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The U.S. Constitution was not ratified unanimously. It took three and a half years to ratify the Articles because of the requirement of the unanimous approval of the state legislatures. The Articles required the unanimous ratification of the state legislatures, but because of this, none of the amendments were adopted. The delegates knew that the unanimity requirement of the Articles would doom any hopes of ratification.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Unanimous approval required | Yes |
| Unanimous approval achieved | No |
| Date of ratification | 29 May 1790 |
| Date of Bill of Rights ratification | 15 December 1791 |
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What You'll Learn
- The Articles required unanimous ratification of the state legislatures
- The Articles were ratified by seven states
- The Constitution was ratified by all states on May 29, 1790
- The Bill of Rights was ratified on December 15, 1791
- The word 'unanimously' was included in the congressional resolution of September 28, 1787
The Articles required unanimous ratification of the state legislatures
The delegates at the Constitutional Convention knew that the unanimity requirement of the Articles would doom any hopes of ratification. They 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 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 was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document. Ten of those amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. Even after the Constitution’s ratification, the U.S. did not begin to look and function remotely like it does today until several years later.
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The Articles were ratified by seven states
The Articles were drafted by the Second Continental Congress in June 1776 and submitted to the state legislatures in November 1777 for their unanimous approval. Seven states ratified the Articles quickly, but they also submitted proposed amendments to the Articles, which were rejected by Congress.
The requirement for unanimous ratification posed a challenge to the ratification of the Constitution. The delegates at the Constitutional Convention recognised that the unanimity requirement of the Articles could hinder their hopes of ratification. They sought to obtain majorities of both states and people, recognising that ratification by seven small states might not provide a majority of people.
To address this challenge, the delegates decided that nine states would be appropriate to implement the Constitution among the ratifying states. This decision was made by a vote of eight states to three, reflecting the understanding that nine was the number of states necessary in the Confederation Congress to adopt important matters.
Despite the initial challenges, the Constitution was eventually ratified by all states, with Rhode Island being the last state to approve the document in 1790.
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The Constitution was ratified by all states on May 29, 1790
The US Constitution was not ratified unanimously. It was ratified by all states on May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document. However, the Articles of Confederation required the unanimous ratification of state legislatures. This meant that none of the amendments proposed between 1781 and 1787 were adopted.
The word 'unanimously' was included in the congressional resolution of September 28, 1787, when the Constitution was sent to the states for ratification. However, this was a political tactic used by Federalists to avoid any indication that there was opposition to the Constitution in Congress.
The delegates at the Constitutional Convention knew that the unanimity requirement of the Articles would make ratification difficult. They decided that nine states would be appropriate to implement the Constitution among the ratifying states.
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The Bill of Rights was ratified on December 15, 1791
The Constitution was not ratified unanimously. In fact, it took three and a half years to ratify the Articles because of the requirement of the unanimous approval of the state legislatures. This meant that none of the proposed amendments were adopted.
James Madison of Virginia argued against any amendments, suggesting that some states might ratify the Constitution with amendments and some without them. However, because they wanted to avoid any indication that there was opposition to the Constitution in Congress, they agreed to send the Constitution to the states without congressional approbation.
The delegates at the Constitutional Convention knew that the unanimity requirement of the Articles would doom any hopes of ratification. They felt it necessary to obtain majorities of both states and people.
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The word 'unanimously' was included in the congressional resolution of September 28, 1787
The Constitution was ratified by nine states, 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 knew that the unanimity requirement of the Articles would doom any hopes of ratification, so they felt it necessary to obtain majorities of both states and people.
The Articles of Confederation, which were ratified in 1777, required the unanimous approval of the state legislatures. However, this proved difficult to achieve, as it took three and a half years to ratify the Articles. The Articles required the unanimous ratification of the state legislatures, which meant that none of the proposed amendments were adopted.
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Frequently asked questions
No, it was not. It took three and a half years to ratify the Articles because of the requirement of the unanimous approval of the state legislatures. However, the Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document.
Yes, but the delegates knew that the unanimity requirement of the Articles would doom any hopes of ratification. On August 31, the delegates decided that nine states would be appropriate to implement the Constitution among the ratifying states.
The delegates determined the method most likely to ensure their proposal’s adoption. Ratification by seven small states might not provide a majority of people.
James Madison of Virginia argued against any amendments, suggesting that some states might ratify the Constitution with amendments and some without them.
Yes, Madison introduced 17 amendments to the Constitution, of which Congress adopted twelve on September 25, 1789, to send forth to the states for ratification. Ten of those amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791.
