3. Consider the goals and immediate effects of the American Revolution Why would some people argue that the Constitution of 1781 was a betrayal of the colonists' revolutionary goals?

The constitution negotiated a peace agreement with Britain that was not advantageous

The constitution failed to abolish slavery whereas the Declaration of independence promised freedom to all

The constitution created a strong central government but the revolution had been against central authority of Britain

The constitution guaranteed the rights of Indigenous tribes, limiting westward expansion

4. Which policy was practiced by Louis XIV, Peter the Great, and Frederick the Great?

expansionism

religious tolerance

westernization

enlightened despotism

1 answer

  1. Some people would argue that the Constitution of 1781 was a betrayal of the colonists' revolutionary goals primarily because the Constitution created a strong central government but the revolution had been against central authority of Britain. Many colonists fought to break free from what they viewed as the oppressive rule of a distant, centralized government in Britain, and there was a fear that a new, stronger central government could replicate that same tyranny. This sentiment contributed to debates about the balance between federal and state powers and the need for a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties.

  2. The policy practiced by Louis XIV, Peter the Great, and Frederick the Great is best described as enlightened despotism. These leaders exerted significant control over their states while also implementing reforms aimed at modernization and improvement based on Enlightenment ideas, such as promoting education, rational governance, and economic development.