Malcolm Rivera
Pennsylvania was the second state to ratify the 1787 Constitution, on December 12, 1787. It was the first large state to do so, and the first to face a serious Anti-Federalist challenge to ratification. The state was ethnically and religiously diverse, with one-third of its population speaking German. The chairman of the Pennsylvania ratifying convention, Reverend Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg, was the son of a leading German Lutheran minister.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of ratification | 12 December 1787 |
| Vote | 46-23 |
| Position in ratifying | Second state to ratify |
| Population | Ethnically and religiously diverse |
| Population | One-third German-speaking |
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What You'll Learn
The Pennsylvania minority report
On December 12, 1787, Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the Constitution, by a vote of 46 to 23. Pennsylvania was the first large state to ratify, as well as the first state to endure a serious Anti-Federalist challenge to ratification.
> We entered on the examination of the proposed system of government, and found it to be such as we could not adopt, without, as we conceived, surrendering up your dearest rights.
The report also spelled out many concepts that would be included in the Bill of Rights approved by the First Congress and ratified by the states, and set the ground rules for ratification debates in the other states.
Pennsylvania was the most ethnically and religiously diverse state in the new nation. One-third of Pennsylvania’s population was German-speaking, and the Constitution was printed in German for the purposes of involving that population in the debate.
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The anti-Federalist challenge
Pennsylvania was the second state to ratify the 1787 Constitution, on 12 December 1787, by a vote of 46 to 23. Pennsylvania was the first large state to ratify, as well as the first state to endure a serious Anti-Federalist challenge to ratification. The anti-Federalists, led by Thomas McKean, made a powerful argument that was sent to the other states as part of a wide effort to reject the new Constitution. The document was called the Pennsylvania minority report, and it said that:
> 'We entered on the examination of the proposed system of government, and found it to be such as we could not adopt, without, as we conceived, surrendering up your dearest rights.'
The Pennsylvania minority report also spelled out many concepts that would be included in the Bill of Rights approved by the First Congress and ratified by the states, and set the ground rules for ratification debates in the other states.
Pennsylvania was the most ethnically and religiously diverse state in the new nation. One-third of Pennsylvania’s population was German-speaking, and the Constitution was printed in German for the purposes of involving that population in the debate. The chairman of the Pennsylvania ratifying convention, Reverend Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg, was the son of the leading German Lutheran minister and grandson to Conrad Weiser (1696-1760), who had been a leading colonial Indian interpreter and German-speaking political leader.
By excluding Quakers and all other pacifists unwilling to take oaths of allegiance to the Revolutionary cause, a fervently anti-British and anti-Indian Scots-Irish faction had seized power for the first time in the remarkably diverse state. Only when pacifists were again able to exercise the franchise in peacetime was it conceivable that the more conservative U.S. Constitution might pass in Pennsylvania.
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The role of James Wilson
James Wilson played an important role in convincing Pennsylvanians to ratify the 1787 Constitution. Wilson's genius in describing the nature of layered sovereignty in a federal republic, using the solar system as an analogy, was invaluable in convincing Pennsylvanians to ratify. Pennsylvania was the second state to ratify the Constitution, and the first large state to do so. It was also the most ethnically and religiously diverse state in the new nation, with one-third of its population being German-speaking. The Constitution was printed in German to involve this population in the debate. Pennsylvania's ratification message was short and to the point: "In the Name of the People of Pennsylvania. Be it [...]".
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The role of Thomas McKean
On December 12, 1787, Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the Constitution, by a vote of 46 to 23. Pennsylvania was the first large state to ratify, as well as the first state to endure a serious Anti-Federalist challenge to ratification.
Thomas McKean was a delegate to the state convention that ratified the U.S. Constitution in 1787 and to the Pennsylvania Convention of 1789-90, where he supported the concept of a strong executive branch. He was also Chief Justice of Pennsylvania, an office that he held for nearly twenty years. He was elected President of Congress in 1781. In 1787 he attended the ratifying convention for the new Federal Constitution in Pennsylvania. McKean led the anti-Federalists, making a powerful argument that was sent to the other states as part of a wide effort to reject the new Constitution. The document was called the Pennsylvania minority report, and it said that, “we entered on the examination of the proposed system of government, and found it to be such as we could not adopt, without, as we conceived, surrendering up your dearest rights”.
McKean was also involved in the framing of the new Pennsylvania constitution in 1790, and published "Commentaries on the Constitution of the United States" with University of Pennsylvania law professor James Wilson (Founding Father) in the same year. McKean was also elected Governor of Pennsylvania in 1799, holding office until 1808. He was re-elected twice, in 1802 and 1805. McKean County, Pennsylvania is named in his honour, as is Thomas McKean High School in New Castle County, McKean Street in Philadelphia, and the McKean Hall dormitory at the University of Delaware.
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The ratification message
On December 12, 1787, Pennsylvania ratified the 1787 Constitution by a vote of 46 to 23. Pennsylvania was the second state to ratify the Constitution, and the first large state to do so. Pennsylvania's ratification message was short and to the point: "In the Name of the People of Pennsylvania. Be it [...]".
Pennsylvania was the most ethnically and religiously diverse state in the new nation. One-third of the population was German-speaking, and the Constitution was printed in German to involve that population in the debate. The chairman of the Pennsylvania ratifying convention, Reverend Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg, was the son of a leading German Lutheran minister.
The pro-Constitution forces had a two-thirds majority going into the state ratification convention. However, Pennsylvania was also the first state to endure a serious Anti-Federalist challenge to ratification. The Anti-Federalists, led by Thomas McKean, made a powerful argument against the Constitution, which was sent to the other states as part of a wide effort to reject the new Constitution. This document, known as the Pennsylvania minority report, spelled out many concepts that would be included in the Bill of Rights and set the ground rules for ratification debates in the other states.
The decision to ratify the Constitution in Pennsylvania was not an easy one, and the state faced a difficult choice between the benefits of a strengthened union and the potential loss of sovereignty. Ultimately, the genius of James Wilson in describing the nature of layered sovereignty in a federal republic, using the solar system as an analogy, was invaluable in convincing Pennsylvanians to ratify.
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Frequently asked questions
Yes, Pennsylvania ratified the 1787 Constitution on December 12, 1787.
The vote was 46 to 23 in favour of ratification.
Pennsylvania was the first large state to ratify the Constitution. It was also the most ethnically and religiously diverse state in the new nation.
The anti-Federalists, led by Thomas McKean, argued that the proposed system of government would require them to "surrender [their] dearest rights". This argument was sent to the other states as part of a wider effort to reject the new Constitution.
Pennsylvania's ratification message was short and to the point.
