The Constitution's Ratification: A Historical Turning Point

On June 21, 1788, the US Constitution was ratified when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document. The journey to ratification was a long and arduous process, with some states opposing the document on the grounds that it failed to reserve undelegated powers to the states and lacked constitutional protection of basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press.

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The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787

A compromise was reached in February 1788, under which Massachusetts and other states agreed to ratify the document with the assurance that amendments would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was then narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and South Carolina. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, and it was subsequently agreed that government under the U.S. Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789.

In June, Virginia ratified the Constitution, followed by New York in July. North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution in November 1789. Rhode Island, which opposed federal control of currency and was critical of compromise on the issue of slavery, resisted ratifying the Constitution until the U.S. government threatened to sever commercial relations with the state. On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island voted to ratify the document, and the last of the original 13 colonies joined the United States.

The Articles of Confederation were replaced by the Constitution

It was 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. On May 25, 1787, the Constitutional Convention convened at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. After three months of debate, the new U.S. Constitution was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present.

The Constitution created a strong federal government with an intricate system of checks and balances. However, some states opposed the document on the grounds that it did not provide protection for basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. In February 1788, a compromise was reached, under which amendments to that effect—what became the Bill of Rights—would be immediately proposed.

On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth and final necessary state to ratify the Constitution, thereby making it the law of the land. The first Congress of the United States adopted 12 amendments to the Constitution—the Bill of Rights—in September 1789, and sent them to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments were ratified in 1791.

The Massachusetts Compromise

The Constitution was ratified in 1788 after a long and arduous process. The country had been governed by the Articles of Confederation, which were drafted after the Revolutionary War. However, it became clear that the Articles of Confederation were inadequate, as they lacked a central authority over foreign and domestic commerce.

In 1786, New York's Alexander Hamilton led the call for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation's governing document. On May 25, 1787, the Constitutional Convention convened at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. After three months of debate, the new U.S. Constitution was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present.

The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. However, other states, especially Massachusetts, opposed the document on the grounds that it did not provide protection for basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press.

In February 1788, the Massachusetts Compromise was reached, under which Massachusetts and other states agreed to ratify the document with the assurance that amendments to that effect would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was thus narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and South Carolina.

On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth and final necessary state to ratify the Constitution, making it the law of the land. The government under the U.S. Constitution began on March 4, 1789.

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The ninth state to ratify the Constitution was New Hampshire

On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the US Constitution. This was a significant moment in American history, as it meant that the Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America. The journey to ratification was a long and arduous process, with some states opposing the document on the grounds that it did not provide adequate protection for certain political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press.

The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. In February 1788, a compromise was reached under which Massachusetts and other states agreed to ratify the document with the assurance that amendments would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was then ratified in Massachusetts, Maryland, and South Carolina.

New Hampshire's ratification of the Constitution was particularly important because it was the last necessary state to do so. This meant that the document became the law of the land, and the country could move forward with a stronger, more centralized government. The new Constitution created a federal government with an intricate system of checks and balances, addressing the defects in the post-Revolutionary War Articles of Confederation.

Following New Hampshire's ratification, Virginia and New York also ratified the Constitution in June and July of 1788, respectively. The first federal elections and the official implementation of the Constitution were then set, and the government under the US Constitution began on March 4, 1789.

Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 colonies to join the United States

The US Constitution was ratified on 21 June 1788 when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it. Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 colonies to join the United States. It resisted ratifying the Constitution until the US government threatened to sever commercial relations with the state. Rhode Island opposed federal control of currency and was critical of the compromise on the issue of slavery. On 29 May 1790, Rhode Island voted by two votes to ratify the document.

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. It quickly 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.

On 25 September 1789, the first Congress of the United States adopted 12 amendments to the US Constitution—the Bill of Rights—and sent them to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments were ratified in 1791.

The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on 7 December 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. Some states voiced opposition to the Constitution on the grounds that it did not provide protection for rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. However, the terms of the Massachusetts Compromise reached in February 1788 stipulated that amendments to that effect—what became the Bill of Rights—would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was thus narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and South Carolina.

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