Omar Bennett
The United States Constitution, the country's first permanent constitution, was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788. It was handwritten on five pages of parchment by Jacob Shallus. The US Constitution was based on the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, which was the first constitution of the United States. The Articles were drafted by a committee appointed by the Second Continental Congress in June 1777 and were ratified by the 13 colonies on March 1, 1781. The US Constitution has since been amended 27 times, with the first ten amendments collectively known as the Bill of Rights.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name of the document | The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union |
| Date of adoption | November 1777 |
| Date of ratification | March 1, 1781 |
| Number of amendments | 27 |
| First 10 amendments | The Bill of Rights |
| Date of signing | September 17, 1787 |
| Date of ratification of the first 10 amendments | December 15, 1791 |
| Number of pages | 5 |
| Writer | Jacob Shallus |
| Display | The Rotunda at the National Archives Museum |
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What You'll Learn
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union
The Articles gave limited power to the central government. While the Confederation Congress had some decision-making abilities, it lacked enforcement powers. The implementation of most decisions, including amendments to the Articles, required legislative approval by all 13 newly formed states. Despite these limitations, based on the Congressional authority granted in Article 9, the league of states was considered as strong as any similar republican confederation ever formed.
The Articles provided clearly written rules for how the states' league of friendship, known as the Perpetual Union, was to be organized. The Congress observed them as it conducted business during the American Revolution, directing the Revolutionary War effort, conducting diplomacy with foreign states, addressing territorial issues, and dealing with Native American relations. Little changed procedurally once the Articles of Confederation went into effect, as their ratification mostly codified laws already in existence and procedures the Continental Congress had already been following.
The body was renamed the Congress of the Confederation, but most Americans continued to call it the Continental Congress, as its organization remained the same. As the Confederation Congress attempted to govern the continually growing 13 colonial states, its delegates discovered the limitations of the central government. The Articles served as the written document that established the functions of the national government of the United States after it declared independence from Great Britain.
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The Bill of Rights
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788. The document was handwritten on five pages of parchment by Jacob Shallus. The Constitution has been amended 27 times since it became operational in 1789.
The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. The Bill of Rights offers specific protections of individual liberty and justice and places restrictions on the powers of the government within US states. The majority of the 17 later amendments expand individual civil rights protections, while others address federal authority or modify government processes and procedures.
The three documents are known collectively as the Charters of Freedom and have secured the rights of the American people for over two centuries. They are considered instrumental to the founding and philosophy of the United States. The Declaration of Independence expresses the ideals on which the nation was founded and the reasons for separation from Great Britain.
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Charters of Freedom
The three documents that are collectively known as the Charters of Freedom are the Declaration of Independence, the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights. These documents have secured the rights of the American people for over two centuries and are considered fundamental to the founding and philosophy of the United States.
The Declaration of Independence, which was approved by the Continental Congress on July 4, 1776, announced the colonies' separation from Great Britain and expressed the ideals on which the new nation was founded. The Constitution of the United States, signed on September 17, 1787, established the structure and function of the federal government, outlining the rights and responsibilities of the government and its citizens. The first ten amendments to the Constitution are known as the Bill of Rights, which was ratified on December 15, 1791, and provides specific protections for individual liberties and justice, as well as restrictions on the powers of the government.
The Charters of Freedom are considered the foundational documents of the United States, shaping the country's political and legal systems and guaranteeing the rights and freedoms of its citizens. The Constitution, in particular, has been amended multiple times to adapt to the evolving needs and values of the nation, with the Bill of Rights being the first set of amendments.
The original Constitution was handwritten on five pages of parchment by Jacob Shallus and is on permanent display in the Rotunda at the National Archives Museum, along with the other Charters of Freedom. The spelling and punctuation of the transcribed version reflect the original document. The Rotunda, designed by architect John Russell Pope, serves as a shrine to American democracy, featuring two murals by Barry Faulkner that depict fictional scenes of the "presentations" of the Declaration of Independence.
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Amendments
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since it became operational in 1789. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791 and offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice. They also place restrictions on the powers of the government within US states. The majority of the 17 later amendments expand individual civil rights protections, while others address issues related to federal authority or modify government processes and procedures.
The first permanent US Constitution was handwritten on five pages of parchment by Jacob Shallus. The document was signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788. Several of the delegates were disappointed with the final result, considering it a series of compromises, and three refused to sign. Benjamin Franklin, for example, stated that there were "several parts of this Constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them."
The US Constitution was preceded by the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, the first constitution of the United States, which was drafted in mid-June 1777 and adopted in mid-November of the same year. Ratification by the 13 colonies took over three years and was completed on March 1, 1781. The Articles gave little power to the central government and required legislative approval by all 13 newly formed states for the implementation of most decisions, including amendments to the Articles.
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Ratification
The process of ratification for the US Constitution involved seeking the approval of the states. Delegates to the Philadelphia Convention anticipated opposition from state politicians, so they devised a strategy to secure ratification by holding popularly elected ratifying conventions in each state. This approach also allowed for the participation of individuals who couldn't serve in state legislatures, such as judges and ministers.
The advocates of the Constitution aimed for unanimous support from the twelve states represented in the convention. However, they also decided that the Constitution would come into effect as soon as nine states (two-thirds, rounded up) ratified it. This threshold was set due to suspicions that Rhode Island might not ratify. The remaining four states could then join the union by ratifying the Constitution subsequently.
The signing of the US Constitution on September 17, 1787, marked a significant step toward its ratification. Of the thirty-nine delegates who endorsed the Constitution, Benjamin Franklin's words encapsulate the sentiment: "There are several parts of this Constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them." He accepted the Constitution as the best option available, acknowledging that it may not be perfect but was the result of compromises necessary for unanimity.
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since it became operational in 1789. The first ten amendments, collectively known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. These amendments offer protections for individual liberty and justice and place restrictions on the powers of the government. Amendments become part of the Constitution once ratified by three-fourths of the states (currently 38 out of 50), with no further action required from Congress or any other entity.
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Frequently asked questions
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the first constitution of the United States.
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787.
39 delegates endorsed the US Constitution.
The US Constitution was written in Philadelphia.
There have been 27 amendments to the US Constitution.
