Eleanor Finch
The ratification of the American Constitution was a long and arduous process. The delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia met for three months during the summer of 1787 to draft the document, but it wasn't until June 21, 1788, that the Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of ratification | 21 June 1788 |
| Number of states required to ratify | 9 of 13 |
| Date of signing | September 1787 |
| Length of ratification process | Almost 4 years |
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What You'll Learn
The ratification of the Constitution
The delegates at the convention were consensus-minded models of civic virtue. They reasoned together to achieve what they believed to be the greatest design of government the world had ever known. However, ratification was not inevitable. The framers avoided asking the legislators to approve a document that would require them to give up a degree of their own power. Instead, they called upon state legislatures to hold ratification conventions to approve the Constitution. The men attending the ratification conventions were delegates elected by their neighbours to represent their interests.
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The Articles of Confederation
The Constitution was drafted by 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia over three hot summer months in 1787. On 17 September 1787, the delegates voted to approve the document they had drafted. However, before it could become the law of the land, it had to be ratified by the states. Article VII of the Constitution required that the document be ratified by nine of the thirteen states before it could become law and a new government could form.
The journey to ratification was long and arduous. It took almost four years and intense negotiations, but all thirteen states eventually ratified the Constitution. On 21 June 1788, the Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it.
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The role of the state
The ratification of the Constitution was a significant moment in American history, as it marked the transition from a nation governed by the Articles of Confederation to a stronger, more centralized government. The Articles of Confederation had been tailored to a newly formed nation made up of states acting more like independent, sovereign countries. However, it became clear to some of America's leaders that future stability required a stronger federal government. This led to the call for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation's governing document.
The ratification of the Constitution was not inevitable, despite what some may believe. It was the result of intense negotiations and compromises made during the Constitutional Convention. The validity of the Constitution seems self-evident with the benefit of hindsight, but at the time, it was a hard-fought struggle. The design of the Constitution and the honourable intentions of its framers may have made ratification seem inevitable, but it was a complex and challenging process.
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The role of delegates
The delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787 had the important role of drafting the Constitution. Fifty-five men worked together for three months to write the document. On September 17, 1787, the delegates voted to approve the document, but it was not yet law. The Constitution had to be ratified by the states.
The delegates were not legislators, but they were elected by their neighbours to represent their interests. They were asked to place limits on the power of their state legislators. The delegates called upon state legislatures to hold ratification conventions to approve the Constitution.
The ratification process was long and arduous. It took almost four years to convince all thirteen states to ratify the Constitution. On June 21, 1788, the Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it.
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The Bill of Rights
The ratification of the US Constitution was a long and arduous process. The document was signed in September 1787, but it took almost four years for all thirteen states to ratify it. Article VII of the Constitution required that before it could become law, the document had to be ratified by nine of the thirteen states.
The delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia had toiled for three months to draft the document, and it was finally approved on September 17, 1787. However, the journey to ratification was not easy, and it was only on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, that the Constitution became the official framework of the US government.
The ratification conventions were attended by delegates elected by their neighbours to represent their interests. These men were not being asked to give up their power but to place limits on the power of their state legislators.
The intense negotiations during the ratification process resulted in one of the most important documents in US history: the Bill of Rights.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, but it's a long and difficult process. The Constitution must be ratified by nine of the thirteen states.
It took almost four years for all thirteen states to ratify the Constitution.
The delegates at the Constitutional Convention drafted the Constitution over the course of three months in the summer of 1787. They then had to convince at least nine of the thirteen state governments to ratify it.
