Malcolm Rivera
The process of ratifying the US Constitution was a long and arduous one. The initial governing document, the Articles of Confederation, was ratified by seven states, but it quickly became clear that a stronger, more centralized government was required for future stability. A constitutional convention was called, and delegates from all 13 states convened in Philadelphia in May 1787. The convention concluded in September with the signing of the new US Constitution by 38 or 39 of the 41 or 55 delegates present. The document stipulated that it would only come into force once ratified by nine of the 13 states. The ratification process sparked intense national debate between Federalists, who supported the Constitution, and Anti-Federalists, who opposed it, with the former ultimately prevailing. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, ensuring it would become the official framework of the US government.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of ratification | June 21, 1788 |
| Number of states needed for ratification | 9 out of 13 |
| States that ratified the constitution | Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, New Hampshire |
| States that opposed the constitution | Virginia, New York |
| Supporters of the constitution | Federalists |
| Federalist leaders | Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, John Jay, George Washington |
| Opposition to the constitution | Anti-Federalists |
| Anti-Federalist leaders | Patrick Henry, George Mason, Samuel Adams, Richard Henry Lee |
| Reasons for opposition | Lack of protection for individual liberties, fear of excessive power in the office of the president, concentration of power in the federal government |
| Compromise | Promise of a Bill of Rights |
| Date of the first federal elections | December 15, 1788 |
| Date of implementation of the Constitution | March 4, 1789 |
| First President | George Washington |
| First Vice President | John Adams |
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What You'll Learn
The Articles of Confederation
The Articles were submitted to the states for ratification in late November 1777, with Virginia being the first state to ratify on December 16, 1777. By February 1779, 12 states had ratified the Articles, with Maryland being the lone holdout. Maryland finally ratified the Articles on February 2, 1781, and Congress was informed of its assent on March 1, officially proclaiming the Articles of Confederation to be the law of the land.
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The Constitutional Convention
The initial purpose of the convention was to amend the Articles of Confederation, which had been the governing document since the US became an independent nation. However, it soon became clear that a new form of government was required. The delegates wanted to create a stronger, more centralized government, with the ability to maintain and command an army and navy, impose taxes, and force the states to comply with laws passed by Congress.
The greatest point of contention was the balance of power between the states and the federal government. Many people resisted increasing the power of the national government at the expense of the states. Virginia's Patrick Henry, for example, feared that the office of the president would place too much power in the hands of one man, and that taxation should remain a state power.
The final draft of the Constitution was signed by 39 of the 55 delegates on September 17, 1787. It was agreed that the document would not be binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 existing states. This was because the delegates wanted to ensure that a majority of citizens were represented in the ratification, and to demonstrate that the new constitution was established by the will of the people, rather than political elites.
The ratification process sparked a national debate between Federalists, who supported the Constitution, and Anti-Federalists, who opposed it. Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, who referred to themselves as Federalists, argued that the Constitution provided a necessary framework for a strong, centralized government. They believed that the checks and balances built into the Constitution would prevent any one branch from becoming too powerful. To promote ratification, they wrote the "Federalist Papers", a series of 85 essays published in newspapers across the country.
The Anti-Federalists, meanwhile, raised concerns about the concentration of power in the federal government and the absence of a Bill of Rights. They argued that the Constitution did not adequately protect individual liberties, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. Despite these concerns, Delaware became the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania and New Jersey.
On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, ensuring that it would go into effect. The Constitution became the official framework of the US government, and the first federal elections were held later that year.
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The Federalist Papers
The essays explain particular provisions of the Constitution in detail and defend how the proposed new government would function. For example, one of the greatest sources of dissatisfaction with the Constitution was that it did not guarantee the protection of individual liberties. The Federalist Papers explain that the Constitution provided for habeas corpus and prohibited both a religious test for holding office and granting noble titles.
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The Bill of Rights
The process of ratifying the U.S. Constitution was a long and arduous one. Until the new Constitution was ratified, the Articles of Confederation served as the governing document for the newly formed nation. However, it became clear that future stability required a stronger, more centralized government. Thus, the Constitutional Convention of 1787 was convened, resulting in the creation of a new form of government. The new Constitution faced opposition from some states, as they believed it did not adequately protect individual liberties and rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press.
This opposition led to the inclusion of the Bill of Rights, which comprises the first ten amendments to the Constitution. The Bill of Rights was added to address the concerns of Anti-Federalists, who wanted to safeguard individual liberties and limit the power of the federal government. The promise of a bill of rights persuaded many states to support ratification. The Bill of Rights was highly controversial at the time, with Federalists arguing that it was unnecessary and that the Constitution already limited government power.
The twelve articles of amendment, including the Bill of Rights, were officially submitted to the state legislatures for consideration on September 28, 1789. The process of ratification varied across states, with some states ratifying all amendments and others ratifying only select amendments. The first ten amendments, including freedoms of speech, religion, and the right to bear arms, were ratified on December 15, 1791, and became known as the Bill of Rights.
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Ratification by nine states
The ratification process was designed to be an expression of the will of the people, and so the delegates decided that state conventions, rather than existing state legislatures, would be the bodies to consider ratification. This was also a way to avoid asking legislators to approve a document that would require them to give up some of their own power.
The process of ratification was not a smooth one, with significant opposition in several states. The Federalists, who supported the Constitution, were led by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, who together wrote the "Federalist Papers", a series of 85 essays that articulated arguments in favour of ratification and addressed Anti-Federalist concerns. The Anti-Federalists, meanwhile, opposed the Constitution on the grounds that it did not adequately protect individual liberties and that it concentrated too much power in the federal government at the expense of states' rights.
The first state to ratify was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania and New Jersey. By June 1788, eight states had ratified the Constitution. New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify on June 21, 1788, thus ensuring that the Constitution would go into effect.
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Frequently asked questions
The process of ratification of the US Constitution began with the signing of the final draft by 38 or 39 of the 41 or 55 delegates on September 17, 1787. It then had to be ratified by at least nine of the 13 states to take effect.
Ratification by seven states might not have provided a majority of people. The delegates wanted the new constitution to be ratified by a majority of citizens, so they added the requirement that nine states were needed for ratification.
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, who referred to themselves as 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. George Washington also supported ratification, believing that the current government was so powerless that it would soon dissolve.
Anti-Federalists feared that the Constitution concentrated too much power in the federal government at the expense of states' rights. They also criticized the absence of a Bill of Rights, arguing that the Constitution did not adequately protect individual liberties.
On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, ensuring that it would go into effect. However, key states like Virginia and New York had yet to ratify, and their participation was crucial for the legitimacy of the new government.
