Isabella Carter
Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution, doing so unanimously on December 7, 1787. The process was far from smooth, with significant opposition in several states. Virginia, for example, was deeply divided, with influential figures like Patrick Henry opposing ratification. However, Virginia eventually ratified the Constitution on June 25, 1788, after Federalists agreed to recommend a Bill of Rights.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First state to ratify the Constitution | Delaware |
| Date of ratification | 7 December 1787 |
| Vote | Unanimous, 30-0 |
| States that followed | Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire, North Carolina, Rhode Island |
| Date of full ratification | 29 May 1790 |
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What You'll Learn
Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution
Following Delaware's ratification, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut also ratified the Constitution. However, some states voiced opposition to the Constitution on the grounds that it did not provide adequate protection for certain rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. To address these concerns, the Massachusetts Compromise was reached in February 1788, which stipulated that amendments—what became the Bill of Rights—would be immediately proposed.
The Constitution was subsequently ratified by Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, and, finally, New Hampshire. It took 10 months for the first nine states to approve the Constitution. The Bill of Rights, consisting of ten amendments, was ratified on December 15, 1791. Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 colonies to join the United States, ratifying the Constitution on May 29, 1790.
The Historic Year Massachusetts Ratified the US Constitution
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The Federalists argued against a bill of rights
Federalists rejected the proposition that a bill of rights was needed. They made a clear distinction between the state constitutions and the U.S. Constitution. Federalists asserted that when the people formed their state constitutions, they delegated to the state all rights and powers which were not explicitly reserved to the people. The state governments had broad authority to regulate even personal and private matters. Federalists believed that the Constitution already ensured individual rights to the citizens and the creation of a “Bill of Rights” was unnecessary.
The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, wanted the Constitution of 1787 defeated. They thought that having no Bill of Rights would get people to vote against the Constitution. They pointed out that the absence of a bill of rights demonstrated that rights were insecure under the proposed Constitution. They believed that in a state of nature, people were entirely free. In society, some rights were yielded for the common good, but there were some rights so fundamental that to give them up would be contrary to the common good. These rights, which should always be retained by the people, needed to be explicitly stated in a bill of rights that would clearly define the limits of government.
Federalists, like James Wilson and Alexander Hamilton, argued that the Constitution was a bill of rights and included certain rights, such as Article I, Section 9. However, Anti-Federalists like Patrick Henry of Virginia, argued that Hamilton's arguments that a Bill of Rights was unnecessary made no sense. They considered the proponents’ arguments to be ingenious at best.
Additionally, some Anti-Federalists argued that the protections of a bill of rights were especially important under the Constitution, which was an original compact with the people. They were concerned that the new “president” role, the leader of the executive branch, could consolidate too much power under the constitution. This figure could then become “King-like” and forcibly convert the government into a pseudo-monarchy. Because of these worries, many Anti-Federalists called for a means to codify individual rights.
Federalists and Antifederalists: The Great Compromise for Constitution Ratification
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The Constitution was not ratified by all states until 1790
The US Constitution was not ratified by all states until 29 May 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document. The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on 7 December 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. It took 10 months for the first nine states to approve the Constitution.
Some states voiced opposition to the Constitution on the grounds that it did not provide protection for rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. However, the terms of the Massachusetts Compromise reached in February 1788 stipulated that amendments to that effect—what became the Bill of Rights—would be immediately proposed.
Madison introduced 17 amendments to the Constitution born from the Massachusetts Compromise, of which Congress adopted 12 on 25 September 1789, to send forth to the states for ratification. Ten of those amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on 15 December 1791.
John Adams' Stance on Ratifying the Constitution
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Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 colonies to join the United States
Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787. The first nine states approved the Constitution within 10 months. Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 colonies to ratify the Constitution on May 29, 1790, and the last of the original 13 states to do so. Rhode Island was the first colony to declare independence from British rule on May 4, 1776, and the first to renounce its allegiance to the British Crown. It was also the first colony to call for a Continental Congress in 1774.
Rhode Island was the only state not to send a representative to the Constitutional Convention, which approved the document on September 17, 1787. The state made 11 attempts to hold a constitutional ratifying convention and held unsuccessful state referendums. Rhode Island's citizens favoured a weaker central government and boycotted the 1787 convention that drafted the Constitution. The state finally approved the Constitution with provisional amendments.
The U.S. Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island approved the document. The Bill of Rights was not ratified to become part of the Constitution until the end of the following year.
The Constitution: Ratification, Rights, and Responsibilities
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The Bill of Rights was not ratified until 1791
The Bill of Rights was born out of the Massachusetts Compromise, which was reached in February 1788. Madison introduced 17 amendments to the Constitution, of which Congress adopted 12 on 25 September 1789. These were sent to the states for ratification, and ten of these amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on 15 December 1791.
The Constitution was ratified by Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Virginia, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, and, finally, New Hampshire.
The Constitution's Ratification: Popular Vote or Not?
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Frequently asked questions
Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787.
It took 10 months for the first nine states to approve the Constitution.
Rhode Island was the last of the original 13 colonies to ratify the Constitution on May 29, 1790.
