Jonah Patel
The first constitution adopted in North America was the Articles of Confederation, which was adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and ratified by the states on March 1, 1781. The Articles created a loose confederation of sovereign states with a weak central government, leaving most of the power with the state governments. The first draft of the Constitution of the United States of America was accepted on August 6, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it.
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What You'll Learn
The first draft of the Constitution
The first written constitution adopted in North America was the 1755 Corsican Constitution, drafted by Pasquale Paoli. However, it was short-lived. The United States Constitution, on the other hand, has endured since its inception.
The first draft of the United States Constitution was presented on August 6, 1787, by the Committee of Detail Chairman Rutledge of South Carolina. This draft was the product of two months of fierce debate over the structure and powers of a new federal government. The committee, which included Edmund Randolph of Virginia, who wrote the initial draft, and James Wilson of Pennsylvania, who revised it, studied the Convention's resolutions, state constitutions, the Articles of Confederation, and other relevant reports and documents. The draft was then printed by John Dunlap and David Claypoole, with copies distributed to the Convention members, who adjourned to study it.
The first draft consisted of a preamble and twenty-three articles spanning seven large pages. The left margin was left wide to allow members to make notes. Of the twenty-three articles, two were introductions, seven pertained to Congress and its powers, one covered the Executive, one the judiciary, three provided for interstate comity, and the remaining seven addressed miscellaneous topics such as the admission of new states, amendment, ratification, and establishing the new government.
The delegates of the Convention considered the various sections of the draft, and the spirit of compromise that had characterised the previous days gave way to more contentious debates. The most significant controversy arose over the regulation of commerce, with southern states fearing that a New England-dominated Congress might impose export taxes that would harm their economic interests. Despite these disagreements, the Constitutional Convention voted in favour of the Constitution on September 17, 1787, after several days of further revisions.
The Constitution of the United States established a new form of government, with a stronger national government than the previous Articles of Confederation. It included four sections: a preamble outlining the purposes of the new government, a list of seven articles defining the government's framework, an untitled closing endorsement with the signatures of 39 framers, and 27 amendments adopted under Article V.
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The ratification process
The road to the ratification of the United States Constitution was long and arduous. The Continental Congress, led by nationalists including James Madison, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and James Wilson, worked towards strengthening the federal government and replacing the Articles of Confederation, which had been serving as the country's constitution since 1781.
Hamilton and Madison led the lobbying efforts for votes in favour of ratifying the new Constitution. They produced 85 essays, known as "The Federalist Papers," which explained and defended the proposed new government. The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. However, some states opposed the Constitution on the grounds that it did not provide protection for certain rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press.
The Massachusetts Compromise, reached in February 1788, stipulated that amendments would be proposed to address these concerns, which became the Bill of Rights. The Constitution was subsequently ratified by Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, and, finally, New Hampshire on June 21, 1788, becoming the ninth of 13 states to do so. Three months later, on September 17, the Congress of the Confederation certified the ratification of eleven states and passed resolutions setting dates for choosing the first senators and representatives, electing the first president, and officially starting the new government.
The new Constitution included an introductory paragraph titled "Preamble," a list of seven Articles defining the government's framework, an untitled closing endorsement with the signatures of 39 framers, and amendments that would be adopted under Article V. The Preamble laid out the purposes of the new government, with the opening words, "We the People," representing the idea that the people, not the states, were the source of the government's legitimacy.
The process of amending the Constitution is outlined in Article V, and it can be proposed by either two-thirds of both houses of Congress or by a national convention requested by two-thirds of the state legislatures. The Bill of Rights, consisting of ten amendments, was ratified on December 15, 1791, and the Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document.
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The Bill of Rights
The first constitution adopted in North America was the Articles of Confederation, which was adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and ratified by the states on March 1, 1781. This document served as the first constitution of the United States, creating a loose confederation of sovereign states with a weak central government.
Now, onto the Bill of Rights.
The anti-Federalists, those who opposed the Constitution, objected on the grounds that it did not adequately protect certain rights, including freedom of speech, religion, and the press. The Federalists, on the other hand, supported the Constitution and worked to persuade the House to enact amendments. James Madison, a key figure in this process, introduced 17 amendments to the Constitution, of which 12 were adopted by Congress on September 25, 1789, and sent to the states for ratification.
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The Federalist Papers
The first constitution adopted in North America was the 1755 Corsican Constitution, drafted by Pasquale Paoli. However, it was short-lived.
The high demand for the essays led to their publication in a more permanent form. The first 36 essays were published as a bound volume titled "The Federalist Volume 1" on March 22, 1788. A second bound volume was released on May 28, 1788, containing the next 40 essays, as well as eight previously unpublished papers.
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The Continental Congress
The First Continental Congress met for about six weeks, mainly to repair the relationship between Britain and the colonies while asserting the rights of colonists. It proclaimed and passed the Continental Association, a unified trade embargo against Britain, and successfully built consensus for the establishment of a second congress. The First Congress included Patrick Henry, George Washington, John and Samuel Adams, John Jay, and John Dickinson. Peyton Randolph of Virginia was unanimously elected president, establishing the usage of that term. The body rejected a plan for reconciling British authority with colonial freedom and instead adopted a declaration of personal rights, including life, liberty, property, assembly, and trial by jury.
The Second Continental Congress served as the provisional government of the U.S. during most of the Revolutionary War. It sent the Olive Branch Petition to King George III, established the Continental Army, and elected George Washington as commander of the new army. The Second Congress also sent a congressional delegate, Silas Deane, to France in April 1776 to explore diplomatic channels. It functioned as a de facto common government by raising armies, directing strategy, appointing diplomats, and making formal treaties. The Second Continental Congress continued to meet until March 1, 1781, when the Articles of Confederation that established a new national government for the United States took effect.
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Frequently asked questions
The first written constitution of an independent polity that was adopted by representatives elected by the people was the 1755 Corsican Constitution.
The first draft of the US Constitution was accepted on August 6, 1787, and the final document was produced five weeks later. Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. The Constitution became the official framework of the US government on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it.
The Continental Congress endorsed Alexander Hamilton's initiative to reevaluate the nation's governing document, the Articles of Confederation, which had been adopted on November 15, 1777, but was ratified by the states only on March 1, 1781. Representatives from all 13 states were invited to a convention in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787, to participate in the Constitutional Convention.
On October 2, 1789, President George Washington sent 12 amendments to the Constitution to the states for ratification. By December 15, 1791, three-fourths of the states had ratified 10 of these amendments, now known as the Bill of Rights. The US Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island approved the document.
