Simone Lawson
The ratification of the US Constitution was a long and arduous process that took several years, with smaller states like Delaware approving the new Constitution quickly, and larger states like New York and Virginia taking longer. The Constitution was officially ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to approve it, reaching the threshold of nine out of thirteen states required for ratification. The ratification caused a shift in the framework of the US government, establishing a stronger central government with three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. It also sparked debates about the need for a bill of rights to protect individual liberties. The ratification process highlighted the divide between Federalists, who supported a strong central government, and Anti-Federalists, who opposed it due to concerns about centralized power. The journey towards ratification involved intense political debates, compromises, and negotiations, ultimately shaping the foundation of the US government as we know it today.
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What You'll Learn
The Federalists
Federalists were worried that the original Constitution did not contain a statement of rights, such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, and trial by jury. They believed that by dividing the government into separate branches, with checks and balances, no one branch or person could get too powerful.
Alexander Hamilton, now Secretary of the Treasury, led the call for a constitutional convention to re-evaluate the nation's governing document. He sought passage of the Funding Act so that the federal government could assume state Revolutionary War debts and thus endow the government with more economic power. With assistance from John Jay and James Madison, they produced the 85 essays known as "The Federalist Papers", which explained and defended how the proposed new government would function. The essays were published in newspapers nationwide.
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The Anti-Federalists
To combat the Federalist campaign, the Anti-Federalists published a series of articles and delivered numerous speeches against the ratification of the Constitution. These writings and speeches have come to be known collectively as The Anti-Federalist Papers.
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The need for a stronger central government
The ratification of the US Constitution was a long and arduous process. Before the new Constitution was ratified, the country was governed by the Articles of Confederation. This document was tailored to a newly formed nation made up of states acting more like independent, sovereign countries. It soon became clear that the future stability of the United States required a stronger, more centralised government.
The Articles of Confederation gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, or print money. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart. The Confederation Congress could not pay its debts, including soldiers' pensions; it commanded no respect abroad and lacked the power to protect the country's boundaries; the economy was in freefall, and the states lay on the verge of devolving into regional confederacies.
The Federalists, who believed that a strong central government was necessary to face the nation's challenges, needed to convert at least three states. Alexander Hamilton, now Secretary of the Treasury, sought passage of the Funding Act so that the federal government could assume state Revolutionary War debts and thus endow the government with more economic power. George Washington, who supported the ratification of the Constitution, also believed that the current government was so powerless that it would soon dissolve. Washington, in fact, understood that states wanted to retain their power, but argued that "Individuals entering into Society must give up a Share of Liberty to preserve the Rest."
The Anti-Federalists fought hard against the Constitution because it created a powerful central government that reminded them of the one they had just overthrown, and it lacked a bill of rights. 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.
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The Bill of Rights
The ratification of the US Constitution was a long and arduous process. The country was governed by the Articles of Confederation, which quickly revealed itself to be inadequate, as it gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, or print money.
Several states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart, leading to fears that the country was on the brink of collapse. This prompted calls for a constitutional convention to re-evaluate the nation's governing document. The convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787, and 38 delegates signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787, creating a powerful central government.
The ratification process was designed to ensure that the new Constitution was established by the will of the people, rather than by political elites. The state conventions, not Congress, were responsible for ratification, and the requirement was set at nine out of 13 states. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, and it became the official framework of the US government.
The Anti-Federalists, who opposed the Constitution due to its creation of a powerful central government, fought hard against it, but the "`vote now, amend later'" compromise in Massachusetts helped secure victory. The Bill of Rights was not ratified and added to the Constitution until the end of 1791, after all states had ratified the Constitution itself on May 29, 1790.
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The role of influential figures
The road to the ratification of the US Constitution was a long and arduous process. Several influential figures played a significant role in shaping the outcome.
Alexander Hamilton, the then-Secretary of the Treasury, was a key advocate for a stronger, more centralised government. He led the call for a constitutional convention, convinced that the Articles of Confederation, which governed the country at the time, were inadequate. Hamilton, along with James Madison and John Jay, authored the "Federalist Papers", a series of 85 essays published in newspapers nationwide. These essays explained and defended the proposed new government and addressed people's fears about a federal government. Hamilton also sought the passage of the Funding Act, which would give the federal government more economic power.
James Madison, another influential figure, introduced 17 amendments to the Constitution, 12 of which were adopted by Congress and sent to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791. Madison played a crucial role in defending the Constitution during the ratification debates, particularly in Virginia, where his brilliant arguments helped secure approval.
George Washington, the most respected man in the young nation, also wholeheartedly supported the Constitution. As the president of the Constitutional Convention, he ensured delegates remained open to compromise and facilitated the ratification process across various states. Washington's influence was considered instrumental in carrying the government, and his correspondence laid out clear arguments for why the Constitution should be ratified.
Other renowned figures, such as Benjamin Franklin, high-ranking Revolutionary War veterans, and state politicians, also backed the Constitution. Their support was crucial in countering the massive grassroots opposition that nearly prevented ratification.
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Frequently asked questions
The ratification of the US Constitution on June 21, 1788, established a federal government with three branches: executive, legislative, and judicial. It replaced the Articles of Confederation, which had been deemed too weak to govern the country effectively.
George Washington chaired the Constitutional Convention and was a strong advocate for the Constitution. He played an active role in the ratification process, urging people to support it and reminding them that amendments could be made after it was approved.
Federalists, including Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, supported the ratification of the Constitution. They believed in the need for a stronger central government and addressed people's fears about a federal government through publications like "The Federalist Papers."
Critics of the Constitution, known as Anti-Federalists, objected to the creation of a powerful central government and the lack of a bill of rights. They argued that the Constitution did not adequately protect rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and press.
Smaller states like Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey were among the first to ratify the Constitution. Delaware was the first state to do so on December 7, 1787. Larger states like New York and Virginia took longer to ratify.
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