Understanding Main Ideas: 1. Question: How did the weak national government created by the Articles of Confederation cause problems for the new nation? Answer: The Articles of Confederation were meant to be weak, because the colonists had just broken away from Britain. They created a weak government that didn’t have too much power and limited the national government. There was no executive power, congress could not regulate trade, they could not impose a tax on the states and money had to be borrowed. 2. Question: What were the provisions of the ordinances to organize and govern the Northwest Territory? Answer: Congress outlined in the 1787 ordinance the necessary steps to achieve statehood for areas in the northwest. The Ordinance set a precedent that would also be used for settling territories farther west. 3. Question: List and describe the main compromises reached during the constitutional convention. Answer: Three- fifths compromise- only three fifths of a state’s slave population would count in determining its representation; Virginia plan- shifted political power away from the states and towards he central government and The Great Compromise- granted each state an equal voice in the upper house. 4. Question: How does the Constitution balance power between the state and federal governments? Answer: The balance comes