Chapter 27

THE CRISIS

1. What battle began the war of the Revolution? (See Chapter I.)

2. How long did the war last?

3. What did Thomas Paine, the author of the pamphlet called "Common Sense," say of the Revolutionary War?

4. What does John Fiske say of our condition after peace was made?

5. Why did the colonies band together in 1774?

6. Why did the Continental Congress decline in power?

7. What is a federation? (Consult a large dictionary.)

8. Why did the people care so little about a federation, or federal government?

9. What did Washington say in his letter to the colonies?

10. What authority did the Continental Congress have?

11. What kind of men were delegates to the Continental Congress?

12. How long did the Continental Congress continue to act?

13. What was done by the Continental Congress?

14. What is a privateer? (Consult a large dictionary.)

15. What can you say of the Articles of Confederation?

16. What power did the Articles of Confederation grant to each state?

17. What power did Congress have under the Articles of Confederation?

18. How obedient were the states to the Articles of Confederation?

19. What was the condition of paper money in 1780?

20. How long had a soldier to serve before he could buy a bushel of wheat?

21. How did the states begin to treat each other?

22. What can you say of imprisonment for debt?

23. How did Washington and others begin to work out the problem of our national existence?

24. How successful was the meeting at Annapolis?

25. What further troubles occurred in 1786?

26. How was England affected by our troubles?

27. What prediction about our nation was made in Parliament?

28. What opinion of us did Frederick the Great, King of Prussia, have?

29. What did the people of the several states at last begin to think?

30. What state took the lead in sending delegates to Philadelphia?

31. How many states were represented at Philadelphia?

32. What kind of men were sent to the Philadelphia convention?

33. Who, next to Washington, was the most noted man at the Philadelphia convention?

34. Can you name some others of the delegates to the Philadelphia convention?

35. Why did not Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Patrick Henry, and Samuel Adams attend the Philadelphia convention?

36. What do you know of Nathanael Greene? (See page 105.)

37. Who was chosen president of the Philadelphia convention?

38. How long did the Philadelphia convention continue in session?

39. How did some of the delegates wish to deal with the great problem of the national government?

40. How did Washington convince the delegates of their duty?

41. By what means did the delegates at Philadelphia succeed in agreeing on a form of federal government?

42. What is a compromise? (Consult a large dictionary.)

43. What was the first compromise in framing the Constitution?

44. What was the second compromise in framing the Constitution?

45. What question about the slaves arose?

46. How was it decided to count the slaves?

47. How did Washington and others feel about the second compromise?

48. What was the cause of the third compromise?

49. What was the third compromise?

50. What did Washington think of the Constitution?

51. What was Franklin's opinion of the Constitution?

52. When was the Constitution to become law?

53. To what two political parties did the Constitution give rise?

54. What did many of the people throughout the country think of the Constitution?

55. Which was the first state to sign the Constitution?

56. Why was the Fourth of July in 1788 so glorious?

57. Who was the first President, and who the first Vice President, of the new nation?

58. What did Gladstone say of the Constitution?

59. Why do we owe such a debt of gratitude to the builders of "the good ship Constitution"?