Jonah Patel
John Hancock was elected president of the Massachusetts Ratifying Convention in January 1788, despite not being present at the Philadelphia Convention. Hancock advocated that the Constitution be unconditionally ratified with nine recommendatory amendments. He gave a speech in favour of ratification, stating that the new system was indispensably necessary to save our country from ruin. Hancock's support was probably a deciding factor in the Massachusetts convention's narrow vote to ratify the Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Role | Governor of Massachusetts |
| Action | Read a speech prepared by the Federalist caucus |
| Speech content | Advocating for the Constitution's unconditional ratification with nine recommendatory amendments |
| Concerns | Lack of a bill of rights and a shift of power to a central government |
| Result | Narrowly ratified the Constitution by a vote of 187 to 168 |
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What You'll Learn
- John Hancock was elected president of the Massachusetts Ratifying Convention in 1788
- Hancock was chosen to propose recommendatory amendments
- Hancock advocated for the Constitution to be unconditionally ratified with nine recommendatory amendments
- Hancock gave a speech in favour of ratification
- Hancock's support was probably a deciding factor in the ratification
John Hancock was elected president of the Massachusetts Ratifying Convention in 1788
John Hancock was elected president of the Massachusetts Ratifying Convention in January 1788. He was not present at the start of the convention due to illness, but he did attend the debates from 30 January onwards. Hancock had misgivings about the Constitution, particularly the lack of a bill of rights and the shift of power to a central government. However, he ultimately gave a speech in favour of ratification, advocating for nine recommendatory amendments.
Hancock's support was likely a deciding factor in the Massachusetts convention's narrow vote to ratify the Constitution. His wealth and popularity meant he was an influential figure, and he used a speech prepared by the Federalist caucus to argue that the Constitution was "indispensably necessary to save our country from ruin". He proposed that the Convention ratify the Constitution unconditionally, while recommending that the first federal Congress consider amendments.
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Hancock was chosen to propose recommendatory amendments
John Hancock was chosen to propose recommendatory amendments because he was acceptable to both Federalists and Antifederalists. Hancock enjoyed the confidence of the general public and had not yet taken a public position on the Constitution. He was also governor of Massachusetts, and had signed the Articles of Confederation. Hancock advocated that the Constitution be unconditionally ratified with nine recommendatory amendments. According to Hancock’s conciliatory proposition, the Convention was to ratify the Constitution unconditionally, while recommending that the form of ratification include amendments that would be considered by the first federal Congress.
Hancock told the delegates that the new system established by the Constitution was “indispensably necessary to save our country from ruin.… I give my assent to the Constitution in full confidence that the amendments proposed will soon become a part of the system”. Hancock's support was probably a deciding factor in the ratification of the Constitution by Massachusetts.
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Hancock advocated for the Constitution to be unconditionally ratified with nine recommendatory amendments
John Hancock, who was not present at the Philadelphia Convention, had misgivings about the Constitution's lack of a bill of rights and its shift of power to a central government. In January 1788, Hancock was elected president of the Massachusetts ratifying convention, although he was ill and not present when the convention began. Hancock mostly remained silent during the contentious debates, but as the convention was drawing to a close, he gave a speech in favour of ratification.
Hancock's support was probably a deciding factor in the Massachusetts convention narrowly ratifying the Constitution by a vote of 187 to 168.
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Hancock gave a speech in favour of ratification
John Hancock, who was elected president of the Massachusetts ratifying convention in January 1788, gave a speech in favour of the ratification of the Constitution. Hancock, who was not present at the Philadelphia Convention, had misgivings about the Constitution's lack of a bill of rights and its shift of power to a central government. However, he remained mostly silent during the debates. As the convention was drawing to a close, Hancock gave a speech in favour of ratification, reading from a speech prepared by the Federalist caucus. He advocated that the Constitution be unconditionally ratified with nine recommendatory amendments. Hancock told the delegates that the new system was "indispensably necessary to save our country from ruin". He added that he gave his "assent to the Constitution in full confidence that the amendments proposed will soon become a part of the system". Hancock's support was probably a deciding factor in the ratification of the Constitution by Massachusetts.
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Hancock's support was probably a deciding factor in the ratification
John Hancock's support was probably a deciding factor in the ratification of the Constitution by Massachusetts. Hancock was elected president of the Massachusetts Ratifying Convention in January 1788, although he was not present at the start of the convention due to illness. Hancock was a wealthy and influential figure, and he enjoyed the confidence of the general public. He had not yet taken a public position on the Constitution, and so was acceptable to both Federalists and Antifederalists. Hancock advocated that the Constitution be unconditionally ratified with nine recommendatory amendments. He told delegates that the new system was "indispensably necessary to save our country from ruin". The Massachusetts convention narrowly ratified the Constitution by a vote of 187 to 168.
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Frequently asked questions
Hancock was elected president of the Massachusetts ratifying convention in January 1788, but he was ill and did not attend the debates until 30 January. Hancock advocated that the Constitution be unconditionally ratified with nine recommendatory amendments. He told the delegates that the new system was "indispensably necessary to save our country from ruin".
John Hancock was elected president of the Massachusetts Ratifying Convention. He was chosen to propose recommendatory amendments because he was acceptable to both Federalists and Antifederalists.
The Massachusetts convention narrowly ratified the Constitution by a vote of 187 to 168. Hancock's support was probably a deciding factor in the ratification.
Hancock had misgivings about the Constitution's lack of a bill of rights and its shift of power to a central government.
John Hancock signed the Articles of Confederation and used his influence to ensure that Massachusetts ratified the United States Constitution in 1788.
