Eleanor Finch
The ratification of the Constitution was a complex process that involved the participation of citizens and their elected representatives. On September 17, 1787, delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia voted to approve the document they had drafted. However, before it could become the law of the land, the Constitution had to be ratified by the states. Article VII of the Constitution required ratification by nine of the thirteen states. Copies of the Constitution were sent to each state, which held ratifying conventions to either accept or reject it. The delegates to these conventions were chosen by popular vote, and their approval was considered essential to ensure that the new government ruled with the consent of the people.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Who voted to ratify the Constitution? | Convention delegates, who were chosen by popular vote |
| Who were the convention delegates? | Men elected by their neighbours to represent their interests |
| What did the convention delegates do? | Approved the Constitution |
| What did approval mean? | The new government could claim it ruled with the consent of the people |
| What happened after approval? | Copies of the Constitution were sent to each of the states, which were to hold ratifying conventions to either accept or reject it |
| How many states needed to ratify the Constitution? | Nine out of thirteen |
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What You'll Learn
- The delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia voted to approve the document they had drafted
- The document had to be ratified by nine of the thirteen states
- Convention delegates were chosen by popular vote
- Ratification conventions were held to approve the Constitution
- The new government ruled with the consent of the people
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia voted to approve the document they had drafted
On September 17, 1787, the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia voted to approve the document they had drafted over the course of many months. Some did not support it, but the majority did. The delegates were chosen by popular vote, so the new government could claim that it ruled with the consent of the people.
Before it could become the law of the land, the Constitution had to be ratified by the states. Article VII, the final article of the Constitution, required that before the Constitution could become law and a new government could form, the document had to be ratified by nine of the thirteen states. Eleven days after the delegates at the Philadelphia convention approved it, copies of the Constitution were sent to each of the states, which were to hold ratifying conventions to either accept or reject it. The men attending the ratification conventions would be delegates elected by their neighbours to represent their interests. They were not being asked to give up their power; in fact, they were being asked to place limits upon the power of their state legislators.
Finally, because the new nation was to be a republic in which power was held by the people through their elected representatives, it was considered appropriate to leave the ultimate acceptance or rejection of the Constitution to the nation’s citizens.
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The document had to be ratified by nine of the thirteen states
The US Constitution was drafted by delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on 17 September 1787. The document was then sent to each of the 13 states, which were to hold ratifying conventions to either accept or reject it.
Convention delegates were chosen by popular vote. If these delegates approved the Constitution, then the new government could claim that it ruled with the consent of the people. The delegates attending the ratification conventions were elected by their neighbours to represent their interests. They were being asked to place limits on the power of their state legislators.
Finally, because the new nation was to be a republic in which power was held by the people through their elected representatives, it was considered appropriate to leave the ultimate acceptance or rejection of the Constitution to the nation’s citizens.
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Convention delegates were chosen by popular vote
Eleven days after the delegates at the Philadelphia convention approved it, copies of the Constitution were sent to each of the states, which were to hold ratifying conventions to either accept or reject it. The men attending the ratification conventions would be delegates elected by their neighbours to represent their interests. They were not being asked to relinquish their power; in fact, they were being asked to place limits upon the power of their state legislators, whom they may not have elected in the first place. Finally, because the new nation was to be a republic in which power was held by the people through their elected representatives, it was considered appropriate to leave the ultimate acceptance or rejection of the Constitution to the nation’s citizens.
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Ratification conventions were held to approve the Constitution
The delegates to these conventions were chosen by popular vote. If they approved the Constitution, then the new government could claim that it ruled with the consent of the people. The men attending the ratification conventions were elected by their neighbours to represent their interests. They were not being asked to give up their power; they were being asked to place limits upon the power of their state legislators. Because the new nation was to be a republic in which power was held by the people through their elected representatives, it was considered appropriate to leave the ultimate acceptance or rejection of the Constitution to the nation’s citizens.
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The new government ruled with the consent of the people
Convention delegates were chosen by popular vote. If these delegates approved the Constitution, then the new government could claim that it ruled with the consent of the people. The delegates were not being asked to give up their power; they were being asked to place limits on the power of their state legislators. The new nation was to be a republic in which power was held by the people through their elected representatives. It was therefore considered appropriate to leave the ultimate acceptance or rejection of the Constitution to the nation's citizens.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, citizens voted to ratify the Constitution. Convention delegates, who were chosen by popular vote, approved the document.
The convention delegates were elected by their neighbours to represent their interests.
The convention delegates approved the Constitution, which meant that the new government could rule with the consent of the people.
The Constitution required ratification by nine of the thirteen states.
