1. What were the common features found in most state constitutions written between 1776 and 1777?

2. How did the principle of separation of powers protect against tyranny in state governments?

3. What voting and office-holding requirements did state constitutions establish, and what assumptions justified these restrictions?

1. What dispute delayed ratification of the Articles of Confederation and how was it resolved?

1. What was the structure of the central government established by the Articles of Confederation?

2. What voting requirements and amendment procedures did the Articles establish?

1. What powers did Congress have under the Articles, and what important powers did it lack?

1. What were the major accomplishments of Congress under the Articles of Confederation?

2. How did the Land Ordinance of 1785 and the Northwest Ordinance of 1787 shape western development?

3. How did the land sale system under the Land Ordinance of 1785 affect who could benefit from western lands?

1. What foreign policy problems did the weak central government face under the Articles?

2. Why did the lack of taxing power create economic problems for the national government and the states?

3. How did competition between states create internal conflicts that the national government could not resolve?

4. What was Shays's Rebellion and what did it reveal about the weakness of the Articles of Confederation?