Omar Bennett
The United States Constitution was created to form a more perfect union, establishing justice, ensuring domestic tranquility, providing for the common defense, promoting general welfare, and securing liberty for the people. The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was assembled to revise the Articles of Confederation, which had united the states as a loose confederation but lacked provisions for a federal executive or judicial system. The convention ultimately abandoned the Articles and drafted a new Constitution, establishing a stronger national government. The Constitution's creation was a lengthy and contentious process, marked by fierce debates over the structure and powers of the federal government. After its signing in 1787, the Constitution faced resistance but was eventually ratified by the required number of states, shaping the form of government we recognize today.
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What You'll Learn
The Constitutional Convention of 1787
The Convention, which met in Philadelphia, was called to revise the Articles of Confederation, but it soon abandoned those efforts and instead drafted a new Constitution with a much stronger national government. This controversial new Constitution provoked a great deal of resistance, but it was eventually ratified by the requisite number of states, replacing the Articles as the framework of the US government.
The Convention began its work on May 25, 1787, with delegates from across the states debating the structure and powers of a new federal government. After two months of fierce debate, the Convention appointed a ""committee of detail" to draft a written constitution. Edmund Randolph of Virginia wrote out a rough draft, which was then revised by James Wilson. A clean copy of this draft was printed and distributed to delegates, who reconvened on August 6 to discuss it.
After five weeks of further debate, the Convention appointed a committee of style to prepare a final version of the Constitution. Gouverneur Morris, later known as the "penman of the Constitution," did most of the work on this final draft. On September 17, 1787, the Constitutional Convention voted in favour of the Constitution, and the states were left to accept or reject this new plan of government.
The new Constitution faced a long and often bitter ratification process. Eventually, eleven states ratified the Constitution, with New Hampshire becoming the ninth state to do so on July 2, 1788, making it the law of the land. The Constitution established a new form of government for the United States, creating a more perfect union by establishing a stronger national government and addressing the issues that had plagued the young nation under the Articles of Confederation.
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The Articles of Confederation
The limitations of the Articles of Confederation became apparent in the years following the Revolutionary War. The states retained considerable power, and the central government struggled to regulate commerce, manage the treasury, and set commercial policy. Disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the country apart. As a result, leading statesmen called for a special convention to revise the Articles, leading to the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which proposed a new constitution establishing a stronger national government.
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The need for a more powerful central authority
The American Revolution brought about a need for a new government. The Continental Congress (1774-1789) was the central institution for managing the struggle for American independence, but it was clear that a more perfect Union was required. The Articles of Confederation, written in 1781, united the states as a confederation—a loose league of states represented in Congress. However, the Congress as defined by the Articles of Confederation was too weak to make the states obey congressional mandates.
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 proposed a new constitution with a much stronger national government. The convention debated and drafted a new constitution over two months, appointing a "committee of detail" to draft a written constitution. The committee studied the Convention's resolutions, state constitutions, the Articles of Confederation, and other applicable reports and documents. Edmund Randolph of Virginia wrote out a rough draft of a constitution, which was then revised by James Wilson.
The committee's draft constitution was discussed and debated for five weeks, after which the Constitutional Convention appointed a committee of style to prepare a final version. Gouverneur Morris, later known as the "penman of the Constitution," did most of the work. On September 17, 1787, the Constitutional Convention voted in favor of the Constitution.
The new Constitution established a stronger national government, outlining the powers of a federal chief executive and a judicial system. It granted Congress exclusive power over commerce and outlined punishments for poor attendance by members of Congress. The Constitution also provided that acts of Congress and ratified treaties be "the supreme law of the States."
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The creation of a new government
The United States Constitution, which created a new system of government, was formed in the aftermath of the American Revolution and the independence of the former British colonies in North America. The Continental Congress (1774-1789) was the first attempt at a coordinated effort to resist the British, and it became the central institution for managing the struggle for American independence. However, the young nation lacked a formal government.
The Articles of Confederation, written in 1781, were America's first attempt to govern itself as an independent nation. They united the states as a loose confederation, with a Congress as its central institution. However, the Articles of Confederation were too weak to make the states obey congressional mandates, and they did not establish the powers of a federal chief executive or a judicial system.
In 1786, leading statesmen called for a special convention to revise the Articles of Confederation—the Constitutional Convention of 1787. This convention proposed a new constitution with a much stronger national government. The convention delegates debated fiercely over the structure and powers of the new federal government. After two months, they appointed a "committee of detail" to draft a written constitution. This committee studied the Convention's resolutions, state constitutions, the Articles of Confederation, and other applicable reports and documents before creating a draft constitution.
On September 17, 1787, after several days of further revision, the Constitutional Convention voted in favor of the new Constitution. The states were then given the power to accept or reject this new plan of government. Eleven states eventually ratified the Constitution, replacing the Articles of Confederation as the framework of the United States government. The creation of the Constitution and the present form of the US federal government was informed by the need to establish a more perfect union, protecting the independence of member states while also establishing a stronger central authority.
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The ratification of the Constitution
The ratification of the US Constitution was a long and arduous process. The Articles of Confederation, which acted as the country's first constitution, had created a loose league of states with a weak central government. It soon became clear that a more unified and powerful central authority was required. This led to calls for a special convention to revise the Articles, resulting in the Constitutional Convention of 1787.
The Constitutional Convention proposed a new constitution with a much stronger national government. This controversial document faced significant resistance, but eventually gained enough support to be ratified. The Constitution required ratification by nine of the thirteen existing states to become binding. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, making the Constitution the official framework of the US government.
The journey to ratification began with the signing of the new Constitution by delegates of the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787. The document was then sent to the states for debate and approval. Delaware was the first state to ratify on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut.
The ratification process was not without challenges. Some states opposed the Constitution, arguing that it did not adequately protect certain rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. The Massachusetts Compromise addressed these concerns, stipulating that amendments would be proposed to include what became known as the Bill of Rights. This compromise led to the subsequent ratification of the Constitution by Massachusetts, Maryland, and South Carolina.
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Frequently asked questions
The Constitution was created 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 the people and their posterity.
Before the Constitution, the young nation was ruled by the Articles of Confederation, written in 1781 in reaction to years of British rule.
The Articles of Confederation were too weak to make the states obey congressional mandates. They did not describe the powers of a federal chief executive or a judicial system.
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 proposed a new constitution establishing a much stronger national government. A "committee of detail" was appointed to draft a written constitution, and after five weeks of debate, a "committee of style" prepared the final version.
