Omar Bennett
The signing of the United States Constitution occurred on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, representing 12 states, endorsed the Constitution. The convention's secretary, William Jackson, added a note to verify four amendments made by hand to the final document, and signed the note to authenticate its validity. The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. The Constitution came into effect in 1789 and has served as the basis of the United States Government ever since.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of signing | September 17, 1787 |
| Location | Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Number of delegates | 74 |
| Number of delegates who signed | 39 |
| Number of states represented | 12 |
| State not represented | Rhode Island |
| Oldest signer | Benjamin Franklin (81) |
| Youngest signer | Jonathan Dayton (26) |
| Date of first ratification | December 7, 1787 |
| State of first ratification | Delaware |
| Date of first federal elections | December 15, 1788 |
| Date of new government | March 4, 1789 |
| Date of ratification of Residence Act | January 24, 1791 |
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What You'll Learn
- The signing ceremony took place on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
- delegates signed the Constitution, representing 12 states
- Some delegates left before the signing and three others refused to sign
- The Federalists supported the Constitution, while the Anti-Federalists opposed it
- The U.S. Constitution was ratified by Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut
The signing ceremony took place on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The signing ceremony of the United States Constitution took place on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This day was the culmination of a four-month-long Constitutional Convention, which began in May 1787, with the goal of revising the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, had created a weak central government, giving the Confederation Congress no enforcement powers and the inability to regulate commerce or print money. This led to disputes among the states over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade, threatening to tear the young nation apart.
The Constitutional Convention was marked by intense debates and clashes over issues of state sovereignty and representation. The delegates grappled with the basic structure of the government, the basis of representation, and the regulation of interstate trade. Despite these challenges, the final draft of the Constitution was signed by 39 delegates, representing 12 states. Rhode Island was the only state that refused to send delegates. The signing ceremony also included a brief declaration of the delegates' successful completion of their work and their endorsement of the final document.
The Constitution specified that at least nine of the 13 states needed to ratify the new form of government. The public debate over the Constitution continued after the signing, with some states voicing opposition due to the lack of protection for certain rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. Despite this, the first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. The terms of the Massachusetts Compromise, reached in February 1788, addressed these concerns by stipulating that amendments, which later became the Bill of Rights, would be immediately proposed.
The Constitution was officially adopted by the United States when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it on June 21, 1788. The government under the U.S. Constitution was set to begin on March 4, 1789. The signing of the Constitution marked a significant step towards establishing a stronger, more centralized government for the newly formed nation, replacing the Articles of Confederation.
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39 delegates signed the Constitution, representing 12 states
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 39 delegates representing 12 states endorsed the Constitution, which was created during the four-month-long convention. Rhode Island was the only state that refused to send delegates.
The delegates who signed the Constitution ranged in age from 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton to 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin. The latter was so infirm that he had to be carried to sessions in a sedan chair.
The signing of the Constitution was the culmination of a process that began with concerns about the Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution. The Articles gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it lacked enforcement powers, could not regulate commerce, and could not print money. This led to disputes among the states over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade, threatening to tear the young country apart.
Alexander Hamilton of New York led the call for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation's governing document. The Confederation Congress endorsed his initiative, and representatives from 12 of the 13 states (all except Rhode Island) chose 74 delegates to represent them at the Federal Convention. The convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787, with 55 delegates participating.
The delegates debated competing proposals from May to July 1787, before turning over plans to a Grand Committee, which produced a report known as the Great Compromise. This report resolved many contentious points, including prescribing a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House and equal state representation in the Senate. After two more months of intense debates and revisions, the delegates produced the document we now know as the Constitution.
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Some delegates left before the signing and three others refused to sign
The signing of the United States Constitution occurred on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 74 delegates chosen, 55 attended the convention, and 39 signed the document. This means that several attendees left before the signing ceremony, and three of the 42 who remained refused to sign. The three delegates who refused to sign were Mason, Gerry, and Randolph.
The delegates who left early or refused to sign did so for various reasons, including personal reasons or protests over decisions made during the convention. Some may have disagreed with the content of the Constitution or felt that it did not adequately protect certain rights. The Anti-Federalists, for example, opposed the Constitution because it created a powerful central government, reminding them of the one they had just overthrown, and because it lacked a bill of rights.
The delegates who did sign the Constitution, such as Benjamin Franklin, also had their reservations. Franklin, the oldest signer at 81, acknowledged that there were parts of the Constitution that he did not approve of but left open the possibility that he might approve of them in the future. He accepted the Constitution because he "expected no better" and was unsure if a better alternative existed.
Despite these differing opinions, the Constitution was endorsed by the delegates as individual witnesses of the unanimous consent of the states present. This endorsement served as an authentication of the document's validity and included a statement declaring that the delegates' work had been successfully completed. The signing of the Constitution marked the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention and the proposal and creation of a new form of government for the United States.
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The Federalists supported the Constitution, while the Anti-Federalists opposed it
The signing of the United States Constitution took place on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 74 chosen delegates, 39 endorsed the Constitution, representing 12 states (Rhode Island did not send any delegates). The Federalists supported the Constitution, while the Anti-Federalists opposed it.
The Federalists, who believed in the necessity of a strong central government to address the nation's challenges, needed to convert at least three states. They supported the Constitution because it offered solutions to the problems they perceived under the Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, which gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states but lacked enforcement powers and the ability to regulate commerce or print money.
On the other hand, the Anti-Federalists vehemently opposed the Constitution as they believed it created a powerful central government that resembled the one they had just overthrown, and because it lacked a bill of rights. They favoured strong state governments, a weak central government, the direct election of government officials, short term limits for officeholders, accountability by officeholders to popular majorities, and the strengthening of individual liberties. The Anti-Federalists included small farmers, landowners, shopkeepers, and labourers.
Despite the opposition, the Federalists managed to secure enough support for the Constitution. The first state to ratify it was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. The terms of the Massachusetts Compromise, reached in February 1788, addressed the concerns over the lack of protection for rights, leading to the proposal of amendments that became the Bill of Rights. This compromise helped secure victory, and the Constitution was eventually ratified by Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, and New Hampshire.
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The U.S. Constitution was ratified by Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut
The U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 74 delegates chosen, 39 endorsed the Constitution, representing 12 states (Rhode Island did not send any delegates). The signing ceremony included a declaration stating that the delegates' work had been completed and that those who signed agreed with the final document.
Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. The Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution because it created a powerful central government, and it lacked a bill of rights. However, the Federalists believed that a strong central government was necessary to address the nation's challenges. The Massachusetts Compromise, reached in February 1788, addressed these concerns by stipulating that amendments would be proposed to protect rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press.
The Constitution was then ratified by Massachusetts, Maryland, and South Carolina. New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution on June 21, 1788, making it the official framework of the U.S. government. The remaining four states eventually ratified the Constitution by May 29, 1790.
The first federal elections were held from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789, and the new government, with George Washington as President and John Adams as Vice President, took office on March 4, 1789.
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Frequently asked questions
Within three days of its signing, the Constitution was submitted to the Congress of the Confederation, then sitting in New York City, the nation's temporary capital.
A proposed amendment becomes an operative part of the Constitution as soon as it is ratified by three-fourths of the States (38 out of 50 states).
The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787.
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