Colonies' Consensus: Constitution Approval Requirements

The United States Constitution was ratified by the 13 colonies on May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island approved the document, more than three years after the signing on September 17, 1787. The Philadelphia Convention of 1787, which drafted the document, had proposed that ratification by conventions in nine states would be sufficient for the new Constitution to supplant the Articles of Confederation.

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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, and by February 1779, 12 states had ratified the Articles. The lone holdout was Maryland, which refused to go along until the other states, especially Virginia, indicated they were prepared to cede their claims to lands west of the Ohio River. 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.

While the Articles of Confederation were in effect, the Congress of the Confederation, as it came to be known, observed the Articles as its de facto frame of government. However, the limitations on the central government, such as in assembling delegates, raising funds, and regulating commerce, limited its ability to govern the continually growing 13 colonial states. By 1787, it became clear to some of America's leaders that the country needed a stronger, more centralized government. This led to the calling of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in May 1787, which ultimately resulted in the proposal and creation of a new form of government and a new Constitution.

Ratification by nine of the 13 colonies

The United States Constitution is the country's permanent constitution, influencing the constitutions of other nations. It was ratified by nine of the 13 colonies, replacing the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. The Articles of Confederation gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it lacked enforcement powers, the ability to regulate commerce, and the ability to print money.

The delegates to the convention, representing diverse interests and views, crafted compromises to create a powerful central government. They bypassed the state legislatures, calling for special ratifying conventions in each state. 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 protections for rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. However, the Massachusetts Compromise addressed these concerns, stipulating that amendments would be proposed to include what became the Bill of Rights.

The ratification of the Constitution was a close call, with only six of the 13 states initially reporting a pro-Constitution majority. The Federalists, who supported a strong central government, had to convince at least three more states. The Anti-Federalists strongly opposed the Constitution, arguing that it created a powerful central government reminiscent of the one they had overthrown and that it lacked a bill of rights. The Federalists' lobbying efforts, led by Hamilton and Madison, were successful in securing the necessary votes.

The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 39 of the 42 delegates present. It was an extraordinary achievement, resulting in a new form of government that has endured and been emulated worldwide. However, it is important to note that the Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island approved the document, and the Bill of Rights was not ratified until the following year.

Independence from Great Britain

The United States Constitution, which was signed on September 17, 1787, was a landmark document that shaped the country's future. But the road to its creation was long and complex, and the desire for independence from Great Britain was a driving force behind it.

In the years leading up to the Constitution's formation, the American colonies were in a state of flux. The First Continental Congress, composed of delegates from 12 colonies, met in Philadelphia in September 1774 to restore harmony with Great Britain. This led to the Declaration and Resolves, which embodied a statement of rights and principles, some of which would later be incorporated into the Declaration of Independence. Despite these efforts, sentiment for independence continued to grow.

On May 15, 1776, Virginia instructed its delegates to the Continental Congress to declare the colonies as "free and independent states." This led to a resolution being introduced in Congress on June 7, 1776, formally dissolving the union with Great Britain and proposing the drafting of a plan of confederation. Independence was officially declared on July 4, 1776, but it wasn't until November 17, 1777, that the Congress agreed on a form of government. This government was outlined in the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, which was America's first constitution.

The Articles of Confederation gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it lacked enforcement powers and the ability to regulate commerce or print money. This led to disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade, threatening the young nation's stability. It became clear that a stronger, more centralized government was needed. Alexander Hamilton led the call for a constitutional convention to address these issues, and in May 1787, representatives from all 13 states convened in Philadelphia to participate in the Convention.

The Constitutional Convention resulted in the creation of a new form of government, outlined in the United States Constitution. This document was signed by 39 delegates, representing 13 states, and it established a powerful central government. The ratification process was not easy, with only 6 of the 13 states initially reporting a pro-Constitution majority. However, the Federalists, who believed in a strong central government, were able to secure enough support, and ratification by 9 of the 13 states enacted the new government.

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Compromise and centralised power

The founding of the United States of America was a delicate affair, with the delegates to the first Continental Congress in 1774 representing 12 colonies with diverse interests and views. The delegates were wary of centralised power and loyal to their states, and so the Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, or print money.

However, it quickly became clear to some of America's leaders that future stability required a stronger, more centralised government. The Articles of Confederation had allowed states to act more like independent, sovereign countries, and disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart. New York's Alexander Hamilton led the call for a constitutional convention to re-evaluate the nation's governing document, and representatives from all 13 states were invited to convene in Philadelphia in May 1787.

The delegates initially gathered to revise the Articles of Confederation, but by mid-June, they had decided to completely redesign the government. One of the fiercest arguments was over congressional representation—whether it should be based on population or divided equally among the states. The framers of the Constitution compromised by 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, a compromise between Southern and Northern states.

The Federalists, who believed in a strong central government, and the Anti-Federalists, who favoured a weaker national government, clashed over how much power to grant the national government. The Federalists needed to convert at least three states to ratify the Constitution. The Anti-Federalists fought hard against it because it created a powerful central government and lacked a bill of rights. However, the "vote now, amend later" compromise helped secure victory in Massachusetts and eventually in the final holdout states.

The Constitution was ratified by nine of the 13 states, with Delaware being the first to ratify on December 7, 1787. It was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document. The Constitution established a system of federalism, dividing power between the national government and state or provincial governments. Certain federal powers are exclusive, belonging only to the federal government, while others are shared, or concurrent, with the state governments.

The Bill of Rights

The United States Constitution, the country's second, was signed on September 17, 1787, by 39 of the 42 delegates present. Ratification by 9 of the 13 states was required to enact the new government, and this was achieved when New Hampshire ratified the document on June 21, 1788. However, the Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island approved the document.

The United States Constitution was the second constitution of the United States. The first, the Articles of Confederation, was drafted by a committee appointed by the Second Continental Congress in mid-June 1777 and was adopted by the full Congress in mid-November of that year. Ratification by the 13 colonies took more than three years and was completed on March 1, 1781. The Articles gave little power to the central government, and the Confederation Congress lacked enforcement powers, could not regulate commerce, and could not print money.

The United States Constitution has been amended numerous times since its ratification. Amendments to the Constitution are appended to the document, and several amendments have been approved by Congress and proposed to the states for consideration. However, not all of these amendments have been ratified by the required number of states to become part of the Constitution.

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