Eleanor Finch
The final ratification of the US Constitution occurred on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, marking the official framework of the US government. The journey to ratification was a lengthy and challenging process, with intense debates between Federalists and Anti-Federalists. The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, advocated for a strong central government, while the Anti-Federalists opposed the concentration of power and demanded a Bill of Rights. The final vote in New Hampshire was a significant victory for the Federalists, and the Constitution was celebrated as a foundation for the young nation. The addition of the Bill of Rights and the ratification by all 13 states, including Rhode Island, the last holdout, further solidified the governing framework of the United States of America.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of final ratification | June 21, 1788 |
| State that ratified the Constitution on the above date | New Hampshire |
| Number of states that ratified the Constitution by the above date | 9 out of 13 |
| Date when all 13 states ratified the Constitution | May 29, 1790 |
| State that was the last to ratify the Constitution | Rhode Island |
| Date when the Bill of Rights was ratified | December 15, 1791 |
| Number of amendments introduced by Madison | 17 |
| Number of amendments adopted by Congress | 12 |
| Number of amendments that became part of the Bill of Rights | 10 |
| Date when the location of the capital was decided | July 16, 1790 |
| Date of the first constitutionally-required census | August 1790 |
| Number of delegates who signed the Constitution | 38 or 39 out of 41 or 55 |
| Date of signing of the Constitution | September 17, 1787 |
| Date of the first national Thanksgiving | November 26, 1789 |
| Number of states that initially rejected the Constitution | 4 |
| States that initially rejected the Constitution | North Carolina, Rhode Island, New Hampshire, and Maryland |
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What You'll Learn
- The final ratification occurred on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify
- The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, supported the Constitution
- The Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution due to its lack of a Bill of Rights
- The ratification process was long and arduous, with intense national debate
- The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, was inadequate and lacked enforcement powers
The final ratification occurred on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify
The United States Constitution is one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world. The journey to its final ratification was long and arduous, taking place amidst concerns that the young country was on the brink of collapse.
The Articles of Confederation, 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. The disputes among the states over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young nation apart.
Alexander Hamilton led the call for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation's governing document. The Confederation Congress endorsed his initiative, and representatives from all 13 states were invited to convene in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787. The convention was tasked with amending the Articles of Confederation, but the outcome was the proposal and creation of a completely new form of government.
The final draft of the Constitution was signed by 39 of the 55 delegates on September 17, 1787. It was then sent to the states for debate and ratification votes. The ratification process sparked an intense national debate between Federalists, who supported the Constitution, and Anti-Federalists, who opposed it. Federalists argued that the Constitution provided a necessary framework for a strong, effective central government capable of unifying the nation, protecting against foreign threats, and managing domestic affairs. They believed the checks and balances built into the Constitution would prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful.
On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, marking its final ratification. With this, the Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America. The document established a government based on principles of federalism, separation of powers, and checks and balances. The debates over its ratification laid the groundwork for a political culture that values compromise, civic engagement, and the protection of individual rights.
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The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, supported the Constitution
The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, supported the ratification of the Constitution. Hamilton and his allies, including James Madison and John Jay, believed that the Constitution was necessary for a strong and effective central government capable of unifying the nation, protecting against foreign threats, and managing domestic affairs. They argued that the checks and balances built into the Constitution would prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful.
Hamilton played a key role in the debates surrounding the ratification process, particularly at the New York ratifying convention in Albany in June 1788. New York was considered crucial, as it was one of several major states, including Virginia, that had not yet ratified the Constitution. Hamilton faced strong opposition from the Anti-Federalists, who feared that the Constitution gave too much power to the federal government at the expense of states' rights. Despite being outnumbered, Hamilton presented a compelling case for ratification, emphasizing the need for a strong federal government to unify the nation and ensure stability.
Hamilton's experience as Secretary of the Treasury under President George Washington also influenced Federalist economic thought. He successfully argued for the adoption of the concept of implied powers, which expanded the interpretation of the Constitution. Additionally, Hamilton proposed a federal bank and a steady revenue stream through taxation on imported goods. These economic policies aimed to ensure a prosperous future for the nation and protect its wealth.
The Federalist Party, which formed between 1789 and 1790, promoted positions that became the baseline for American conservatism. These included the rule of law under the Constitution, republican government, peaceful change through elections, stable national finances, and credible diplomacy. The Federalists also advocated for a strong federal government, national sovereignty, and federal supremacy. They believed that the Articles of Confederation, which guided the government after the American Revolution, were weak and inadequate for maintaining a stable nation.
The Federalist Papers, a series of 85 essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, were a crucial tool in articulating arguments in favor of ratification and addressing Anti-Federalist concerns. The Federalists' efforts were ultimately successful, and on June 21, 1788, with New Hampshire's ratification, the Constitution became the official framework of the United States government.
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The Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution due to its lack of a Bill of Rights
The U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 39 of the 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention. It then had to be ratified by at least nine of the 13 states to take effect. The ratification process sparked a national debate between Federalists, who supported the Constitution, and Anti-Federalists, who opposed it.
The Anti-Federalists believed that the Constitution gave too much power to the federal government at the expense of the states. They also believed that the unitary president resembled a monarch, and that the concentration of power in the presidency could lead to a pseudo-monarchy. They argued that the liberties of the people were best protected when power resided in state governments, as opposed to a federal one.
The Anti-Federalists also criticized the absence of a Bill of Rights in the original draft of the Constitution. They argued that the Constitution did not adequately protect individual liberties without a Bill of Rights. Patrick Henry, George Mason, and Samuel Adams were outspoken opponents of the Constitution in its original form. They believed that the federal government would become tyrannous without a Bill of Rights to protect individual freedoms.
The debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists played out in newspapers, pamphlets, and public meetings across the country. The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, argued that the Constitution provided a necessary framework for a strong, effective central government capable of unifying the nation, protecting against foreign threats, and managing domestic affairs. They believed that the checks and balances built into the Constitution would prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful.
To address the concerns of the Anti-Federalists, Madison introduced 17 amendments to the Constitution, of which Congress adopted 12 on September 25, 1789, to send to the states for ratification. Ten of those amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. The Bill of Rights includes the right to free speech, the right to a speedy trial, the right to due process under the law, and protections against cruel and unusual punishments.
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The ratification process was long and arduous, with intense national debate
The road to ratifying the U.S. Constitution was indeed long and arduous, with intense national debate between Federalists and Anti-Federalists. The Federalists, led by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, supported the Constitution and believed that a strong central government was necessary to unify the nation, protect against foreign threats, and manage domestic affairs. They also argued that the checks and balances built into the Constitution would prevent any one branch of government from becoming too powerful. On the other hand, the Anti-Federalists, including Patrick Henry, George Mason, and Samuel Adams, opposed the ratification of the Constitution in its current form. They feared that the Constitution concentrated too much power in the federal government, infringing on states' rights, and that it lacked a Bill of Rights, which they believed was necessary to protect individual liberties.
The debate between these two factions played out in newspapers, pamphlets, and public meetings across the country. The Federalist Papers, a series of 85 essays written by Hamilton, Madison, and Jay under the pseudonym "Publius", were a key tool for the Federalists in articulating their arguments and addressing Anti-Federalist concerns. Each state held a special convention to debate and vote on ratification, and the process was far from smooth, with significant opposition in several states.
The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. However, North Carolina initially rejected the Constitution due to the lack of a Bill of Rights, and Rhode Island also held out, turning down the Constitution in a popular referendum. The Federalists faced an uphill battle, and their victory was not assured. 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, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, marking the official framework of the government of the United States of America. However, it was not until May 29, 1790, that all 13 states had ratified the Constitution, with Rhode Island being the last holdout to approve it under pressure from the new federal government. The ratification of the U.S. Constitution created a new governing system that reflected the need for a more centralized governing system among the old colonies, and the debates over its ratification laid the groundwork for a political culture that values compromise, civic engagement, and the protection of individual rights.
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The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, was inadequate and lacked enforcement powers
The United States Constitution, which came into force on June 21, 1788, is the country's present governing document. The Articles of Confederation, which were in effect from March 1, 1781, until 1788, were America's first constitution. The Articles of Confederation, which established a “league of friendship” between the 13 independent states, were inadequate and lacked enforcement powers.
The Articles of Confederation were America's first constitution, drafted during the Revolutionary War and ratified in 1781. The document was tailored to a newly formed nation made up of states acting more like independent, sovereign countries. It established a perpetual union of the states with a very weak central government. The central government lacked the authority to regulate commerce, conduct foreign policy, or collect taxes to fund its operations. It also lacked the power to make trade between the states and other countries viable, which led to economic problems. The states often failed to comply with Congress's requests, and the central government lacked the power to enforce its will.
The weaknesses in the Articles of Confederation became apparent over time. Congress commanded little respect and no support from state governments anxious to maintain their power. By 1787, the United States was in an economic mess, and Shays' Rebellion in 1786 and 1787 showed that the central government lacked the power to put down an internal rebellion. Recognizing the need for a stronger central government, leaders such as Alexander Hamilton led the call for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation's governing document.
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 effectively ended the era of the Articles of Confederation. The Convention's initial purpose was to amend the Articles of Confederation, but the delegates ultimately proposed and created a completely new form of government. The new U.S. Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, established a federal system with a separation of powers and checks and balances. The Constitution was sent to the states for ratification, and it officially took effect on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it.
There were 13 states at the time of ratification.
The Constitution required ratification by at least nine of the 13 states.
The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, was the previous form of government. It was adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777.
Rhode Island was the final state to ratify the Constitution on May 29, 1790.
