Malcolm Rivera
The United States Constitution was ratified in 1787, after several weeks of debate and revision. The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was called to revise the Articles of Confederation, which had been the first constitution of the United States, drafted in 1777. However, the Convention soon abandoned these Articles, drafting a new Constitution with a stronger national government. The new Constitution was signed by delegates on September 17, 1787, after a Committee of Style and Arrangement, including Alexander Hamilton and James Madison, distilled a final draft from the approved articles. The Constitution was then ratified by the states, with Delaware being the first on December 7, 1787, and the first federal elections taking place from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Time taken to draft the Constitution of India | 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days |
| Number of sessions held during drafting | 11 |
| Total number of days the sessions covered | 165 |
| Number of days spent considering the Draft Constitution | 114 |
| Date the Indian Constitution was adopted | 26 November 1949 |
| Date the National Anthem of India was adopted | 24 January 1950 |
| Date on which the National Flag of India was adopted | 22 July 1947 |
| Time taken to draft the first Constitution of the United States | Mid-June 1777 to mid-November 1777 |
| Time taken for ratification by the 13 colonies | Over 3 years |
| Date of completion of ratification | 1 March 1781 |
| Time taken to draft the Preamble to the U.S. Constitution | 6 weeks |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution's Preamble was drafted in six weeks
The US Constitution was drafted during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787. The Preamble, the introductory paragraph of the Constitution, was drafted in just six weeks during a hot Philadelphia summer. The 52-word paragraph was carefully crafted to set the stage for the rest of the Constitution, outlining the intentions and purpose of the document and the new government.
The Preamble begins with the now-famous words, "We the People of the United States," which represented a significant shift in thinking. This phrase, coined by Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania, who chaired the convention's Committee of Style, emphasised that the people, not the states, were the source of the government's legitimacy. This was a notable improvement from the original draft, which listed the 13 states after "We the People," elevating the importance of the nation as a whole.
The Preamble goes on to outline six key goals: to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, ensure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity. These goals provided a clear direction for the new government and the nation as a whole, establishing the basic principles upon which the United States would be governed.
The drafting of the Preamble in just six weeks was a remarkable achievement, given the complexity and importance of the task at hand. It demonstrated the framers' dedication to creating a strong and unified nation, with a clear set of principles and values. The Preamble has stood the test of time, continuing to guide the country and serving as an enduring reminder of the ideals upon which the United States was founded.
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The Indian Constitution took 2 years, 11 months, and 18 days
The Assembly held eleven sessions over a period of 165 days, with the first six sessions dedicated to passing the Objectives Resolution and considering reports on Fundamental Rights, Union Constitution, Union Powers, Provincial Constitution, Minorities, and Scheduled Areas and Tribes. The consideration of the Draft Constitution itself took 114 days.
The Constitution was finally adopted on 26 November 1949, and it became the law of India on 26 January 1950. It replaced the Government of India Act 1935 as the country's fundamental governing document, marking the transition from the Dominion of India to the Republic of India. The Indian Constitution is the world's longest for a sovereign nation, with 395 articles in 22 parts and 8 schedules, and about 145,000 words. It is a unique blend of rigidity and flexibility, providing for three categories of amendments with varying requirements for approval.
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The Articles of Confederation were ratified in over 3 years
The Articles of Confederation, the United States' first constitution, were adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777. However, it took over three years for all 13 states to ratify the Articles. The first state to ratify was Virginia on December 16, 1777, and 12 states had ratified the Articles by February 1779, just 14 months into the process.
The delay in achieving full ratification was due to disputes over representation, voting, and the western lands claimed by some states. Maryland, the lone holdout, refused to ratify until the other states, particularly Virginia, ceded their claims to lands west of the Ohio River. It took two years for the Maryland General Assembly to be satisfied that the various states would follow through, and they finally voted to ratify on February 2, 1781.
The Articles of Confederation were officially proclaimed to be the law of the land on March 1, 1781, and they remained in force until 1789 when the present-day Constitution of the United States went into effect. The Articles gave Congress the authority to regulate and fund the Continental Army, but it lacked the power to compel the states to comply with requests for troops or funding, leading to military vulnerability. Additionally, the central government had limited power, creating challenges in regulating commerce, taxation, and setting commercial policy.
The process of drafting the U.S. Constitution, which replaced the Articles of Confederation, took six weeks during the summer of 1787. The framers agreed on basic principles, including establishing justice, ensuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting general welfare, and securing liberty for the people of the United States.
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The 9th Amendment was a compromise
The drafting of the US Constitution, often referred to as its framing, was completed at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia between May 25 and September 17, 1787. On the latter date, 38 delegates signed the Constitution, with George Reed signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39.
The 9th Amendment was indeed a compromise, addressing a "great residuum" of rights that were not to be "thrown into the hands of the government", as James Madison put it. Madison, a supporter of the Constitution ("Federalist"), proposed the 9th Amendment to address the concerns of opponents of the Constitution ("Anti-Federalists"), who vociferously complained about the absence of a bill of rights. Madison's proposal was a brilliant compromise that left both sides where they were before a bill of rights was adopted. The Anti-Federalists could still argue that unenumerated rights should be enforced, while the Federalists could still argue that they did not exist.
The final text of the 9th Amendment, like Madison's draft, speaks of other rights beyond those enumerated in the Constitution. The character of those other rights was indicated by Madison in his speech introducing the Bill of Rights:
> It has been said, by way of objection to a bill of rights ... that in the Federal Government they are unnecessary, because the powers are enumerated, and it follows, that all that are not granted by the constitution are retained; that the constitution is a bill of powers, the great residuum being the rights of the people; and, therefore, a bill of rights cannot be so necessary as if the residuum was thrown into the hands of the Government. I admit that these arguments are not entirely without foundation, but they are not as conclusive to the extent it has been proposed.
The 9th Amendment became part of the Constitution on December 15, 1791, upon ratification by three-fourths of the states. The final form of the amendment ratified by the states is as follows:
> The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people.
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The Constitution protected slavery for 20 years and more
The United States Constitution, drafted in 1787, is considered by some to be a pro-slavery document. Notably, the word "slave" does not appear in the Constitution. However, the Constitution did include protections for slavery, including the fugitive slave clause, which required the return of runaway slaves to their owners, and the three-fifths clause, which counted three-fifths of a state's slave population in apportioning representation, giving the South extra representation in the House of Representatives and extra votes in the Electoral College.
The Constitution also included a compromise that prohibited Congress from outlawing the Atlantic slave trade for 20 years. This compromise was reached in exchange for a 20-year ban on any restrictions on the Atlantic slave trade, as well as the removal of a clause restricting the national government's power to enact laws requiring goods to be shipped on American vessels. This compromise was made to gain the support of southern delegates for a strong central government, as it was believed that if the Constitution restricted the slave trade, some states would refuse to join the Union.
While the Constitution included protections for slavery, it is important to note that there was also significant opposition to slavery among the framers of the Constitution. Many of the framers, including some who owned slaves, harbored moral qualms about slavery and were members of anti-slavery societies. The "Father of the Constitution," James Madison, attacked slavery early in the Constitutional Convention, and other framers, such as George Mason and Gouverneur Morris, also criticized the institution.
Despite this opposition, the framers ultimately made a compromise on slavery to ensure the creation of a strong central government. This compromise, however, laid the foundation for future conflict, as the issue of slavery was not addressed directly. It took a bloody Civil War and the ratification of the 13th Amendment in 1865 to finally abolish slavery in the United States.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution was drafted over a period of 16 weeks, from May 25, 1787, to September 17, 1787.
The delegates signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787, during their last meeting.
38 delegates signed the Constitution, with George Reed signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39.
The US Constitution became operational in 1789, two years after it was drafted and signed.
