Simone Lawson
The ratification of the new US Constitution was a complex process that required the involvement of state conventions and the public. Article VII stipulated that nine states had to ratify the Constitution for it to come into effect, and this was achieved on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth and final state to do so. The state conventions played a crucial role in informing the public about the provisions of the proposed new government and served as forums for proponents and opponents to voice their opinions. The ratification process began when Congress turned the Constitution over to the state legislatures for consideration through specially elected state conventions.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ratification by | 9 of the 13 original states |
| Ratification by | State legislatures |
| Ratification by | Delegates elected by their neighbours |
| Ratification by | A majority of states and people |
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What You'll Learn
- The delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were familiar with the decade-long constitutional heritage
- The delegates felt it necessary to obtain majorities of both states and people
- The framers avoided asking the legislators to approve a document that would require them to give up a degree of their own power
- The delegates agreed that the Constitution would only take effect if nine of the thirteen states ratified it
- The Constitution officially took effect in 1788, but the road to ratification in all thirteen states took several years
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were familiar with the decade-long constitutional heritage
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were aware that the unanimity requirement of the Articles would doom any hopes of ratification. They knew that Rhode Island was not even represented in the Convention and that New York would likely oppose any significant transfer of power from the states to Congress. The delegates felt it necessary to obtain majorities of both states and people. Ratification by seven small states might not provide a majority of people.
On August 31, the delegates decided (by a vote of eight states to three) that nine states would be appropriate to implement the Constitution among the ratifying states. This was the number of states necessary in the Confederation Congress to adopt important matters such as borrowing money, declaring war, ratifying treaties, and admitting new states into the Union. The delegates also agreed that the new Congress would have all the legislative powers of the Confederation Congress and veto power over state laws.
The delegates signed the new United States Constitution on September 17, 1787. However, their job wasn't quite done. To keep the federal government from having too much power, the delegates agreed that the Constitution would only take effect if nine of the thirteen states ratified it. The Constitution officially took effect in 1788, but the road to ratification in all thirteen states took several years. Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787. Connecticut, Georgia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania soon joined as well.
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The delegates felt it necessary to obtain majorities of both states and people
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were aware that the Articles of Confederation required the unanimous ratification of the state legislatures. Slim majorities in one or two states had opposed the transference of power from the states to Congress. The delegates felt it necessary to obtain majorities of both states and people. Ratification by seven small states might not provide a majority of people. On August 31, the delegates decided (by a vote of eight states to three) that nine states would be appropriate to implement the Constitution among the ratifying states. This was the number of states necessary in the Confederation Congress to adopt important matters such as borrowing money, declaring war, ratifying treaties, and admitting new states into the Union.
The delegates were not being asked to relinquish their power; in fact, they were being asked to place limits upon the power of their state legislators, whom they may not have elected in the first place. The new nation was to be a republic in which power was held by the people through their elected representatives. It was considered appropriate to leave the ultimate acceptance or rejection of the Constitution to the nation’s citizens.
The Constitution's final article required it to be ratified by nine of the thirteen original states. The delegates agreed that the Constitution would only take effect if nine of the thirteen states ratified it. The Constitution officially took effect in 1788, but the road to ratification in all thirteen states took several years. Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787. Connecticut, Georgia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania soon joined as well.
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The framers avoided asking the legislators to approve a document that would require them to give up a degree of their own power
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were familiar with the decade-long constitutional heritage. Between 1781 and 1787, Congress proposed and the states considered half a dozen amendments to the Articles to strengthen the powers of Congress. All of them had the support of a large majority of both the states and the people. But because the Articles required the unanimous ratification of the state legislatures, none of the amendments were adopted. Slim majorities in one or two states opposed the transference of power from the states to Congress.
The next step in ratification occurred in the Constitutional Convention itself when the delegates determined the method most likely to ensure their proposal’s adoption. With Rhode Island not even represented in the Convention and New York likely to oppose any significant transfer of power from the states to Congress, the delegates knew that the unanimity requirement of the Articles would doom any hopes of ratification. The delegates felt it necessary to obtain majorities of both states and people. Ratification by seven small states might not provide a majority of people. On August 31, the delegates decided (by a vote of eight states to three) that nine states would be appropriate to implement the Constitution among the ratifying states—nine was the number of states necessary in the Confederation Congress to adopt important matters such as borrowing money, declaring war, ratifying treaties, and admitting new states into the Union. The Constitution's final article required it to be ratified by nine of the thirteen original states.
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The delegates agreed that the Constitution would only take effect if nine of the thirteen states ratified it
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were aware that the Articles of Confederation required the unanimous ratification of the state legislatures. However, they also knew that unanimity would be impossible to achieve, as Rhode Island was not even represented in the Convention and New York was likely to oppose any significant transfer of power from the states to Congress. Therefore, the delegates decided that the Constitution would only take effect if nine of the thirteen states ratified it. This was the same number of states required in the Confederation Congress to adopt important matters such as borrowing money, declaring war, ratifying treaties, and admitting new states into the Union.
The delegates were not being asked to relinquish their power; instead, they were being asked to place limits on the power of their state legislators. The new nation was to be a republic in which power was held by the people through their elected representatives. As such, it was considered appropriate to leave the ultimate acceptance or rejection of the Constitution to the nation's citizens.
The first steps in ratifying the new constitution occurred before and during the meeting of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in May 1787. A widespread, uncoordinated campaign took place throughout the country to convince the people that the Articles of Confederation needed to be revised to maintain the Union. The Constitution officially took effect in 1788, but the road to ratification in all thirteen states took several years. Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787, and was soon joined by Connecticut, Georgia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania.
The Constitution's Ratification: Understanding America's Founding Document
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The Constitution officially took effect in 1788, but the road to ratification in all thirteen states took several years
The delegates decided that nine states would be appropriate to implement the Constitution among the ratifying states. This was the number of states necessary in the Confederation Congress to adopt important matters such as borrowing money, declaring war, ratifying treaties, and admitting new states into the Union. The delegates felt it necessary to obtain majorities of both states and people. Ratification by seven small states might not provide a majority of people.
The men attending the ratification conventions would be delegates elected by their neighbours to represent their interests. They were not being asked to relinquish their power; in fact, they were being asked to place limits upon the power of their state legislators, whom they may not have elected in the first place. Finally, because the new nation was to be a republic in which power was held by the people through their elected representatives, it was considered appropriate to leave the ultimate acceptance or rejection of the Constitution to the nation’s citizens.
Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on 7 December 1787. Connecticut, Georgia, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania soon joined as well.
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Frequently asked questions
Nine of the thirteen original states were required to ratify the new Constitution.
The delegates knew that the unanimity requirement of the Articles would doom any hopes of ratification. Ratification by seven small states might not provide a majority of people. Nine was the number of states necessary in the Confederation Congress to adopt important matters such as borrowing money, declaring war, ratifying treaties, and admitting new states into the Union.
The first steps in ratifying the new Constitution occurred before and during the meeting of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in May 1787. A widespread, uncoordinated campaign took place throughout the country to convince the people that the Articles of Confederation needed to be revised to maintain the Union.
