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The US Constitution was not ratified in 1776. The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776, but the Constitution was written and signed in 1787 and became law in 1788 or 1789. The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, on 15 November 1777, but the states did not ratify them until 1 March 1781.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date the Constitution was written and signed | 1787 |
| Date the Constitution became law | 21 June 1788 |
| Date the Declaration of Independence was written | 1776 |
| Date the Articles of Confederation were adopted | 15 November 1777 |
| Date the Articles of Confederation were ratified | 1 March 1781 |
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What You'll Learn
The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776
The road to the Constitution was a long one, with the Continental Congress adopting the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, on November 15, 1777. However, the states did not ratify them until March 1, 1781, nearly four years later. The Articles created a loose confederation of sovereign states with a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments. This led to divisions among the states and local rebellions, threatening to undo the fruits of the Revolution.
The Constitution of 1787 addressed these issues by creating a stronger central government and providing for a two-house legislature, a stronger executive, national power of taxation, a standard currency, and voting by citizens rather than by state. The influence of political philosophers such as Montesquieu, Locke, Edward Coke, and William Blackstone was evident at the Constitutional Convention, with the founders drawing heavily upon the Magna Carta and the writings of "Enlightenment rationalism" and English common law.
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The Constitution was written and signed in 1787
The US Constitution was not ratified in 1776. The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776, but the US Constitution was written and signed in 1787.
The Constitution was written and signed in Philadelphia in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall. The signing of the United States Constitution occurred on September 17, 1787, when 39 delegates endorsed the constitution created during the convention. The convention started in May 1787 and lasted four months. The convention was convened to revise the Articles of Confederation, but it became clear that an entirely new form of government was needed. The Constitution was drafted in secret by delegates to the convention.
The Constitution was not ratified until June 21, 1788, when two-thirds of the states ratified it. The 13 colonies that ratified the Constitution later became the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina.
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union Between the States were ratified by all thirteen states on March 1, 1781. The Articles provided for a one-house legislature, a weak executive, no national power of taxation, a lack of standard currency, and voting by state. These flaws would eventually lead to its failure.
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The Constitution became law in 1788
The Constitution was not ratified in 1776. It was written and signed in 1787 and became law in 1788 when two-thirds of the states ratified it. The 13 colonies later became the states of Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina.
The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776. It was a list of grievances against the king of England intended to justify separation from British rule. The Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, were adopted by the Continental Congress in 1777 but were not ratified by all 13 states until 1781. The Articles provided for a one-house legislature, a weak executive, no national power of taxation, a lack of standard currency, and voting by state—flaws that would eventually lead to its failure.
The Constitution, written and signed in Philadelphia in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall), was a charter of government that came to be ratified by the states. It continues to be the supreme law of the land. The influence of political philosophers such as Montesquieu, Locke, Edward Coke, William Blackstone, Hume, and others was evident at the Constitutional Convention.
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The Articles of Confederation were ratified in 1781
The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776, but the Constitution was not ratified until 1787, and it became law in 1788.
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The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation in 1777
The Articles of Confederation were drafted in the Continental Congress, which underwent more than a year of planning and compromise. The Articles provided for a one-house legislature, a weak executive, no national power of taxation, a lack of standard currency, and voting by state. These flaws would eventually lead to its failure.
The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776 and was a list of grievances against the king of England intended to justify separation from British rule. The Constitution was written and signed in 1787 and was a charter of government that came to be ratified by the states. It became law on June 21, 1788, when two-thirds of the states ratified it.
The Constitution was influenced by the political philosophers Montesquieu, Locke, Edward Coke, and William Blackstone, among others. Historian Herbert W. Schneider held that the Scottish Enlightenment was a significant influence on the American Enlightenment, and the advancement of personal liberties.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, when two-thirds of the states ratified it.
The Declaration of Independence was written in 1776.
The Constitution was written and signed in 1787.
The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, on November 15, 1777, but the states did not ratify them until March 1, 1781.
