SOPHIA US History I Unit 3 Challenge 1

US History I Unit 3 Challenge 1. Franz Blasberg and his wife, Ada, immigrated to the United States from Germany in 1790. Franz was a farmer with an education and enough cash in his pocket to buy a plot of land in western Pennsylvania. He and his wife started a family and settled down to a new life in America. Eager to become a naturalized citizen, Franz began to teach himself about the American system of government. One night he repeated to Ada statements he had heard others make about different forms of government. Match the form of government with the statement that describes it. Monarchy C Republic B Democracy A ● A. “We strongly believe in direct representation and majority rule as a form of government." ● B. “We have a government, not a king, and elected representatives will protect the interests of the public.” ● C. “Our recent experiences with King George III show the dangers of tyranny associated with this type of government.” ● D. “We support a type of government that is ruled by the wealthy, because they have proven to be successful.” “Many American revolutionaries,” he went on, “believed only people with civic virtue could make decisions related to governance.” “What is meant by ‘civic virtue’?” asked Ada. “My understanding is that it is a willingness to put the public good before one’s own interests,” Franz replied. "How do they know who possesses civic virtue?" Civic virtue, as Franz describes it, was best exemplified by being educated, male, and a (A) property owner . Franz’s family grew. His firstborn son was soon joined by twin sisters. After working in the fields all day, Franz studied in the evenings. One night, as he read, he informed Ada that the Articles of Confederation preceded the Constitution. “It was the first attempt at government, then?” she queried. “I believe so,” answered Franz. “America was trying to create a government like no other before it. That was surely not an easy process.” Some historians argue that the Articles of Confederation were successful in the context of the Revolutionary War because the national government was able to both (A) unite the states and (B) negotiate the Treaty of Paris Franz became friendly with other recent immigrants when he went into the village. These men described conflicts between laborers and political elites that had occurred before Franz had arrived in the United States. “We feared our state was slipping into tyranny,” admitted an older farmer. “Yes,” said his son, nodding. “We were nearing a desperation point.” "I believe I know what happened next," said Franz hesitantly. "Was it not 1787 and the forming of the Constitutional Convention?" Choose "true" if the statement reflects a problem that led to the formation of the Constitutional Convention, and choose "false" if it does not. = Correct Answer = Incorrect Answer true false Several states raised taxes to pay war debts, and the tax burden largely fell on ● rural landowners. When Massachusetts refused to address farmers’ concerns, citizens took up arms against the state. ● The United States continued to receive protective economic policies from the British Empire. ● The British refused to export manufactured goods to the United States. ● Farmers faced foreclosure because they could not pay high taxes and large debts. ● “Yes. Then we had the Constitutional Convention,” reported Hans. “And what was decided there?” Franz asked. “The original intent,” said Hans, “was to amend the Articles of Confederation. I believe there were about 50-60 delegates who met in Philadelphia. They were arguing about who could vote and how much of a voice citizens and states would have in this new national government.” "I have read some about the Great Compromise," said Franz, "but I've had difficulty reconciling it with republicanism."