Isabella Carter
The US Constitution was written in Philadelphia, specifically in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall. The Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention, was held in this building because it was where the Declaration of Independence was signed 11 years earlier. The building has since been renamed Independence Hall to commemorate its significance in US history.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Philadelphia |
| Building | Pennsylvania State House, later named Independence Hall |
| Attendees | 55 delegates, including George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, James Wilson, Gouverneur Morris, Edmond Randolph, Roger Sherman, and Benjamin Franklin |
| Dates | May to September 1787 |
| Outcome | United States Constitution establishing a federal government with more specific powers, including conducting relations with foreign governments |
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What You'll Learn
The Constitutional Convention
The delegates, ranging in age from 26 to 81, came from all the original states except Rhode Island, which did not send any representatives. Notable figures among them included George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, James Wilson, Gouverneur Morris, Edmond Randolph, and Roger Sherman. Benjamin Franklin, at 81, was the oldest delegate and had to be carried to sessions in a sedan chair due to his infirmity.
The framers of the Constitution compromised on several contentious issues, including congressional representation. They agreed to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person and allowed the slave trade to continue until 1808. They also established a federal government with more specific powers, including the authority to conduct foreign relations.
The Constitution was signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787, and it came into effect in 1789 after ratification by 9 of the 13 states. It has served as the basis of the United States Government ever since and is one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world. The document includes an introductory paragraph (Preamble), a list of seven Articles, an untitled closing endorsement with the signatures, and 27 amendments adopted under Article V.
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The Philadelphia Convention
The convention was originally intended to revise the Articles of Confederation and strengthen the existing government structure. However, as the debates progressed, the delegates agreed on the need for a completely new system of government. They debated and crafted a new constitution, creating a federal government with three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. This model of government relied on a system of checks and balances, dividing powers and responsibilities among the branches.
The delegates to the Philadelphia Convention represented a wide range of interests and views, and they had to navigate contentious issues such as congressional representation and slavery. They reached compromises, including the Three-Fifths Compromise, which counted enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person for representation purposes. The delegates also agreed to allow the slave trade to continue until 1808, temporarily resolving a divisive issue.
The ratification process for the Constitution was not without challenges. While 9 out of 13 states were needed to enact the new government, only 6 states initially reported a pro-Constitution majority. The Federalists, who supported a strong central government, faced opposition from the Anti-Federalists, who feared the concentration of power. Ultimately, the Constitution was ratified in 1789, and it has served as the foundation of the United States government ever since.
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The Articles of Confederation
The final draft of the Articles of Confederation was completed on November 15, 1777, and achieved consensus by guaranteeing each state's sovereignty, leaving the matter of western land claims to individual states, establishing that votes in Congress would be cast by state, and setting up a unicameral legislature with limited powers. The Articles were submitted to the states for ratification in late November 1777, with Virginia being the first state to ratify on December 16, 1777. By February 1779, 12 states had ratified the Articles, with Maryland as the lone holdout. Maryland finally ratified the Articles on February 2, 1781, and Congress officially proclaimed the Articles of Confederation to be the law of the land.
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Federal and state powers
The Constitution of the United States was drafted in the Pennsylvania State House, later named Independence Hall, in Philadelphia. The Constitutional Convention met there between May and September 1787, with 55 delegates in attendance, and 39 signatures on the final document.
The Constitution was written to address the weaknesses of the central government under the Articles of Confederation. The Articles gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it lacked enforcement powers, the ability to regulate commerce, or print money. The Constitution established a federal government with more specific powers, including the ability to conduct foreign relations.
The framers of the Constitution created a model of government that divided federal authority between the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches. They originally imagined a weak presidency and a strong legislature, divided into the House of Representatives and the Senate.
The Tenth Amendment, added to the Constitution in 1791, was an important protection of state power. It states, "The powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the States respectively, or to the people." This amendment clarified that state governments retained powers not specifically delegated to the federal government.
However, federalism and the balance of power between the federal and state governments have been contested throughout US history. The Commerce Clause, for example, has been used to expand federal power, and federal law takes precedence over state law according to the Supremacy Clause in Article VI. On the other hand, the Fourteenth Amendment constrained state governments by forbidding them from violating the fundamental rights of their citizens.
Federalism has also evolved over time, with four distinct phases: post-Founding, post-Civil War, post-New Deal, and from the Rehnquist Court to the present. The balance of federal and state powers continues to be a dynamic and evolving aspect of US governance.
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Ratification and amendments
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with George Reed signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The framers of the Constitution had originally envisioned a weak presidency and a strong legislature, divided into a House of Representatives and the Senate. The delegates, representing diverse interests and views, crafted compromises to create a powerful central government.
The ratification process for the Constitution was not without its challenges. The Federalists, who supported a strong central government, faced opposition from the Anti-Federalists, who were concerned about the concentration of power and the absence of a bill of rights. The ratification required approval from 9 of the 13 states, and the Federalists needed to convince at least three more states to secure it. The "vote now, amend later" compromise played a crucial role in achieving victory in Massachusetts and eventually in the remaining holdout states.
The Constitution came into effect in 1789, serving as the foundation of the United States Government. It provided a federal government with more defined powers, particularly in the area of foreign relations. The authority to amend the Constitution is derived from Article V, which allows amendments to be proposed by Congress with a two-thirds majority vote in both houses or by a constitutional convention called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures. Amendments must be ratified by three-fourths of the states (38 of 50) to become part of the Constitution. Congress has occasionally set ratification deadlines, typically within seven years of an amendment's submission to the states.
Since the Constitution was enacted, 33 amendments have been proposed by Congress and sent to the states for ratification. Twenty-seven of these amendments have been successfully ratified and are now part of the Constitution. The first ten amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were adopted and ratified simultaneously. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments are referred to as the Reconstruction Amendments. Six amendments proposed by Congress are still pending ratification, while one has failed by its own terms, and another has failed by the terms of the proposing resolution.
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Frequently asked questions
The framers met in Philadelphia in the Pennsylvania State House, later named Independence Hall.
55 delegates attended the Constitutional Convention sessions, but only 39 signed the Constitution.
The youngest framer was Jonathan Dayton, aged 26, and the oldest was Benjamin Franklin, aged 81. Other notable framers include George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, James Wilson, and Roger Sherman.
The framers' original task was to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. However, they ended up drafting a new constitution to replace the Articles, creating a powerful central government with more specific powers.
