The Founding Colonies: Constitution Ratification Explored

The ratification of the Constitution of the United States of America was a long and arduous process. It took more than three years for the 13 colonies to ratify the document, with New Hampshire becoming the ninth state to do so on 21 June 1788. The Articles of Confederation, which governed the country until the new Constitution was ratified, gave little power to the central government. The debate over the number of states required to ratify the Constitution was contentious, with some arguing that seven states were enough and others insisting on a simple majority.

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The 13 colonies ratified the Constitution on March 1, 1781

Ratification by the 13 colonies took more than three years and was completed on March 1, 1781. The process of ratification was long and arduous, with the country being governed by the Articles of Confederation until the new Constitution was ratified. The Articles of Confederation were tailored to a newly formed nation made of states acting more like independent, sovereign countries. It quickly became clear to some of America's leaders that future stability required a stronger, more centralised government.

The debate over the number of states required to ratify the Constitution was a contentious issue. Some delegates argued that seven states were enough, while others insisted that a simple majority of the states was necessary to ensure that a majority of the people in the United States ratified the Constitution. The requirement of ratification by nine states seemed to assure that the ratifying states would contain a majority of the country's population.

On June 21, 1788, the Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it. Eleven states had ratified the Constitution by September 13, 1788, when the Continental Congress passed a resolution to put the new Constitution into operation. The first Wednesday of January 1789 was fixed as the day for choosing presidential electors, with the first Wednesday of March for the opening session of the new Congress.

The Articles of Confederation gave little power to the central government

The Articles of Confederation required the approval of nine states in Congress for many important matters, such as declaring war, borrowing money, raising an army and navy, and admitting new states to the Union. The requirement of ratification by nine states seemed to assure that the ratifying states would contain a majority of the country's population.

The journey to ratification was a long and arduous process. Until the new Constitution was ratified, the country was governed by the Articles of Confederation. New York's Alexander Hamilton led the call for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation's governing document. On June 21, 1788, the Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it.

Eleven states had ratified the Constitution by September 13, 1788, when the Continental Congress passed a resolution to put the new Constitution into operation. The first Wednesday of March 1789 (March 4) was fixed as the day for the opening session of the new Congress.

The debate over the number of states required to ratify the Constitution

Ratification by the 13 colonies took more than three years and was completed on March 1, 1781. The debate over the number of states required to ratify the Constitution was a long and arduous process. Some delegates argued that seven states were enough, while others insisted that a simple majority of the states might make it possible for less than a majority of the people in the United States to ratify the Constitution. The requirement of ratification by nine states seemed to assure that the ratifying states would contain a majority of the country's population. Nine was also a familiar number, as the Articles of Confederation required the approval of nine states in Congress for many important matters, such as declaring war, borrowing money, raising an army and navy, and admitting new states to the Union. On June 21, 1788, the Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it. Until the new Constitution was ratified, the country was governed by the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation were tailored to a newly formed nation made of states acting more like independent, sovereign countries. It quickly became clear to some of America's leaders that future stability required a stronger, more centralised government. New York's Alexander Hamilton thus led the call for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation's governing document. Eleven states had ratified the Constitution by September 13, 1788, when the Continental Congress passed a resolution to put the new Constitution into operation.

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The Constitution became the official framework of the US government on June 21, 1788

The Articles of Confederation were tailored to a newly formed nation made of states acting more like independent, sovereign countries. However, it soon became clear to some of America's leaders that future stability required a stronger, more centralised government. New York's Alexander Hamilton led the call for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation's governing document.

There was debate over the number of states required to ratify the Constitution. Some delegates argued that seven states were enough, while others insisted that a simple majority of the states was necessary to ensure that a majority of the people in the United States ratified the Constitution. The requirement of ratification by nine states seemed to assure that the ratifying states would contain a majority of the country's population. Nine was also a familiar number, as the Articles of Confederation required the approval of nine states in Congress for many important matters, such as declaring war, borrowing money, raising an army and navy, and admitting new states to the Union.

The Continental Congress passed a resolution to put the new Constitution into operation in 1788

The requirement of ratification by nine states seemed to assure that the ratifying states would contain a majority of the country's population. Nine was also a familiar number, as the Articles of Confederation required the approval of nine states in Congress for many important matters, such as declaring war, borrowing money, raising an army and navy, and admitting new states to the Union.

On June 21, 1788, the Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it. Eleven states had ratified the Constitution when, on September 13, 1788, the Continental Congress passed a resolution to put the new Constitution into operation. The first Wednesday of January 1789 was fixed as the day for choosing presidential electors, the first Wednesday of February for the meeting of electors, and the first Wednesday of March (March 4, 1789) for the opening session of the new Congress.

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