Isabella Carter
The Constitution of the United States of America was signed by 38 delegates on September 17, 1787, marking a significant moment in the nation's history. The signing of the Constitution, which took place in Philadelphia, was the culmination of a convention that began in May of that year, with the aim of revising the Articles of Confederation. However, the delegates went beyond their initial mandate and crafted a new form of government, addressing concerns about the young country's stability and the need for a stronger central power. The Constitution's introduction, with its famous opening words, We the People, represented a shift towards a government derived from the people, setting a framework for federal power and paving the way for the nation's first federal elections and the election of George Washington as the first President.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of debut | 17th September 1787 |
| Number of delegates who signed the Constitution | 38 out of 41 delegates |
| Number of signatures | 39 |
| First state to ratify the Constitution | Delaware |
| Date of ratification by the first state | 7th December 1787 |
| Date the Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America | 21st June 1788 |
| Number of states that ratified the Constitution by June 1788 | 9 out of 13 |
| Date of ratification by all states | 29th May 1790 |
| Date the Bill of Rights was ratified | End of 1791 |
| Date the capital was set | 16th July 1790 |
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What You'll Learn
The Constitutional Convention of 1787
The United States Constitution was drafted during the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which took place in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787. The convention was called to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation, which gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it lacked enforcement powers, could not regulate commerce, and could not print money.
The convention was initially intended to revise the Articles of Confederation and devise the first system of federal government. However, leading proponents of the convention, including James Madison of Virginia and Alexander Hamilton of New York, sought to create a new frame of government rather than revise the existing one. Madison, who arrived in Philadelphia eleven days early, set the convention's agenda. Before the convention, he studied historical republics and confederacies, and drafted a document titled "Vices of the Political System of the United States," which offered solutions to the weaknesses of the American political system. Madison believed that a strong central government was necessary to address the country's problems.
The delegates to the convention created a model of government that relied on a series of checks and balances by dividing federal authority between the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches. One of the fiercest arguments was over congressional representation—whether it should be based on population or divided equally among the states. The framers compromised by giving each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate. They also agreed to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person, and temporarily resolved the issue of slavery by agreeing that the slave trade could continue until 1808.
Another contentious issue was slavery, with delegates debating the insertion of a fugitive slave clause, whether to allow the abolition of the slave trade, and whether slaves should be counted in proportional representation. Most of the time during the convention was spent on deciding these issues. Progress was slow until mid-July, when the Connecticut Compromise resolved enough lingering arguments for a draft written by the Committee of Detail to be accepted. The final version of the Constitution was produced in early September and was voted on by the delegates. On September 17, 1787, 39 of the 55 delegates signed the Constitution, with George Reed signing for John Dickinson of Delaware, who was absent.
The Constitution established a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments. The Executive branch acquired more power to address issues that had been a source of sectional tension under the Articles of Confederation, and the President gained the authority to conduct foreign relations. The Constitution also included the Necessary and Proper Clause, which conferred incidental powers upon Congress without requiring express delegation for each power. The Constitution came into effect in 1789 after the necessary number of state ratifications and has served as the basis of the United States Government ever since.
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The Articles of Confederation
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 delegates, tasked with revising the existing government, ended up creating an entirely new system.
The Constitution came into existence after the Articles of Confederation, which served as the United States' first constitution. The Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and were in force from March 1, 1781, until 1789 when the present-day Constitution went into effect. The Articles of Confederation were drafted by Benjamin Franklin, who introduced his plan to Congress on July 21, stating that it should be viewed as a draft for when Congress was interested in reaching a more formal proposal.
In February 1787, the Confederation Congress called a convention of state delegates in Philadelphia to propose revisions to the Articles. The convention was intended to "render the federal constitution adequate to the exigencies of government and the preservation of the Union". The delegates, representing diverse interests and views, crafted compromises to address the nation's challenges. One of the fiercest arguments was over congressional representation—whether it should be based on population or divided equally among the states. They agreed to a compromise, giving each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate.
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The creation of a new form of government
The United States Constitution, which created a new form of government, was ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to approve it. The road to ratification, however, was long and arduous.
The Constitution was drafted in Philadelphia by a Constitutional Convention of state delegates that convened on May 25, 1787. The convention was called by the Confederation Congress to propose revisions to the Articles of Confederation, which had served as the country's first constitution after the Revolutionary War. The Articles had given the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it lacked enforcement powers and could not regulate commerce or print money.
The delegates to the convention had initially gathered to amend the Articles, but by mid-June, they had decided to completely redesign the government. They compromised on several key issues, including congressional representation, which would be based on population but with each state guaranteed one representative in the House of Representatives and two in the Senate. They also agreed to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person and to allow the slave trade to continue until 1808.
The delegates signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787, and it was then sent to the states for ratification. The Federalists, who supported a strong central government, faced opposition from Anti-Federalists, who feared the concentration of power and the lack of a bill of rights. The Federalists eventually prevailed, and the Constitution was ratified by the required nine states by 1788, with the remaining states ratifying by 1790.
The Constitution created a powerful central government with a framework that included checks and balances to prevent the abuse of power. It also enshrined the idea that the government's legitimacy came from the people, with the famous opening words, "We the People." The Constitution has been amended over time to secure individual liberties and remains one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world.
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The ratification process
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were aware of the decade-long constitutional heritage. The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, 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 delegates assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787, and by mid-June, they had decided to completely redesign the government.
The delegates debated whether congressional representation should be based on population or divided equally among the states. They compromised by giving each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate. They also agreed to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person and that the slave trade could continue until 1808.
The ratification campaign was contentious, with Federalists and Anti-Federalists battling over the Constitution. Federalists believed that a strong central government was necessary to face the nation's challenges. Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, opposed the creation of a powerful central government that reminded them of the one they had just overthrown, and they wanted a bill of rights included.
The first state to approve the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, and South Carolina. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, making the Constitution the official framework for the government of the United States. All 13 states eventually ratified the Constitution by May 29, 1790.
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The Bill of Rights
The US Constitution was written in the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by delegates from 12 states, in order to replace the Articles of Confederation with a new form of government. The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, had given 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 September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the Constitution, creating a powerful central government. The founders set the terms for ratifying the Constitution, bypassing the state legislatures and calling for special ratifying conventions in each state. Ratification by 9 of the 13 states enacted the new government.
The Federalists, who believed that a strong central government was necessary to face the nation's challenges, needed to convert at least three states. The Anti-Federalists fought hard against the Constitution because it created a powerful central government that reminded them of the one they had just overthrown, and it lacked a bill of rights.
The amendments of the Bill of Rights add to the Constitution specific guarantees of personal freedoms, such as freedom of speech, the right to publish, practice religion, possess firearms, to assemble, and other natural and legal rights. Its clear limitations on the government's power in judicial and other proceedings include explicit declarations that all powers not specifically granted to the federal government by the Constitution are reserved to the states or the people.
The First Amendment states that Congress shall make no law respecting an establishment of religion, or prohibiting the free exercise thereof; or abridging the freedom of speech, or of the press; or the right of the people peaceably to assemble, and to petition the government for a redress of grievances. The Second Amendment states that a well-regulated militia, being necessary to the security of a free state, the right of the people to keep and bear arms, shall not be infringed. The Third Amendment states that no soldier shall, in time of peace, be quartered in any house, without the consent of the owner, nor in time of war, but in a manner to be prescribed by law. The Fourth Amendment safeguards citizens’ right to be free from unreasonable government intrusion in their homes through the requirement of a warrant.
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Frequently asked questions
The Constitution was first drafted in May 1787.
The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 out of 41 delegates present.
The Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it.
The Constitution was ratified by all states on May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island approved the document.
