Simone Lawson
The ratification of the U.S. Constitution was a complex process that took place in the late 18th century. The first steps towards ratification occurred before and during the meeting of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in May 1787. The Convention delegates, including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, wanted the new constitution to be ratified by a majority of states and citizens. This was achieved on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution. The process was not without its challenges, with some states, such as Rhode Island and New York, opposing the transfer of power from the states to Congress and concerns over concessions to slavery.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Widespread confidence in the stature of Convention delegates | George Washington and Benjamin Franklin |
| A campaign to convince people that the Articles of Confederation needed to be revised | David Humphreys of Connecticut wrote to George Washington |
| The unity of the nation was tested under the Articles of Confederation | The current government was powerless and risked dissolving |
| The new Constitution created a stronger central government | A Congress with the power to tax, a President as the nation's chief executive, and a national court system |
| The Constitutional Convention delegates wanted the new constitution to be ratified by a majority of states and citizens | Nine states were needed for ratification, rather than a simple majority of seven |
| Larger states like New York and Virginia had to be persuaded that they would retain their influence over national affairs |
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What You'll Learn
The stature of the Convention delegates, including George Washington and Benjamin Franklin
Franklin, meanwhile, was a renowned polymath and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States. He was a leading writer and political philosopher, and his ideas about democracy and freedom were highly influential.
The Convention delegates wanted the new constitution to be ratified by both a majority of states and a majority of the country's citizens. They added the requirement that nine states, rather than seven, would be needed for ratification, believing that this would demonstrate that the new constitution was established by the will of the people rather than by political elites.
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.
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The unity of the nation was tested under the Articles of Confederation
George Washington, in his correspondence, laid out the reasons why he believed the Constitution should be ratified. He feared that the current government was so powerless that it would soon dissolve, either from a lack of support from the people or from the fact that states would no longer bother to send representatives to the Confederation Congress.
Washington was not alone in his concerns. 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. David Humphreys of Connecticut wrote to George Washington shortly after the Convention adjourned that "the well-affected have not been wanting in efforts to prepare the minds of the citizens for the favorable reception of whatever might be the result of your Proceedings... Judicious & well-timed publications have great efficacy in ripening the judgment of men."
The Constitutional Convention delegates wanted the new constitution to be ratified by both a majority of states and a majority of the country's citizens. They added the requirement that nine states, rather than a simple majority of seven states, would be needed for ratification. They believed that this ratification process would demonstrate that the new constitution would be established by the will of the people rather than by a few political elites in state legislatures.
The new U.S. Constitution was ratified on 21 June 1788, when the state of New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, satisfying the requirement for ratification in Article VII of the Constitution.
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The need for a stronger central government
The ratification of the U.S. Constitution was driven by the need for a stronger central government. The Articles of Confederation, which had been ratified in 1781, had created a loose confederation of sovereign states, with a weak central government. This had led to a lack of unity across the nation, with states threatening to no longer send representatives to the Confederation Congress.
The Constitutional Convention delegates wanted the new constitution to be ratified by both a majority of states and a majority of the country's citizens. They added the requirement that nine states, rather than a simple majority of seven, would be needed for ratification. This was to demonstrate that the new constitution would be established by the will of the people, rather than by a few political elites.
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 new U.S. Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, when the state of New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify. This satisfied the requirement for ratification in Article VII of the Constitution. The Constitution created a stronger central government, with a Congress that had the power to tax, a President who would act as the nation's chief executive, and a national court system.
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The ratification process
The delegates wanted the new constitution to be ratified by both a majority of states and a majority of the country's citizens. To achieve this, they required nine states to ratify the constitution, rather than a simple majority of seven. They believed that this would demonstrate that the new constitution was established by the will of the people, rather than by a few political elites.
Larger states like New York and Virginia had to be persuaded that they would retain their influence over national affairs under the Articles of Confederation. Other states like Rhode Island were against what they saw as an ignoble concession to slavery in the Constitution.
The new U.S. Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, when the state of New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, satisfying the requirement for ratification in Article VII of the Constitution.
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The length of time it took for ratification
The first steps towards ratifying the new constitution took place before and during the meeting of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in May 1787. A widespread, uncoordinated campaign took place across the country to convince the people that the Articles of Confederation needed to be revised to maintain the Union.
The stature of the Convention delegates, particularly George Washington and Benjamin Franklin, also helped generate confidence in the Convention's recommendations. Washington, for example, feared that the current government was so powerless that it would soon dissolve due to a lack of support from the people or the states. In his correspondence, he clearly laid out the reasons why he believed the Constitution should be ratified.
The new US Constitution was ratified on 21 June 1788, when the state of New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, satisfying the requirement for ratification in Article VII of the Constitution.
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Frequently asked questions
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 Constitutional Convention delegates wanted the new constitution to be ratified by both a majority of states and a majority of the country's citizens. To ensure that a majority of states would also yield the majority of the citizens, they added the requirement that nine states, rather than a simple majority of seven states, would be needed for ratification.
George Washington's stature as a Convention delegate helped generate widespread confidence in the Convention's recommendations. In his correspondence, Washington also clearly laid out the reasons why he believed the Constitution should be ratified. He argued that the unity of the nation had been sorely tested under the Articles of Confederation and that the current government was so powerless that it would soon dissolve.
