Omar Bennett
The United States Constitution was signed by 38 delegates on September 17, 1787, and became the official framework of the government of the United States of America on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it. The road to ratification was long and challenging, with disputes over congressional representation and slavery threatening to derail the process. The Federalists, who supported a strong central government, faced opposition from Anti-Federalists, who argued that the Constitution lacked a bill of rights. Ultimately, the vote now, amend later compromise helped secure victory in several states, and the Constitution was gradually ratified by all 13 states.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of signing | September 17, 1787 |
| Number of delegates | 38 |
| Number of signatures | 39 |
| First state to ratify | Delaware |
| Date of first ratification | December 7, 1787 |
| Date of official framework | June 21, 1788 |
| Number of states required for ratification | 9 of 13 |
| Date of ratification by 9 states | July 2, 1788 |
| Date of ratification by all states | May 29, 1790 |
| Date of ratification of the Bill of Rights | December 15, 1791 |
| Date of setting the capital | July 16, 1790 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The Articles of Confederation
The process of getting all 13 states to ratify the Articles was a long one. The first state to ratify was Virginia on December 16, 1777; 12 states had ratified the Articles by February 1779, 14 months into the process. The lone holdout was Maryland, which refused to go along until the landed states, especially Virginia, had indicated they were prepared to cede their claims west of the Ohio River to the Union. Maryland finally ratified the Articles on February 2, 1781, and Congress was informed of its assent on March 1.
Populism's Friends or Foes of Constitutionalism: Muddled Waters
You may want to see also
The Constitutional Convention
The United States Constitution was authored by the Constitutional Convention, which assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787. The convention was convened to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. However, the delegates soon decided to completely redesign the government. General George Washington was unanimously elected as the president of the convention.
The delegates to the convention were tasked with revising the existing government, but they ended up creating a powerful central government. They represented a wide range of interests and views and they crafted compromises to accommodate these differences. One of the fiercest arguments was over congressional representation—whether it should be based on population or divided equally among the states. A compromise was reached, giving each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate. They also agreed to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person and allowed the slave trade to continue until 1808.
On September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the Constitution, with George Reed signing on behalf of the absent John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total to 39 signatures. The delegates approved the document they had drafted over several months, but it still needed to be ratified by the states. Article VII of the Constitution required ratification by nine of the thirteen states for it to become law and form a new government.
The ratification process was not easy, and there was strong opposition from Anti-Federalists who fought against the Constitution because it created a powerful central government and lacked a bill of rights. The Federalists, on the other hand, argued that a strong central government was necessary to lead the new nation and promised to add a bill of rights. The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, making the Constitution the official framework of the US government. The remaining states, including Virginia, New York, and North Carolina, also joined, and on May 29, 1790, Rhode Island became the last state to ratify the Constitution.
Executive Departments: Their Core Functions and Purpose
You may want to see also
Ratification by the states
The United States Constitution was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present on September 17, 1787. Under Article VII, it was agreed that the document would only come into effect once it had been ratified by nine of the 13 existing states.
The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. Some states opposed the Constitution because it did not include a bill of rights to protect rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. The Massachusetts Compromise, reached in February 1788, stipulated that amendments would be proposed to address these concerns, and the Constitution was subsequently ratified by Massachusetts, Maryland, and South Carolina.
On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, at which point it became the official framework of the government of the United States of America. The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island approved the document. The Bill of Rights, comprising ten of the seventeen amendments proposed by Madison, was ratified on December 15, 1791.
The Constitution's Core Purpose: A Nation's Foundation
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The Bill of Rights
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with George Reed signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to approve it, with Rhode Island being the last state to ratify it on May 29, 1790.
The first amendment states: "Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the Government for a redress of grievances." The second amendment states: "A well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed." The third amendment states: "No soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law." The fourth amendment safeguards citizens' right to be free from unreasonable government intrusion in their homes through the requirement of a warrant. The ninth amendment states: "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." The tenth amendment states: "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the States, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people."
Patrick Henry's Constitutional Opposition: Valid Argument?
You may want to see also
The Residence Act
The US Constitution was ratified by the states between 1787 and 1790, with Rhode Island being the last state to approve it on May 29, 1790.
Now, onto the Residence Act:
The bill was approved by the Senate on July 1, 1790, and by the House of Representatives on July 9, 1790. It was a close vote in both houses, with a vote of 14 to 12 in the Senate and 31 to 29 in the House. The Residence Act was a significant step in establishing a permanent capital for the United States and resolving the issue of congressional representation.
Who Are Executive Branch Workers: Job Title Explained
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Yes, the people's approval was required for the Constitution to become the law of the land. The framers of the Constitution called for special ratifying conventions in each state, where delegates elected by their neighbours would decide to either accept or reject it.
Ratification by 9 of the 13 states was required to enact the new government. The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on 7 December 1787, and New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify on 21 June 1788. The Constitution was not ratified by all states until 29 May 1790, when Rhode Island approved the document.
The Federalists argued that a strong central government was necessary to lead the new nation and that a large republic would prevent factions from gaining control. They also promised to add a bill of rights to the Constitution. The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, fought against the Constitution because it created a powerful central government and lacked a bill of rights.
The Constitution was ratified by the required 9 out of 13 states, and it became the official framework of the government of the United States of America on 21 June 1788. The first federal elections were held from 15 December 1788 to 10 January 1789, and the new government began on 4 March 1789.
