Jonah Patel
The US Constitution was ratified on 21 June 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth and last necessary state to ratify the document. The US Constitution was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on 17 September 1787. The Convention was called to address defects in the Articles of Confederation, which had governed the country until that point. The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware, on 7 December 1787.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of ratification | June 21, 1788 |
| Number of amendments adopted by the first Congress | 12 |
| Number of amendments ratified in 1791 | 10 |
| Date of adoption of amendments | September 25, 1789 |
| Number of states needed to ratify the Constitution | 9 out of 13 |
| First state to ratify the Constitution | Delaware |
| Date of Delaware's ratification | December 7, 1787 |
| States that ratified the Constitution in quick succession after Delaware | Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut |
| Date of ratification by North Carolina | November 1789 |
| Date of Rhode Island's ratification | May 29, 1790 |
| Date of ratification by New Hampshire | June 21, 1788 |
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What You'll Learn
The Articles of Confederation
Alexander Hamilton led the call for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation's governing document. The initial purpose of the Convention was to amend the Articles of Confederation, but the delegates ultimately proposed and created a completely new form of government. On May 25, 1787, representatives from all 13 states convened in Philadelphia and, after three months of debate, the new U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787.
The Constitution created a strong federal government with an intricate system of checks and balances. Under Article VII, it was agreed that the document would not be binding until its ratification by nine of the 13 existing states. Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth and final necessary state to ratify the Constitution, making it the law of the land.
Benjamin Franklin's Strategies for Ratifying the Constitution
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The Federalist Papers
The ratification of the Constitution was a significant moment in American history, as it established a new form of government and set the country on a path towards greater stability and unity.
Hancock's Influence: Massachusetts Constitution Ratification
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The Connecticut Compromise
The document that helped the US Constitution get ratified was the Articles of Confederation.
The Compromise was a unique form of government that mixed federal elements into a national government. By combining confederal and national government elements, the founders crafted a form of government that became known as "federal government". The Connecticut Compromise helped to solve the difficult dispute over whether the character of the national government should be confederal or national and how representation in Congress should be allocated.
The Constitution's Ratification: A Historical Perspective
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The Bill of Rights
The US Constitution was ratified on 21 June 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth and final state required to ratify the document. This was the culmination of a process that began in 1786, when the defects of the post-Revolutionary War Articles of Confederation became apparent.
The Articles of Confederation were a governing document tailored to a newly formed nation made of states acting more like independent, sovereign countries. However, it became clear to some of America's leaders that future stability required a stronger, more centralised government. New York's Alexander Hamilton led the call for a constitutional convention to re-evaluate the nation's governing document. The Confederation Congress endorsed his initiative, and representatives from all 13 states were invited to convene in Philadelphia on 25 May 1787.
The initial purpose of the Convention was to amend the Articles of Confederation, but the ultimate outcome was the proposal and creation of a completely new form of government. On 17 September 1787, after three months of debate, the new US Constitution was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present. Under Article VII, it was agreed that the document would not be binding until its ratification by nine of the 13 existing states.
Hamilton and James Madison led the lobbying efforts for votes in favour of ratifying the Constitution. With assistance from John Jay, they produced 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. The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on 7 December 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut.
However, other states, especially Massachusetts, opposed the document, as it failed to reserve undelegated powers to the states and lacked constitutional protection of basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. In February 1788, a compromise was reached under which Massachusetts and other states would agree to ratify the document with the assurance that amendments would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was thus narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and South Carolina.
On 25 September 1789, the first Congress of the United States adopted 12 amendments to the US Constitution—the Bill of Rights—and sent them to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments were ratified in 1791. In November 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the US Constitution. Rhode Island, which opposed federal control of currency and was critical of compromise on the issue of slavery, resisted ratifying the Constitution until the US government threatened to sever commercial relations with the state. On 29 May 1790, Rhode Island voted by two votes to ratify the document, and the last of the original 13 colonies joined the United States.
The US Constitution: Creation and Ratification Explained
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The Amendments
The US Constitution was ratified in 1788, but it was not without its critics. Some states, including Massachusetts, opposed the document because it failed to reserve undelegated powers to the states and lacked constitutional protection of basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. A compromise was reached in February 1788, under which Massachusetts and other states agreed to ratify the document with the assurance that amendments would be immediately proposed.
The first Congress of the United States adopted 12 amendments to the US Constitution—the Bill of Rights—and sent them to the states for ratification in 1789. Ten of these amendments were ratified in 1791. The Bill of Rights included protections for freedom of speech, religion, and the press, as well as the right to bear arms and the right to a speedy trial.
The ratification of the US Constitution and the subsequent adoption and ratification of the Bill of Rights were significant milestones in the history of the United States, establishing a strong federal government and protecting the basic political rights of its citizens.
The Constitution: Why Did We Ratify It?
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Frequently asked questions
The Federalist Papers.
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison and John Jay.
85.
To explain and defend how the proposed new government would function.
