Isabella Carter
The United States Constitution and the Declaration of Independence are two of the most important documents in American history. The Declaration of Independence, which was signed in 1776, formally established the United States as a sovereign nation. The Constitution, which was signed in 1787, established the country's system of government and outlined the rights and responsibilities of its citizens. But which of these two documents came first?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| First constitution of the United States | The Articles of Confederation |
| Date of first constitution | November 15, 1777 |
| Date of first constitution's ratification | March 1, 1781 |
| Date of Declaration of Independence | July 4, 1776 |
| Date of Constitution | September 17, 1787 |
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What You'll Learn
The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, 11 years before the Constitution
The Constitution was created to revise the existing government, but the delegates ended up creating a completely new one. The Constitution stands today as one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world. It was created out of a need to clarify what the "United States" meant, as there were problems and disagreements between the new states. The Constitution created a powerful central government, while the Declaration of Independence asserted the right of the people to choose their own government.
The Declaration of Independence and the Constitution are two of the most important documents in American history. They represent the founding principles of the United States and the rights and freedoms that Americans hold dear. The Declaration of Independence laid the foundation for the Constitution, which built upon and expanded the ideas of freedom and self-governance.
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The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, was adopted in 1777
A few years after the Revolutionary War, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington feared their young country was on the brink of collapse. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart. In 1787, delegates from twelve states assembled in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation. They appointed George Washington to preside over the meetings. The delegates came up with a completely new government, creating a powerful central government. On September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the new Constitution, with George Reed signing for John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39.
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The Constitution was signed in 1787
The Declaration of Independence was signed in 1776, and the Constitution was signed in 1787. The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with George Reed signing for John Dickinson of Delaware, who was absent, bringing the total number of signatures to 39.
The Constitution was signed just a few years after the Revolutionary War, when James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington feared 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.
Alexander Hamilton helped convince Congress to organise a Grand Convention of state delegates to work on revising the Articles of Confederation. On May 25, 1787, delegates from twelve states assembled in Philadelphia to revise the ineffective Articles of Confederation. Their first order of business was to appoint someone to preside over the meetings, and George Washington was chosen for his leadership skills.
The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, on November 15, 1777, but the states did not ratify them until March 1, 1781. The Articles created a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments. Once peace removed the rationale of wartime necessity, the weaknesses of the 1777 Articles of Confederation became increasingly apparent.
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The Constitution was ratified by the states in 1788
The Declaration of Independence came before the Constitution. The Constitution was ratified by the states in 1788, but the road to its creation began in 1787, when it became apparent that the government needed to clarify what the "United States" meant. The country was in danger of collapse, with the states in dispute over territory, war pensions, taxation and trade. The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, had given the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, and couldn't print money.
On May 25, 1787, delegates from twelve states assembled in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation. George Washington was chosen to preside over the meetings, thanks to his leadership skills. The delegates were tasked with revising the existing government, but they ended up creating a completely new one. Representing wildly different interests and views, they crafted compromises. They created a powerful central government, wary of centralised power and loyal to their states.
On September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the Constitution, with George Reed signing for the absent John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The founders set the terms for ratifying the Constitution, bypassing the state legislatures as they knew their members would be reluctant to give up power to a national government. The Constitution was finally ratified by the states in 1788.
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The Constitution was revised in 1789
The Declaration of Independence came before the Constitution. The Continental Congress adopted the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, on November 15, 1777, but the states did not ratify them until March 1, 1781. The Articles of Confederation created a loose confederation of sovereign states and a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments.
However, the Articles of Confederation were soon found to be ineffective. By the time the Revolutionary War ended in 1783, no one was certain if the thirteen states were a collective that made one sovereign nation or thirteen independent nations. Disputes soon arose between the new states, and by 1787 it was apparent that the government needed to clarify what the "United States" meant. On May 25, 1787, delegates from twelve states assembled in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation. Alexander Hamilton helped convince Congress to organize a Grand Convention of state delegates to work on revising the Articles of Confederation.
On September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the revised Constitution, with George Reed signing for John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The delegates were tasked with revising the existing government, but they ended up creating a completely new one. They crafted compromises between wildly different interests and views, and set the terms for ratifying the Constitution.
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Frequently asked questions
The Articles of Confederation, which were adopted in 1777 but not ratified until 1781.
The Declaration of Independence came first, in 1776. The Constitution was signed in 1787.
38 delegates signed the Constitution, with George Reed signing for John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39.
The Constitution was created to revise the existing government, which was deemed ineffective and on the brink of collapse.
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. This led to disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade that threatened to tear the young country apart.
