Malcolm Rivera
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with George Reed signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The drafting of the Constitution was completed at the Constitutional Convention, which assembled in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, with the aim of revising the Articles of Confederation. The convention was convened to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of final signing | September 17, 1787 |
| Date of final draft | September 8, 1787 |
| Date of first draft | May 14, 1787 |
| Location | Philadelphia |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Number of delegates | 41 |
| Number of delegates who signed | 38 |
| Number of states represented | 12 |
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What You'll Learn
- The Federal Convention convened in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787
- The delegates debated and redrafted the constitution throughout the summer
- The final text of the constitution was set down on September 8, 1787
- The drafted constitution was submitted to the Congress of the Confederation in September 1787
- The constitution was signed on September 17, 1787
The Federal Convention convened in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787
The Federal Convention, also known as the Constitutional Convention, convened in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, in the State House (now known as Independence Hall). The convention was called to revise the Articles of Confederation, which many Americans believed had created a weak and ineffective central government.
The convention was initially scheduled for February 1787, but Congress delayed it until May. When the convention began, only delegations from two states were present, so the members adjourned until May 25, when a quorum of seven states was achieved. The delegates soon realised that, rather than amending the existing Articles, they would need to draft an entirely new form of government.
The convention was attended by 55 delegates, including James Madison, James Wilson, Gouverneur Morris, Alexander Hamilton, William Johnson, Rufus King, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington, who was unanimously elected president of the convention. These men, and others, debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution throughout the summer.
The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and established the government of the United States. It created a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments. The Constitution came into effect in 1789 and has served as the basis of the US government ever since.
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The delegates debated and redrafted the constitution throughout the summer
The United States Constitution was drafted in the summer of 1787. The Federal Convention convened in the State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, to revise the Articles of Confederation. The delegates debated and redrafted the constitution throughout the summer.
The delegates debated and redrafted the constitution in closed sessions throughout the summer. The chief points of contention included the amount of power to allocate to the central government, the number of representatives in Congress for each state, and how these representatives should be elected. The delegates also discussed the creation of a model of government that relied on a series of checks and balances by dividing federal authority between the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches.
Many individuals made important contributions to the debates and redrafting of the constitution. James Madison, often referred to as the "Father of the Constitution," was a driving force of the convention. Other notable contributors included those who served on the Committee of Detail, such as Oliver Ellsworth, Nathaniel Gorham, Edmund Randolph, John Rutledge, and James Wilson, and those on the Committee of Style, including Alexander Hamilton, William Johnson, Rufus King, and Gouverneur Morris. Benjamin Franklin and George Washington, who served as president of the convention, also played significant roles.
The delegates' commitment to the principles of equality articulated in the Declaration of Independence was limited, particularly when it came to the issue of slavery. Despite slavery being in a state of decline in 1787, it remained a significant part of the social and economic fabric in five of the states represented in the Convention. The delegates' quest for "compromise" led them to entrench the institution of slavery within the new Constitution, exacerbating the contradiction between the core values of liberty and equality on which the nation was founded.
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The final text of the constitution was set down on September 8, 1787
The United States Constitution, drafted in 1787, has been the supreme law of the United States since 1789. The document was written at the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, also known as the Federal Convention, and was the result of months of passionate, thoughtful deliberation among the delegates. The convention was convened to revise the Articles of Confederation, which many Americans believed had created a weak and ineffective central government. However, it became clear early on that the delegates were forming an entirely new form of government.
The Federal Convention convened in the State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787. The initial quorum of seven states was obtained on May 25, and the delegates continued to debate and redraft the articles of the new Constitution throughout the summer. The final text of the Constitution was set down and revised on September 8, 1787, and an official copy of the document was engrossed by Jacob Shallus. Shallus copied the text, which consisted of a prelude, articles, and an endorsement, onto four sheets of vellum parchment made from treated animal skin.
The drafted Constitution was submitted to the Congress of the Confederation in September 1787, and that month it approved the forwarding of the Constitution as drafted to the states, each of which would hold a ratification convention. The Constitution was sent to the states for ratification on September 17, 1787, and 38 out of 41 delegates present signed the document. The ratification of nine states was required for the Constitution to become effective for those ratifying states. Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787, followed by eight other states by June 1788, ensuring it would go into effect for those states.
The Constitution was ratified by eleven states by September 1788, and the new government began on March 4, 1789, with eleven states assembled in New York City. The Constitution has been amended twenty-seven times since 1789, including the ten amendments of the United States Bill of Rights. Constitution Day, a federal observance that commemorates the U.S. Constitution, is celebrated on September 17, the day the Constitution was signed in 1787.
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The drafted constitution was submitted to the Congress of the Confederation in September 1787
The United States Constitution was drafted in 1787 and has served as the supreme law of the United States since 1789. The document was written at the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, also known as the Federal Convention, which convened on May 14, 1787, in the State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia. The purpose of the convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation, which many Americans believed had created a weak and ineffective central government. However, it soon became clear that the delegates intended to draft an entirely new form of government.
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention worked throughout the summer of 1787, debating and redrafting the articles of the new Constitution. Among the key issues under discussion were the balance of power between the central government and the states, the number of representatives in Congress for each state, and how these representatives should be elected. James Madison, often referred to as the "Father of the Constitution," was a driving force of the convention, and his ideas and notes on the deliberations have provided valuable insights into the proceedings. Other notable delegates included Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin, and George Washington, who was unanimously elected president of the convention.
The final text of the Constitution was set down and revised on September 8, 1787, and an official copy was engrossed by Jacob Shallus. The drafted Constitution was then submitted to the Congress of the Confederation in September 1787. The same month, the Congress approved the forwarding of the Constitution as drafted to the states, each of which would hold a ratification convention.
The Constitution was ratified through a series of state conventions held in 1787 and 1788. The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. By June of 1788, nine states had ratified the Constitution, ensuring it would go into effect for those states. The Congress of the Confederation certified that eleven states had ratified the new Constitution in September 1788, and the new government began on March 4, 1789.
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The constitution was signed on September 17, 1787
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with George Reed signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The signing took place in Philadelphia, where the Constitutional Convention had been meeting since May 14, 1787, with the aim of revising the Articles of Confederation.
The delegates to the convention, including George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton, had become convinced that the Articles of Confederation, which served as America's first constitution, were inadequate. They believed that a stronger central government was needed to address issues such as disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade. The convention's initial goal was to amend the existing Articles, but by mid-June, it became clear that a completely new constitution was necessary.
The delegates spent the summer of 1787 in closed sessions, debating and redrafting the articles of the new Constitution. They grappled with questions such as the balance of power between the central government and the states, state representation in Congress, and the election of representatives. The final draft of the Constitution was presented to the convention on September 12, and the delegates began to consider each section.
The signing of the Constitution on September 17 marked the culmination of their efforts. The document established a federal government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. It replaced the weak central government under the Articles of Confederation with a more powerful and effective national government. The Constitution came into effect in 1789 after being ratified by the necessary number of states, and it has served as the basis of the United States Government ever since.
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Frequently asked questions
The delegates of the Constitutional Convention first met on May 14, 1787, in Philadelphia. However, due to a lack of quorum, the convention's opening meeting was postponed until May 25, when delegates from 12 states were present.
The convention was called to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation. The delegates aimed to revise the Articles of Confederation and create a stronger federal government.
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with George Reed signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total to 39 signatures.
The US Constitution came into effect in 1789 after it was ratified by the necessary nine out of 13 states.
