating.

  7. In several states, such as Massachusetts, Federalists won ratification by agreeing that

    1. the Constitution would expire after ten years.
    2. each state could veto federal laws.
    3. amendments protecting rights would be recommended and considered after ratification.
    4. the president would be chosen by state legislatures.
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    C. amendments protecting rights would be recommended and considered after ratification.: This approach, sometimes called the Massachusetts Compromise, paved the way for the Bill of Rights.

  8. Even after nine states had ratified, why were Virginia and New York still considered essential to the new government's success?

    1. They had the only federal courts.
    2. They were the only states with ports.
    3. The Constitution named them as the capital states.
    4. They were large, populous, and economically important states.
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    D. They were large, populous, and economically important states.: Without Virginia and New York, the union would have been geographically divided and much weaker. Both ratified narrowly in mid-1788.

  9. The Federalist essays were first published in newspapers in which state?

    1. Virginia
    2. Massachusetts
    3. New York
    4. Pennsylvania
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    C. New York: They were addressed "To the People of the State of New York," where ratification was in doubt.

  10. Which two states had not yet ratified the Constitution when George Washington was inaugurated in April 1789?

    1. Virginia and New York
    2. Delaware and Georgia
    3. North Carolina and Rhode Island
    4. Massachusetts and Connecticut
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    C. North Carolina and Rhode Island: North Carolina ratified in November 1789 and Rhode Island in May 1790.

  11. How many amendments did the First Congress send to the states in 1789?

    1. Twelve, of which ten were ratified in 1791
    2. Ten, all ratified in 1789
    3. Twenty-seven, all ratified at once
    4. Five, of which two were ratified
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    A. Twelve, of which ten were ratified in 1791: One of the other two, on congressional pay, was finally ratified in 1992 as the Twenty-Seventh Amendment.

  12. Which sequence of events is in the correct order?

    1. Bill of Rights ratified, Constitutional Convention, Washington's inauguration, ratification by nine states
    2. Washington's inauguration, Constitutional Convention, Bill of Rights ratified, ratification by nine states
    3. Constitutional Convention, ratification by nine states, Washington's inauguration, Bill of Rights ratified
    4. Ratification by nine states, Bill of Rights ratified, Constitutional Convention, Washington's inauguration
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    C. Constitutional Convention, ratification by nine states, Washington's inauguration, Bill of Rights ratified: 1787 Convention; June 1788 ninth state; April 1789 inauguration; December 1791 Bill of Rights.

  13. Several states ratified the Constitution only after supporters promised to

    1. abolish slavery immediately
    2. keep the Articles of Confederation
    3. add a bill of rights
    4. make George Washington king
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    C. add a bill of rights: Massachusetts, Virginia, and New York ratified with recommended amendments, leading to the Bill of Rights.

The Constitutional Convention of 1787 (15)

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  1. Which compromise at the Constitutional Convention created a Senate with equal representation and a House based on population?

    1. the Missouri Compromise
    2. the Three-Fifths Compromise
    3. the Compromise of 1850
    4. the Great (Connecticut) Compromise
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    D. the Great (Connecticut) Compromise: Roger Sherman proposed the plan.

  2. Who presided over the Constitutional Convention in 1787?

    1. George Washington
    2. John Adams
    3. James Madison
    4. Benjamin Franklin
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    A. George Washington: Washington was elected president of the Convention.

  3. Where was the Constitutional Convention held?

    1. New York City
    2. Boston
    3. Philadelphia
    4. Williamsburg
    Show answer

    C. Philadelphia: Delegates met at the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall).

  4. Which compromise at the Constitutional Convention determined that the president would be chosen by electors from each state?

    1. the Three-Fifths Compromise
    2. the Missouri Compromise
    3. the Great Compromise
    4. the Electoral College compromise
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    D. the Electoral College compromise: Delegates rejected both direct popular election and selection by Congress.

  5. Where and when did the Constitutional Convention meet?

    1. Boston, in 1776
    2. New York City, in 1789
    3. Philadelphia, in 1787
    4. Annapolis, in 1781
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    C. Philadelphia, in 1787: Delegates met at the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall) from May to September 1787.

  6. Which state refused to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention?

    1. Virginia
    2. New Jersey
    3. Georgia
    4. Rhode Island
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    D. Rhode Island: Twelve states sent delegates. Rhode Island, fearing a stronger national government, stayed away.

  7. The Constitutional Convention was originally called for what purpose?

    1. To declare independence from Great Britain
    2. To revise the Articles of Confederation
    3. To write a bill of rights
    4. To choose the first president
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    B. To revise the Articles of Confederation: Congress authorized a meeting "for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles," but delegates wrote a new constitution instead.

  8. Why did the delegates keep the Convention's debates secret?

    1. So they could speak freely and change their minds without public pressure
    2. Because the British army occupied Philadelphia
    3. Because they planned to restore the monarchy
    4. Because Congress had forbidden the meeting
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    A. So they could speak freely and change their minds without public pressure: Windows were kept shut and delegates agreed not to discuss proceedings publicly.

  9. Whose notes provide the most complete record of the debates at the Constitutional Convention?

    1. Thomas Jefferson
    2. Patrick Henry
    3. John Jay
    4. James Madison
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    D. James Madison: Madison took detailed notes daily. They were published after his death in 1836.

  10. Which 1786 meeting, attended by delegates from only five states, called for a convention in Philadelphia the next year?

    1. The Stamp Act Congress
    2. The Annapolis Convention
    3. The Second Continental Congress
    4. The Hartford Convention
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    B. The Annapolis Convention: Meeting to discuss trade problems, the Annapolis delegates, led by Hamilton and Madison, called for a broader convention.

  11. Constitution Day, September 17, commemorates the day in 1787 when

    1. the Bill of Rights was ratified.
    2. George Washington took office.
    3. delegates signed the Constitution in Philadelphia.
    4. the Declaration of Independence was signed.
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    C. delegates signed the Constitution in Philadelphia.: Thirty-nine delegates signed the document on September 17, 1787.

  12. Which delegate, at 81 the oldest at the Convention, urged his colleagues to sign the Constitution despite its imperfections?

    1. Benjamin Franklin
    2. George Mason
    3. Roger Sherman
    4. Gouverneur Morris
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    A. Benjamin Franklin: Franklin said he consented to the Constitution "because I expect no better, and because I am not sure, that it is not the best."

  13. Which delegate is credited with writing the final wording of the Constitution, including the Preamble beginning "We the People"?

    1. Edmund Randolph
    2. Alexander Hamilton
    3. Gouverneur Morris
    4. William Paterson
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    C. Gouverneur Morris: As a member of the Committee of Style, Morris polished the text and wrote the Preamble.

  14. How many states sent delegates to the Constitutional Convention?

    1. 12
    2. 9
    3. 13
    4. 10
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    A. 12: All states except Rhode Island participated.

  15. The Constitutional Convention met in 1787 in

    1. Boston
    2. Philadelphia
    3. New York City
    4. Williamsburg
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    B. Philadelphia: Delegates met at the Pennsylvania State House (Independence Hall) from May to September 1787.

The Anti-Federalists (10)

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  1. What did Anti-Federalists demand as a condition for supporting the Constitution?

    1. the addition of a bill of rights
    2. abolition of the Senate
    3. elimination of the states
    4. a hereditary president
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    A. the addition of a bill of rights: Several states ratified with the expectation that amendments would follow.

  2. Which group opposed ratification of the Constitution because they feared a strong central government?

    1. Federalists
    2. Anti-Federalists
    3. Loyalists
    4. Whigs
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    B. Anti-Federalists: Anti-Federalists such as Patrick Henry feared consolidated national power.

  3. Why was the Bill of Rights added to the Constitution?

    1. to create the Supreme Court
    2. to win over Anti-Federalists who feared a strong national government would violate individual liberties
    3. to give the president more power
    4. to replace the Articles of Confederation
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    B. to win over Anti-Federalists who feared a strong national government would violate individual liberties: Promises of a bill of rights helped secure ratification.

  4. Which leader was a prominent Anti-Federalist?

    1. John Jay
    2. Patrick Henry
    3. Alexander Hamilton
    4. James Madison
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    B. Patrick Henry: Henry declared that he 'smelt a rat' and opposed the Constitution in Virginia.

  5. Which was a main concern of the Anti-Federalists?

    1. The national government would be too weak to collect taxes.
    2. The Constitution gave states too much power.
    3. The president would have too little power over Congress.
    4. A strong central government could threaten the states and individual liberty, especially without a bill of rights.
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    D. A strong central government could threaten the states and individual liberty, especially without a bill of rights.: Anti-Federalists feared consolidation of power and demanded a bill of rights.

  6. Which Virginian, famous for saying "Give me liberty, or give me death!", opposed ratification of the Constitution?

    1. Thomas Jefferson
    2. James Monroe
    3. Patrick Henry
    4. John Marshall
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    C. Patrick Henry: Henry declined to attend the Convention and led the opposition at Virginia's ratifying convention.

  7. Many Anti-Federalists believed a republic could succeed only

    1. in a large, diverse nation.
    2. under a hereditary king.
    3. in a small territory where the people shared similar interests.
    4. if the states were abolished.
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    C. in a small territory where the people shared similar interests.: Drawing on Montesquieu, Anti-Federalists such as Brutus argued the United States was too large for one republic. Madison answered in Federalist No. 10.

  8. Which three delegates who remained at the Convention until the end refused to sign the Constitution?

    1. George Mason, Edmund Randolph, and Elbridge Gerry
    2. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin
    3. George Washington, Roger Sherman, and John Dickinson
    4. Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, and Thomas Jefferson
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    A. George Mason, Edmund Randolph, and Elbridge Gerry: All three had concerns about the power of the new government; Mason and Gerry objected to the lack of a bill of rights.

  9. All of the following were Anti-Federalists EXCEPT

    1. Patrick Henry
    2. John Jay
    3. George Mason
    4. Mercy Otis Warren
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    B. John Jay: John Jay wrote five of the Federalist essays.

  10. Which Founder was a leading Anti-Federalist who said he "smelt a rat" and refused to attend the Constitutional Convention?

    1. James Madison
    2. Alexander Hamilton
    3. Patrick Henry
    4. John Jay
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    C. Patrick Henry: Patrick Henry opposed the Constitution at Virginia's ratifying convention.

The Federalists (12)

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  1. Which author wrote the most Federalist essays?

    1. James Madison
    2. Thomas Jefferson
    3. John Jay
    4. Alexander Hamilton
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    D. Alexander Hamilton: Hamilton wrote about 51 of the 85 essays.

  2. How did Federalists argue the Constitution would protect liberty without a bill of rights?

    1. by requiring a national religion
    2. by separating powers, checking each branch, and limiting the national government to enumerated powers
    3. by abolishing state constitutions
    4. by giving the president unlimited power
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    B. by separating powers, checking each branch, and limiting the national government to enumerated powers: They believed the structure itself protected rights.

  3. Federalists argued that a bill of rights was unnecessary because

    1. the states would abolish all rights
    2. the king would protect rights
    3. the national government had only limited, enumerated powers
    4. rights should be decided by the president
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    C. the national government had only limited, enumerated powers: Hamilton made this argument in Federalist No. 84.

  4. What did the Federalists support during the ratification debate?

    1. Ratifying the Constitution and creating a stronger national government
    2. Keeping the Articles of Confederation unchanged
    3. Returning to British rule
    4. Abolishing state governments
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    A. Ratifying the Constitution and creating a stronger national government: Federalists argued the Articles had failed and a stronger union was necessary.

  5. Which group of leaders were prominent Federalists?

    1. Patrick Henry, George Mason, and Richard Henry Lee
    2. Samuel Adams, Thomas Paine, and King George III
    3. Mercy Otis Warren, George Clinton, and Melancton Smith
    4. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay
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    D. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay: Hamilton, Madison, and Jay wrote The Federalist essays.

  6. Federalists at first argued that a bill of rights was unnecessary because

    1. the states had already abolished all rights.
    2. the president would protect rights personally.
    3. the Constitution gave the national government only limited, listed powers.
    4. rights were guaranteed by the British Parliament.
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    C. the Constitution gave the national government only limited, listed powers.: Hamilton argued in Federalist No. 84 that the government had no power to violate rights it was never given.

  7. Which statement would a Federalist most likely make during the ratification debate?

    1. A strong national government is needed to pay debts, regulate trade, and defend the nation.
    2. The House is too small to represent the views of so many people.
    3. Federal judges appointed for life will be answerable to no one and will expand national power.
    4. The Necessary and Proper Clause will let Congress swallow up the powers of the states.
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    A. A strong national government is needed to pay debts, regulate trade, and defend the nation.: Federalists supported a stronger national government under the Constitution.

  8. Which statement would a Federalist most likely make during the ratification debate?

    1. A large republic controls faction better than a small one.
    2. The House is too small to represent the views of so many people.
    3. Power should remain mostly with the state governments, closer to the people.
    4. A free republic cannot survive over a territory as large as the United States.
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    A. A large republic controls faction better than a small one.: Federalists supported a stronger national government under the Constitution.

  9. Which statement would a Federalist most likely make during the ratification debate?

    1. The Constitution's separation of powers and checks and balances will prevent tyranny.
    2. The House is too small to represent the views of so many people.
    3. A free republic cannot survive over a territory as large as the United States.
    4. Power should remain mostly with the state governments, closer to the people.
    Show answer

    A. The Constitution's separation of powers and checks and balances will prevent tyranny.: Federalists supported a stronger national government under the Constitution.

  10. Which statement would a Federalist most likely make during the ratification debate?

    1. A bill of rights is unnecessary because the national government has only listed powers.
    2. A free republic cannot survive over a territory as large as the United States.
    3. Federal judges appointed for life will be answerable to no one and will expand national power.
    4. The Necessary and Proper Clause will let Congress swallow up the powers of the states.
    Show answer

    A. A bill of rights is unnecessary because the national government has only listed powers.: Federalists supported a stronger national government under the Constitution.

  11. Which statement would a Federalist most likely make during the ratification debate?

    1. The Articles of Confederation proved that a weak central government cannot keep the union together.
    2. The House is too small to represent the views of so many people.
    3. A free republic cannot survive over a territory as large as the United States.
    4. The Necessary and Proper Clause will let Congress swallow up the powers of the states.
    Show answer

    A. The Articles of Confederation proved that a weak central government cannot keep the union together.: Federalists supported a stronger national government under the Constitution.

  12. Which statement would a Federalist most likely make during the ratification debate?

    1. Independent federal judges with life tenure will protect the Constitution.
    2. The House is too small to represent the views of so many people.
    3. A free republic cannot survive over a territory as large as the United States.
    4. Without a bill of rights, the people's liberties are not secure.
    Show answer

    A. Independent federal judges with life tenure will protect the Constitution.: Federalists supported a stronger national government under the Constitution.

The Great Compromise and Other Compromises (11)

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  1. The Three-Fifths Compromise addressed

    1. how the president would be elected
    2. where the capital would be located
    3. how many senators each state would have
    4. how enslaved people would be counted for representation and taxation
    Show answer

    D. how enslaved people would be counted for representation and taxation: Three-fifths of the enslaved population was counted.

  2. What did the Virginia Plan propose?

    1. A one-house legislature with equal representation for every state
    2. A legislature chosen by the king
    3. Abolishing the state governments entirely and electing a monarch
    4. A two-house legislature in which representation in both houses was based on population
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    D. A two-house legislature in which representation in both houses was based on population: Large states favored the Virginia Plan because it gave them more power.

  3. What did the Great (Connecticut) Compromise create?

    1. A single house with equal votes for every state
    2. A House based on population and a Senate with two members from each state
    3. A House chosen by the Senate
    4. A Senate based on population and a House with one member per state
    Show answer

    B. A House based on population and a Senate with two members from each state: Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth of Connecticut proposed the compromise that broke the deadlock between large and small states.

  4. Which delegates from Connecticut are credited with proposing the Great Compromise?

    1. Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth
    2. James Madison and Edmund Randolph
    3. Alexander Hamilton and John Jay
    4. George Mason and Patrick Henry
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    A. Roger Sherman and Oliver Ellsworth: Their plan is also called the Connecticut Compromise.

  5. Under the Three-Fifths Compromise, enslaved people were

    1. given three-fifths of a vote.
    2. freed after three-fifths of their term of service.
    3. excluded entirely from the census.
    4. counted as three-fifths of a person for representation and direct taxes.
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    D. counted as three-fifths of a person for representation and direct taxes.: Southern states wanted enslaved people counted fully for representation; Northern states objected. The Fourteenth Amendment later replaced this clause.

  6. As part of a compromise over trade, the Constitution barred Congress from prohibiting the importation of enslaved people until

    1. 1808.
    2. 1789.
    3. 1820.
    4. 1865.
    Show answer

    A. 1808.: Article I, Section 9. Congress banned the international slave trade effective January 1, 1808.

  7. The Virginia Plan, largely drafted by James Madison, was presented to the Convention by

    1. Benjamin Franklin.
    2. Edmund Randolph.
    3. Roger Sherman.
    4. John Dickinson.
    Show answer

    B. Edmund Randolph.: Randolph, Virginia's governor, introduced the plan on May 29, 1787.

  8. Article V protects the Great Compromise by providing that

    1. no state may be deprived of its equal vote in the Senate without its consent.
    2. the House may never have more than 100 members.
    3. the Senate must always have 26 members.
    4. small states may veto amendments.
    Show answer

    A. no state may be deprived of its equal vote in the Senate without its consent.: This is the only part of the Constitution that cannot be changed by the normal amendment process.

  9. Which plan at the Constitutional Convention did small states such as Delaware and New Jersey favor?

    1. The Virginia Plan
    2. The New Jersey Plan
    3. The Albany Plan
    4. The Hamilton Plan
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    B. The New Jersey Plan: Equal representation protected small states from being outvoted by large ones.

  10. The Great Compromise resolved the dispute between large and small states by creating

    1. a House based on population and a Senate with equal representation
    2. a one-house Congress with equal votes
    3. a Senate elected by population
    4. a Congress chosen by the president
    Show answer

    A. a House based on population and a Senate with equal representation: Roger Sherman's Connecticut Compromise blended the Virginia and New Jersey Plans.

  11. The Virginia Plan favored

    1. representation in Congress based on each state's population
    2. equal representation for every state
    3. a single executive chosen by states
    4. no national courts
    Show answer

    A. representation in Congress based on each state's population: Madison's Virginia Plan proposed a bicameral legislature with representation by population, favoring large states.