Isabella Carter
The United States Constitution, which was signed on September 17, 1787, came into effect in 1789. The signing of the document, which was authored by 39 delegates at the Philadelphia Convention, was preceded by 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 eight others, including Pennsylvania, New Jersey, and Georgia. The Constitution was officially adopted on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it, and it has since been amended 27 times.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year the US Constitution was signed | 1787 |
| Date the US Constitution was signed | September 17, 1787 |
| Number of delegates who signed the US Constitution | 39 |
| First state to ratify the US Constitution | Delaware |
| Date Delaware ratified the US Constitution | December 7, 1787 |
| Ninth state to ratify the US Constitution | New Hampshire |
| Date New Hampshire ratified the US Constitution | June 21, 1788 |
| Year the US Constitution went into effect | 1789 |
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What You'll Learn
The signing of the US Constitution
The Articles of Confederation had been in force since 1781 and established a "league of friendship" between the 13 sovereign and independent states after the Revolution. However, the central government had insufficient power to regulate commerce, tax, or effectively set commercial policy, and it struggled to settle quarrels between states. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington feared that the young country was on the brink of collapse due to these issues.
The delegates at the convention debated fiercely over congressional representation, slavery, and the method of electing the executive. They ultimately compromised by agreeing to give each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate, and they decided that the slave trade could continue until 1808.
The signing of the Constitution was an extraordinary achievement, as the delegates created a powerful central government while balancing wildly different interests and views. The Constitution was then ratified through a series of state conventions held in 1787 and 1788. Delaware was the first state to ratify on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify on June 21, 1788, enacting the new government. The Constitution was officially adopted in 1789, and it has since been amended twenty-seven times.
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The ratification process
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 39 delegates who endorsed the constitution created during the convention. The signing occurred after three months of heated debate, during which a Committee of Detail was appointed to put the decisions in writing. Near the end of the convention, a Committee of Style and Arrangement condensed 23 articles into seven in less than four days.
Hamilton and James Madison led the lobbying efforts for votes in favour of ratifying the Constitution. With assistance from John Jay, they produced 85 essays known as "The Federalist Papers", which explained and defended how the proposed new government would function. The essays were published in newspapers nationwide.
The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. Some states voiced opposition to the Constitution on the grounds that it did not provide protection for rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. However, the terms of the Massachusetts Compromise reached in February 1788, stipulated that amendments—what became the Bill of Rights—would be immediately proposed.
On June 21, 1788, the Constitution became the official framework of the US government when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it. The new government was set to begin on March 4, 1789, with George Washington elected as President and John Adams as Vice President. Ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791.
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The Articles of Confederation
The US Constitution was ratified in 1788 when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it. Before this, the country was governed by the Articles of Confederation.
The need for a stronger, more centralized government led to calls for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation's governing document. The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation. The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and the first state to ratify was Delaware on December 7, 1787. The Constitution was ratified by nine states by June 21, 1788, and officially went into effect in 1789.
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The US Constitution today
The US Constitution, which was signed on September 17, 1787, has served as the supreme law of the United States since 1789. The document was written at the 1787 Philadelphia Convention and 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. 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 ratify it.
The US Constitution is one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world. It has been amended twenty-seven times since 1789, with particularly important amendments including the ten amendments of the United States Bill of Rights and the three Reconstruction Amendments. The Child Labor Amendment, proposed in 1924, is another example of how the Constitution has evolved to reflect changing societal norms and values.
The Constitution established a powerful central government, addressing the weaknesses of the previous Articles of Confederation, which gave the Confederation Congress limited power and lacked enforcement capabilities. The Supreme Court plays a crucial role in interpreting and upholding the Constitution, with the power to declare acts of Congress unconstitutional. Judicial review allows the Court to explain the meaning of the Constitution as it applies to specific cases, influencing the interpretation of constitutional clauses without amending the text.
Today, the US Constitution continues to shape the country's political landscape and the lives of its citizens. It serves as the foundation for laws and policies, guiding the actions of the government and protecting the rights and freedoms of individuals. The Constitution's enduring influence demonstrates its adaptability and relevance in a nation that has evolved significantly since its founding.
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The Philadelphia Convention
The convention was led by George Washington, a proponent of a stronger national government, who was elected unanimously as the convention's president. The delegates in attendance debated and ultimately ratified the Constitution of the United States, marking a shift towards a new system of government. While the convention was initially intended to revise the existing league of states, leading proponents, including James Madison and Alexander Hamilton, sought to create an entirely new frame of government. Madison's extensive study of historical republics and confederacies greatly influenced the convention's agenda.
The convention's discussions and votes were kept secret, with windows nailed shut to ensure privacy. William Jackson was elected as secretary, but his records were brief. As a result, James Madison's detailed notes, published posthumously, provide the most comprehensive first-person account of the convention.
The delegates agreed upon a general blueprint for a federal government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. This model of government included a system of checks and balances, dividing federal authority between the branches. The legislative branch was envisioned to have two parts: a House of Representatives and a Senate, with the latter handling important issues such as treaty ratification.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution went into effect in 1789.
The US Constitution was ratified in 1788 when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it.
The US Constitution is a document that serves as the supreme law of the United States.
The US Constitution was written at the 1787 Philadelphia Convention.
Since 1789, the US Constitution has been amended 27 times.
