Omar Bennett
The US Constitution was created in 1787, after three months of debate moderated by convention president George Washington. It was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the convention. The Constitution was then ratified by the states, with New Hampshire becoming the ninth and last necessary state to ratify the document on June 21, 1788. The first Congress of the United States adopted 12 amendments to the Constitution—the Bill of Rights—and sent them to the states for ratification in 1789. Ten of these amendments were ratified in 1791.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of ratification | June 21, 1788 |
| First five states to ratify | Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut |
| Date of the first federal elections | December 15, 1788 |
| Date of the official implementation of the Constitution | March 4, 1789 |
| Date of the first Congress of the United States | September 25, 1789 |
| Number of amendments adopted by the first Congress | 12 |
| Date of North Carolina's ratification | November 1789 |
| Date of Rhode Island's ratification | May 29, 1790 |
| Number of states that ratified the Constitution by June 21, 1788 | 9 |
| Date the Constitutional Convention convened | May 25, 1787 |
| Date the new U.S. Constitution was signed | September 17, 1787 |
| Number of delegates present at the conclusion of the convention | 41 |
| Number of delegates who signed the new U.S. Constitution | 38 |
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What You'll Learn
The Constitutional Convention
Representatives from all 13 states were invited to the convention, which was moderated by George Washington. The initial purpose of the convention was to amend the Articles of Confederation, but the delegates ultimately proposed and created a completely new form of government. After three months of debate, the new US Constitution was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the convention on 17 September 1787. The new constitution created a strong federal government with an intricate system of checks and balances.
The Constitution was then ratified by the states. On 21 June 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth and last necessary state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, thereby making the document the law of the land. The first federal elections were set to take place from 15 December 1788 to 10 January 1789, and the new government was set to begin on 4 March 1789.
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The Compromise
The US Constitution was also amended following the Massachusetts Compromise, which was a deal reached in 1789 to address the concerns of Massachusetts. Madison introduced 17 amendments to the Constitution, 12 of which were adopted by Congress and sent to the states for ratification. These amendments became known as the Bill of Rights.
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The Signing
The US Constitution was created and ratified in the late 1780s. By 1786, it was clear that the post-Revolutionary War Articles of Confederation were inadequate, as they lacked a central authority over foreign and domestic commerce. New York's Alexander Hamilton led the call for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation's governing document.
On May 25, 1787, representatives from all 13 states convened in Philadelphia. The initial purpose of the convention was to amend the Articles of Confederation, but the delegates ultimately proposed and created a completely new form of government. After three months of debate moderated by convention president George Washington, the new US Constitution was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present on September 17, 1787.
The Constitution created a strong federal government with a system of checks and balances. However, it faced opposition from some states, particularly Massachusetts, which objected to the lack of reserved undelegated powers to the states and the absence of constitutional protection for basic political rights, including freedom of speech, religion, and the press. 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.
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 US Constitution began on March 4, 1789, with George Washington as President and John Adams as Vice President. The Constitution was still evolving, and on September 25, 1789, Congress adopted 12 amendments—the Bill of Rights—which were sent to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments were ratified in 1791.
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Ratification
The US Constitution was ratified on 21 June 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth and final necessary state to ratify the document. This came after a series of states had ratified the Constitution in quick succession in December 1787: Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. However, other states, particularly Massachusetts, opposed the document, as 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.
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.
After ratification, Congress set dates for the first federal elections and the official implementation of the Constitution. Elections were set to take place from 15 December 1788 to 10 January 1789, and the new government was set to begin on 4 March 1789. In the nation's first presidential election, George Washington was elected President and John Adams Vice President.
In November 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the Constitution. Rhode Island, which opposed federal control of currency and was critical of the compromise on the issue of slavery, resisted ratifying the document until the US government threatened to sever commercial relations with the state. On 29 May 1790, Rhode Island voted to ratify the Constitution, and the last of the original 13 colonies joined the United States.
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The First Federal Elections
The US Constitution was created and ratified in the late 1780s. By 1786, it was clear that the post-Revolutionary War Articles of Confederation were inadequate, as they lacked a central authority over foreign and domestic commerce. New York's Alexander Hamilton led the call for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation's governing document.
On May 25, 1787, representatives from all 13 states convened in Philadelphia. The initial purpose of the convention was to amend the Articles of Confederation, but the delegates ultimately proposed and created a completely new form of government. After three months of debate, the new US Constitution was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present.
The Constitution was then ratified by the states. Beginning on December 7, five states—Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut—ratified it in quick succession. However, other states, especially Massachusetts, opposed the document due to its failure to reserve undelegated powers to the states and lack of constitutional protection of basic political rights. A compromise was reached in February 1788, and Massachusetts, along with Maryland and South Carolina, ratified the Constitution.
On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth and final necessary state to ratify the Constitution, making it the law of the land. Congress then set dates for the first federal elections, which were to take place from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789. The new government was set to begin on March 4, 1789.
In the nation's first presidential election, George Washington was elected President and John Adams was elected Vice President. Congress was restructured to reflect the system of representation created by the Connecticut Compromise at the Constitutional Convention. The Constitution was still evolving, and amendments were introduced and ratified in the following years.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution was created on September 17, 1787, when 38 of the 41 delegates present at the Constitutional Convention signed the document.
The US Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth and final state needed to ratify the document.
The process of ratifying the US Constitution began in December 1787, when five states—Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut—ratified it in quick succession. However, other states, such as Massachusetts, opposed the document due to concerns over the lack of protection for states' rights and individual liberties. A compromise was reached in February 1788, and the Constitution was narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and South Carolina.
After the US Constitution was ratified, Congress set dates for the first federal elections and the official implementation of the Constitution. The first federal elections were held from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789, and the new government under the US Constitution began on March 4, 1789, with George Washington as President and John Adams as Vice President.
