Isabella Carter
The Constitution of the United States was signed by 38 delegates on September 17, 1787, with George Reed signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The Constituent Assembly of India, on the other hand, approved the draft constitution on November 26, 1949, and it came into effect on January 26, 1950.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of first session | 9 December 1946 |
| Number of members at first session | 207 |
| Date constitution was approved | 26 November 1949 |
| Date constitution took effect | 26 January 1950 |
| Number of articles in constitution | 395 |
| Number of schedules in constitution | 8 |
| Number of parts in constitution | 22 |
| Number of committees appointed | 22 |
| Date Committee of Detail appointed | 24 July 1787 |
| Date Committee of Detail presented report | 6 August 1787 |
| Date Committee of Style and Arrangement appointed | 8 September 1787 |
| Date constitution presented to convention | 12 September 1787 |
| Date constitution signed | 17 September 1787 |
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What You'll Learn
The Committee of Detail
The committee's report, presented on August 6, 1787, conformed to the resolutions adopted by the convention, with some additional elements. The report included a twenty-three-article (plus preamble) constitution. From August 6 to September 10, the committee's report was discussed, and further compromises were made. The Committee of Detail's draft constitution included a clause allowing the Senate to choose its officers, which was not debated and was added to the final draft.
The Constitution of the United States was the country's second attempt at a constitution. The first, the Articles of Confederation, was adopted in 1777 and gave significant power to the state legislatures. The delegates who drafted the Constitution bypassed the state legislatures, calling for special ratifying conventions in each state. This new constitution created a powerful central government, addressing the concerns of James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, who feared the young country was on the brink of collapse due to disputes between the states.
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The Committee of Eleven
On September 4,
Another significant contribution of the Committee of Eleven was their
The work of the Committee of Eleven was a crucial step in the development of the United States Constitution. Their proposals regarding impeachment trials, the Electoral College, and the role of the vice president shaped the structure and functioning of the US government.
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The Committee of Style and Arrangement
The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787. The convention was driven by fears that the young country was on the brink of collapse. America’s first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, 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 states’ disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart.
On 24 July, a Committee of Detail was elected to draft a detailed constitution reflective of the resolutions passed by the convention. The committee included John Rutledge (South Carolina), Edmund Randolph (Virginia), Nathaniel Gorham (Massachusetts), Oliver Ellsworth (Connecticut), and James Wilson (Pennsylvania). The committee presented a 23-article (plus preamble) constitution on 6 August, which was discussed until 10 September.
The Committee of Detail's report included a clause allowing the Senate to choose its officers. On 8 September, the Committee of Eleven, consisting of one member from every state represented at the convention, presented its report, which stated that the Senate would have the power to try impeachments by the House of Representatives. The delegates debated the clause on 8 September, and the final measure was passed by an 8-2 vote.
On 17 September 1787, 38 delegates signed the Constitution, with George Reed signing for John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39.
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The Articles of Confederation
The Articles gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it lacked enforcement powers, the ability to regulate commerce, and the ability to print money. The implementation of most decisions, including amendments to the Articles, required legislative approval by all 13 newly formed states. Despite these limitations, based on the Congressional authority granted in Article 9, the league of states was considered as strong as any similar republican confederation ever formed.
A few years after the Revolutionary War, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington feared that the young country was on the brink of collapse. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the country apart. Alexander Hamilton helped convince Congress to organize a Grand Convention of state delegates to work on revising the Articles of Confederation.
The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787. A Committee of Detail was appointed to create a full draft of the Constitution, which was presented on August 6, 1787. The Committee's report included 23 articles (plus a preamble) and generally conformed to the resolutions adopted by the convention, with some additional elements. From August 6 to September 10, the report was discussed section by section and clause by clause, with further compromises being effected.
On September 8, a Committee of Style and Arrangement, including Alexander Hamilton, was tasked with completing a final draft of the Constitution, condensing the 23 articles into seven in less than four days. The final Constitution was presented to the convention on September 12, and the delegates began to consider each section. The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with one signature for an absent delegate, bringing the total to 39.
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The ratification process
A Committee of Eleven, with one member from each state, reviewed the constitution and presented its report on September 4, addressing the method of selecting the Senate's presiding officer and proposing the Electoral College system. The convention debated and voted on various clauses, including the impeachment process and the role of the vice president. The Committee of Style and Arrangement, appointed on September 8, condensed the 23 articles into seven and finalised the constitution. On September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the Constitution, with George Reed signing on behalf of the absent John Dickinson, bringing the total to 39.
The ratification campaign was challenging, with Federalists and Anti-Federalists fiercely debating the merits of the Constitution. The Federalists supported a strong central government, while the Anti-Federalists opposed it due to concerns about centralised power and the absence of a bill of rights. Ratification by 9 of the 13 states was required to enact the new government, and the "vote now, amend later" compromise helped secure victory in several states. The final holdouts eventually joined, and the Constitution was ratified, establishing a powerful central government.
The US Constitution has endured and been emulated worldwide, with its amendments appended to the original document. The ratification process for amendments is challenging, with most amendments failing to progress beyond Congressional committees. Some amendments proposed to the states have not been ratified, and only a fraction receives sufficient support to become part of the Constitution. The ratification process, both for the Constitution and its amendments, highlights the careful consideration and compromise required to shape the nation's governance.
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Frequently asked questions
On September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the Constitution of the United States. George Reed signed for John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39.
On November 26, 1949, the Constituent Assembly of India approved the draft constitution. On January 26, 1950, the constitution came into effect.
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the first constitution of the United States.
The first constitution of India was called 'The Constitution of India'.
The committee that passed the first constitution of the United States was called the Committee of Detail.
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