Source: Vera Ruth Woodwall Criswell, Interview from the California Odyssey archive, 1981 “S. J. (Interviewer): Could you tell me a little bit about the storms?

“Criswell: Our cotton would be about five or six inches tall and it looked like a fire had gone over that field of cotton. It would just kill it and then in a few days it would be dead. . . I've seen it take out a whole big field of cotton just like that. We lived on the sandy land. The storms would start up in Kansas or somewhere. These local sand storms could sometimes could ruin your crop. . . They'd come just like a big old black cloud and they soon covered everything. . . A lot of the crops that were older it would just damage. You couldn't start over again. If the cotton was small enough you could start over again. It would just damage it so it wouldn't grow right.”

Which of the following was the most immediate impact of conditions such as those described in the excerpt?

A introduction of legislative measures to increase crop production
B creation of programs to hire former farmers for government jobs in the East
C rise in internal migration from the plains to western states
D transition to an industrial economy as people left agriculture

the articles of confederation only set up the continental congress at the federal level. there were no executive or judicial branches except within the states. the states were allowed to keep every right that was not specifically given to congress. the bonding of the states was through a 'firm league of friendship' that best served as a defense agreement against invasion. states were not allowed to use taxes as a way to discourage treaties, and states were extremely limited in their dealings with foreign nations.

not many historians today talk about the strengths of the articles of confederation, likely because of how unpopular the document quickly became. the articles did set the legislative body, congress, as the highest power in the nation because of the fear of monarchy. congress had the sole power to declare war, assign treaties, entertain foreign relations, and operate post offices. disputes between states and territorial issues were to be brought to congress. the document also stipulated that canada was allowed to enter the union if they desired.

there were more weaknesses than strengths under the articles of confederation. the lack of power given to the continental congress strangled the federal government. the articles gave congress the power to pass laws but no power to enforce those laws. if a state did not support a federal law, that state could simply ignore it. congress had no power to levy taxes or regulate trade. without a federal court system or executive leader, there would be no way to enforce these laws, either. amending the articles of confederation would also require a unanimous decision, which would be extremely difficult.

1. the group that formally abolished the monarchy was the roundheads. after the monarchy was abolished, the english commonwealth was created. it was led by oliver cromwell, who later took the title lord protector. this leader was a puritan, meaning that he supported removing catholic rituals from the church of england.

2. identify a central idea in the bill of rights.

a.   the monarch could only exercise power as stated in the law.

3. ascended the english throne as   a joint monarch after accepting   the bill of rights   mary ii

appointed catholics as government   officials and recruited them in the   army

james ii

conquered ireland and established   the commonwealth

oliver cromwell

lost a long, bloody civil war against   forces loyal to parliament

charles i

was crowned king after a period   of commonwealth rule in england

charles ii

4. identify two effects of the glorious revolution on the english monarchy.

the idea of monarchs ruling by divine right was rejected.

a limited, constitutional monarchy was established.

5. what are two ways the bill of rights opposes the idea of the divine right of kings?

it stated that the monarch's power was subject to limits set by parliament.

it abolished the role of the monarch as the head of the church of england.

the national congress's powers over the states were specific and definite: it had the sole power to negotiate treaties, declare war, and make peace. all powers not granted to congress were reserved for state governments. congress had no power to levy taxes, for example.