The Constitution's Long Road To Ratification

The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 39 delegates, marking the end of the Constitutional Convention that had begun in May of that year. The signing of the Constitution was the culmination of a process that began with the Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, which gave the Confederation Congress significant powers but lacked enforcement powers and the ability to regulate commerce or print money. The Constitutional Convention was convened to revise the Articles, but the delegates ultimately decided to create a new government, leading to the drafting of the Constitution. The ratification process for the Constitution began immediately after its signing and ended when the final state, Rhode Island, ratified it in May 1790. The Constitution has since become one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions globally, shaping the framework for the United States government.

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The Constitutional Convention

The United States Constitution was drafted during the Constitutional Convention, which took place between May 25 and September 17, 1787. The Convention was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with the delegates assembling at the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall). The windows of the State House were shuttered, and the delegates swore secrecy to ensure free discussion. General George Washington, who had played a crucial role in the recent Revolutionary War, was unanimously elected as the president of the convention.

The delegates at the convention were tasked with revising the Articles of Confederation. However, by mid-June, they had decided to create an entirely new government. One of the most contentious issues was congressional representation, with delegates debating whether it should be based on population or divided equally among the states. A compromise was reached, with each state receiving one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate.

Another challenging topic was slavery. The convention temporarily resolved this issue by agreeing to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person and allowing the slave trade to continue until 1808. The final document, prepared by Jacob Shallus, was presented at the convention's last session on September 17, 1787. Despite some delegates' disappointment and reluctance to sign, 39 delegates ultimately signed the Constitution, marking a significant step toward establishing a new government.

Compromises and disagreements

The United States Constitution was drafted by delegates of the Constitutional Convention, which assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787. The delegates had gathered to revise the Articles of Confederation, but by mid-June, they had decided to completely redesign the government.

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention represented "wildly different interests and views", and there was little agreement about what form the new government should take. 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.

Another contentious issue was slavery. Some delegates were unhappy with the convention's decision to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person, and the convention only temporarily resolved the issue of the slave trade, agreeing that it could continue until 1808.

The delegates' loyalties were also divided between their home states and the need for a strong central government. The final document was a series of compromises, and some delegates were disappointed by the result, with three refusing to sign. Benjamin Franklin, while also expressing disapproval of certain parts, accepted the Constitution because he "expected no better".

The ratification process was similarly contentious. The Federalists, who believed in a strong central government, faced opposition from the Anti-Federalists, who fought against the Constitution because it reminded them of the government they had just overthrown and because it lacked a bill of rights. The formula agreed upon for the closing endorsement was "Done in Convention, by the unanimous consent of the States present", despite the fact that only 12 of the 13 states were represented at the convention.

The Articles of Confederation

The Articles were submitted to the states for ratification in late November 1777, with Virginia being the first state to ratify on December 16, 1777. By February 1779, 12 states had ratified the Articles, with Maryland as the lone holdout. Maryland finally ratified the Articles on February 2, 1781, and Congress was informed of its assent on March 1, officially proclaiming the Articles of Confederation to be the law of the land.

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Ratification

The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, marking the end of the Constitutional Convention and the beginning of the ratification process. The delegates had assembled in Philadelphia in May of that year to revise the Articles of Confederation, which served as America's first constitution. However, they soon decided to completely redesign the government, creating a powerful central government to address the weaknesses of the Articles.

The ratification process for the Constitution involved seeking approval from the states. The founders bypassed the state legislatures and called for special ratifying conventions in each state, recognising that state legislators might be reluctant to cede power to a national government. Ratification by 9 of the 13 states was required to enact the new government. The process was not without challenges, as the Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution due to concerns about centralised power and the absence of a bill of rights.

The Federalists, who supported the Constitution, faced the task of convincing at least three additional states to ratify it. The compromise of "vote now, amend later" played a pivotal role in securing victory in Massachusetts and ultimately, the final holdout states. By early 1812, eleven states had ratified the Constitution. With the addition of Louisiana into the Union, the threshold increased to fourteen states. New Hampshire's ratification in December 1812 brought the total to twelve, leaving the amendment just two states away from being ratified.

The ratification process concluded on May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island became the final state to ratify the Constitution. This marked the end of the ratification process and the beginning of the nation's transition to a new government under the Constitution. The United States Constitution stands as one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions globally, shaping the framework for the country's government.

The Federalists and Anti-Federalists

The Anti-Federalists, led by Patrick Henry of Virginia, opposed the creation of a stronger federal government and the ratification of the Constitution. They argued that the Constitution, as drafted, would lead to a loss of individual liberties, the erosion of state sovereignty, and the potential rise of tyranny. The Anti-Federalists favoured a more decentralised form of government with stronger protections for individual rights and state representation. They were concerned that the national government would become too powerful and threaten states' rights and individual freedoms. Additionally, they believed that a large central government would not adequately represent the interests of small towns and rural areas, unlike the urban interests represented by most Federalist delegates.

The Anti-Federalists also had specific concerns about the Constitution. They worried that the federal government's powers to tax could be exploited to weaken the states, and they felt that the Constitution lacked sufficient protections for individual rights, such as the right to a jury in civil cases and local juries in criminal cases. They also believed that the Constitution created a presidency that could evolve into a monarchy and that it failed to address slavery in a way that threatened to derail the Union.

The ratification of the Constitution was a close contest between these two factions. Initially, only six out of thirteen states reported a pro-Constitution majority. The Federalists needed to convince at least three more states to achieve ratification. The Anti-Federalists fought against ratification in each state convention, but they lacked efficient organisation across all thirteen states. The Federalists ultimately succeeded in getting the required number of states to ratify the Constitution, partly due to their agreement to consider amendments, which later became the Bill of Rights. This concession addressed some of the Anti-Federalists' concerns and helped secure the necessary support.

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