History: Founding and the New Nation
What this domain tests
The Founding and the New Nation domain covers the Articles of Confederation, the Constitutional Convention, ratification, the Bill of Rights, and the early republic. Questions ask you to explain constitutional compromises, federalism, separation of powers, early political conflicts, and landmark developments through the War of 1812.
Core rules and concepts
- The Articles of Confederation created a weak central government: Congress could not tax directly, regulate interstate commerce, or enforce laws; amendments required all 13 states. Shays’ Rebellion exposed the weakness.
- The Constitutional Convention of 1787 produced the Great Compromise (House representation by population, Senate equal), the Three-Fifths Compromise (counted three-fifths of enslaved people for representation and taxation), and a compromise allowing the slave trade to continue until 1808.
- The Constitution established federalism, separation of powers, checks and balances, and a supreme law. It did not originally include a bill of rights.
- Federalists supported ratification and argued for a stronger national government in the Federalist Papers. Anti-Federalists demanded explicit protections, leading to the Bill of Rights (1791).
- Washington set precedents, including a cabinet and two-term exit. Hamilton’s financial program-assumption of state debts, a national bank, and tariffs-sparked debate over strict versus loose interpretation.
- The First Party System pitted Federalists against Democratic-Republicans. The Alien and Sedition Acts and Virginia and Kentucky Resolutions raised questions about free speech and state power.
- Marbury v. Madison (1803) established judicial review. The Louisiana Purchase (1803) doubled U.S. territory. The War of 1812 increased national feeling but did not resolve neutral rights.
Worked example
Question: How did the Great Compromise resolve the representation dispute? Reasoning: Large states favored the Virginia Plan, which based representation on population. Small states favored the New Jersey Plan, which gave each state one vote. The compromise created a bicameral Congress: the House proportional to population and the Senate with equal state representation. Because House representation depended on population, delegates also compromised on counting enslaved people as three-fifths of a person for representation and direct taxes, without granting them citizenship or voting rights. This structure also shaped the Electoral College.
Traps that cost marks
The Articles did not create a presidency. The Constitution did not abolish slavery. The Bill of Rights originally limited the federal government, not the states. The Federalist Papers were ratification arguments, not the Bill of Rights. Marbury v. Madison established judicial review; it did not create the Supreme Court.