The Constitution's Acceptance: Historical Turning Point

The United States Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to approve the document. The journey to ratification was a long and arduous process. The Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution, 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. Divisions among the states and local rebellions threatened to tear the young country apart. The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787, with delegates from 12 of the 13 original states. The convention's initial mandate was to amend the Articles of Confederation, but the delegates soon began considering measures to replace them. The convention concluded with the signing of the new U.S. Constitution by 38 of 41 delegates present.

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The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787

The gathering in Philadelphia was intended to revise the Articles, but the delegates quickly shifted towards the idea of creating an entirely new form of government. General George Washington, who was unanimously elected president of the convention, shared the concerns of other revolutionaries about the future of the young nation. James Madison, a key figure in the process, had studied political theory and was convinced of the need to replace the weak confederacy of independent states. Alexander Hamilton of New York, another driving force, led the call for a constitutional convention, arguing for a stronger central government.

The convention delegates, chosen by the state legislatures of 12 of the 13 original states (Rhode Island refused to send delegates), grappled with contentious issues. One of the fiercest debates centred on congressional representation, pitting the concept of population-based representation against equal representation for each state. A compromise was reached, with each state allocated one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two senators in the Senate.

Another critical issue was slavery. To appease southern states, the delegates agreed to protect the slave trade for 20 years, allowing the importation of slaves to continue. They also adopted the Three-Fifths Compromise, which counted enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person for representation purposes, further entrenching slavery into the fabric of the nation. The delegates' ultimate goal was to forge a union that could withstand these divisive issues, and their efforts laid the foundation for the United States Constitution, which would be ratified in the years to come.

The convention was led by George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton

The Constitutional Convention, also known as the Federal Convention, the Philadelphia Convention, or the Grand Convention at Philadelphia, was a pivotal event in American history. It took place in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787, and was led by George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. These three influential figures played a significant role in shaping the course of the convention and the eventual acceptance of the Constitution.

George Washington, a former commanding general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War, was unanimously elected as the president of the Constitutional Convention. His presence provided a sense of focus and direction to the proceedings. Washington brought with him a vision for a stronger union and oversaw the intense debates that took place during the convention. Initially, Washington had doubts about the convention's potential for success, but he ultimately lent his support and prestige to the process.

James Madison, often referred to as the "father of the Constitution," was a driving force behind the convention. Madison had extensively studied history and political theory, and he was convinced that the existing system of government, the Articles of Confederation, needed to be replaced. He came to the convention well-prepared, armed with specific ideas about the role of government in the new nation. Madison's Virginia Plan was selected as the basis for the new government, and he played a crucial role in shaping the final document.

Alexander Hamilton of New York was another key leader at the convention. He advocated for a strong central government and led the call for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation's governing document. Hamilton's ideal plan of government, presented on June 18, proposed a model similar to the British system, with a powerful executive and a senate. While his proposal did not gain widespread support, he later worked alongside Madison and John Jay to write the Federalist Papers, a series of essays explaining and defending the proposed new government.

The convention was marked by fierce debates and disagreements, with delegates bringing their own ideas and visions for the country's future. The form and powers of the executive branch were a constant source of dispute, with arguments over congressional representation and the issue of slavery also taking centre stage. Despite these challenges, the leaders of the convention successfully guided the process toward the creation and ratification of the Constitution.

The convention's purpose was to revise the Articles of Confederation

The United States Constitution was ratified in 1789, but the country had an established framework before this in the form of the Articles of Confederation, which served as the United States' first constitution. The Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and came into force on March 1, 1781. This document was tailored to a newly formed nation made of states acting more like independent, sovereign countries.

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 retained considerable power, and the central government had little power to settle disputes between states. The central government also lacked the power to tax and was impotent in setting commercial policy.

The purpose of the Constitutional Convention, which assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787, was to revise the Articles of Confederation. The delegates swore secrecy so they could speak freely. However, by mid-June, they had decided to completely redesign the government. There was little agreement about what form it would take. One of the fiercest arguments was over congressional representation—whether it should be based on population or divided equally among the states. The framers compromised by giving each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate. They also agreed to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person.

The delegates to the Constitutional Convention created a model of government that relied upon a series of checks and balances by dividing federal authority between the Legislative, the Judicial, and the Executive branches of government. The Federalists, who believed that a strong central government was necessary to face the nation’s challenges, needed to convert at least three states. The Anti-Federalists fought 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.

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The convention ultimately proposed a new form of government

The United States Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. The drafting of the Constitution, often referred to as its framing, was completed at the Constitutional Convention, which assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia between May 25 and September 17, 1787. The convention was called because James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington feared that their young country was on the brink of collapse. America’s first constitution, 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 delegates to the convention were chosen by the state legislatures of 12 of the 13 original states; Rhode Island refused to send delegates. The convention's initial mandate was limited to amending the Articles of Confederation, which had proven highly ineffective in meeting the young nation's needs. However, by mid-June, the delegates had decided to completely redesign the government. There was little agreement about what form it would take. One of the fiercest arguments was over congressional representation—should it be based on population or divided equally among the states? The framers compromised by giving each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate. They agreed to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person. Slavery itself was a thorny question that threatened to derail the Union. It was temporarily resolved when the delegates agreed that the slave trade could continue until 1808.

The Federalists, who believed that a strong central government was necessary to face the nation’s challenges, needed to convert at least three states. 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. The ratification campaign was a nail-biter. The tide turned in Massachusetts, where the “vote now, amend later” compromise helped secure victory in that state and eventually in the final holdouts. On June 21, 1788, the Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it. The document was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved it, and the Bill of Rights was not ratified until the end of the following year.

The new Constitution was ratified by the required number of states

The convention's initial mandate was to amend the Articles of Confederation, which had proven ineffective in meeting the young nation's needs. The Articles 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 country apart. The delegates to the convention created a model of government that relied on a series of checks and balances by dividing federal authority between the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches.

The delegates also had to navigate contentious issues such as slavery and congressional representation. They agreed to protect the slave trade for 20 years and to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of representation in the federal government. They compromised on congressional representation by giving each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate.

The ratification campaign faced opposition from Anti-Federalists, who fought against the Constitution because it created a powerful central government and lacked a bill of rights. The Federalists, who supported the Constitution, needed to convert at least three states. The tide turned in Massachusetts, where the "vote now, amend later" compromise helped secure victory, and the constitution was subsequently ratified by Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, and finally New Hampshire. The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787.

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