Simone Lawson
On December 12, 1787, Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the U.S. Constitution, five days after Delaware became the first. The Pennsylvania convention ratified the document by a vote of 46-23. The state played a significant role in the American Revolution and the quest for independence from the British Empire, hosting the First and Second Continental Congresses in Philadelphia. The Constitution was also printed in German to include the German-speaking population in the debate.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | December 12, 1787 |
| Order of Ratification | Second |
| Method of Ratification | Convention |
| Date of Admission to Union | December 12, 1787 |
| Number of Delegates | 46 |
| Number of Votes For | 46 |
| Number of Votes Against | 0 |
| Percentage of Votes For | 100% |
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What You'll Learn
Pennsylvania ratified the US Constitution on December 12, 1787
On December 12, 1787, Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the US Constitution, with a vote of 46 to 23. This came just days after Delaware became the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787.
Pennsylvania was the most ethnically and religiously diverse state in the new nation. One-third of Pennsylvania’s population was German-speaking, and the Constitution was printed in German to involve that population in the debate. The chairman of the Pennsylvania ratifying convention, Reverend Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg, was the son of a leading German Lutheran minister and the grandson of Conrad Weiser, a leading colonial Indian interpreter and German-speaking political leader. The leader of the Anti-Federalist opposition was the Delaware-born Scots-Irishman Thomas McKean.
The Pennsylvania convention didn't lack star power. Benjamin Rush and Anthony Wayne were in attendance. The most articulate defender of the Federalist cause was Future Supreme Court Justice and Scottish immigrant James Wilson. Wilson's genius in describing the nature of layered sovereignty in a federal republic, using the solar system as an analogy, was invaluable in convincing Pennsylvanians to ratify.
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776, drafted by Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin, was the state's first constitution following its declaration of independence. It was replaced in 1790 by a new constitution.
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The vote was 46-23 in favour of ratification
On December 12, 1787, Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the US Constitution. The vote was 46-23 in favour of ratification.
Pennsylvania was the most ethnically and religiously diverse state in the new nation. One-third of the population was German-speaking, and the Constitution was printed in German to involve this demographic in the debate. The chairman of the Pennsylvania ratifying convention, Reverend Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg, was the son of a leading German Lutheran minister. The leader of the Anti-Federalist opposition was Thomas McKean, a Delaware-born Scots-Irishman. Future Supreme Court Justice and Scottish immigrant James Wilson was the most articulate defender of the Federalist cause. Wilson used the solar system as an analogy to describe the nature of layered sovereignty in a federal republic, which was invaluable in convincing Pennsylvanians to ratify.
Anti-Federalists criticised the federal Constitution for failing to codify the freedom of religious practice. However, they had denied this freedom to their fellow citizens during the War of Independence. Pennsylvania had drafted the most radical of the state constitutions during the War for Independence. By excluding Quakers and all other pacifists unwilling to take oaths of allegiance to the Revolutionary cause, Pennsylvania's constitution was fervently anti-British.
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Pennsylvania was the second state to ratify the Constitution
On December 12, 1787, Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the US Constitution. The vote was 46 to 23 in favour of ratification. Pennsylvania was the first big state to confront a pitched debate between supporters of the sweeping constitutional changes and the Anti-Federalists, who feared centralized power and insisted on a Bill of Rights to accompany the Constitution. Pennsylvania was the most ethnically and religiously diverse state in the new nation, with one-third of its population being German-speaking. The Constitution was printed in German to involve this demographic in the debate.
The chairman of the Pennsylvania ratifying convention was Reverend Frederick Augustus Conrad Muhlenberg, the son of a leading German Lutheran minister and the grandson of Conrad Weiser, a leading colonial Indian interpreter and German-speaking political leader. The leader of the Anti-Federalist opposition was Thomas McKean, a Delaware-born Scots-Irishman. Future Supreme Court Justice and Scottish immigrant James Wilson was the most articulate defender of the Federalist cause.
Pennsylvania's own state constitution, drafted during the War for Independence, was the most radical of the state constitutions. It excluded Quakers and all other pacifists who were unwilling to take oaths of allegiance to the Revolutionary cause. Pennsylvania's ratification of the US Constitution was only conceivable when pacifists were again able to exercise the franchise in peacetime. Large states had the most to lose by joining a strengthened union. Wilson's genius in describing the nature of layered sovereignty in a federal republic, using the solar system as an analogy, was invaluable in convincing Pennsylvanians to ratify.
Anti-Federalists found themselves in the hypocritical position of criticizing the federal Constitution for failing to codify the freedom of religious practice that they had actively denied their fellow citizens during the War for Independence. The document outlining their position, the Pennsylvania minority report, was sent to the other states as part of a wide effort to reject the new Constitution. It said: "We entered on the examination of the proposed system of government, and found it to be such as we could not adopt, without, as we conceived, surrendering up your dearest rights."
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Anti-Federalists opposed ratification, fearing centralised power
On December 12, 1787, Pennsylvania became the second state to ratify the Constitution. The Anti-Federalists opposed the ratification of the Constitution, fearing that a centralised government would threaten their liberties. They believed that the new Constitution consolidated too much power in Congress and the unitary president, resembling a monarchy. They advocated for state autonomy and independence in their authority, arguing that the liberties of the people were best protected when power resided in state governments.
The Anti-Federalists were a late-18th-century political movement that opposed the creation of a stronger federal government. Led by Patrick Henry of Virginia, they worried that the position of president might evolve into a monarchy. They also believed that the central government under the Articles of Confederation was sufficient, or at least that the national government under the Constitution would be too strong.
The Anti-Federalists played a significant role in the origin of the Bill of Rights, which protects Americans' civil liberties. They advocated for a bill of rights to be included in the Constitution to prevent the federal government from becoming tyrannous. Their opposition led to the adoption of the First Amendment and other amendments that constitute the Bill of Rights.
The debate over the newly written Constitution began in the press in 1787, with Anti-Federalists expressing their concerns under pseudonyms. Their opposition created a powerful current against adopting the Constitution in each of the states. In state legislatures across the country, opponents of the Constitution criticised its grant of extensive powers to the federal government.
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The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was replaced in 1790
The new constitution was controversial from the start. By placing power in a single assembly, the framers set the stage for a less effective government. The document also included test oaths that excluded opponents from participating in the government, creating the very conditions of one-party rule that the constitution had aimed to eliminate.
In 1790, a new constitution was adopted that more evenly considered the complexities of government and the rights of citizens. This constitution replaced the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776. It is important to note that the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was distinct from the US Constitution, which Pennsylvania ratified on December 12, 1787, becoming the second state to do so.
The US Constitution was controversial in Pennsylvania as well, with Anti-Federalists criticizing it for failing to codify the freedom of religious practice. However, Pennsylvania was a diverse state, and the US Constitution was printed in German to involve the German-speaking population in the debate. The most articulate defender of the Federalist cause in Pennsylvania was future Supreme Court Justice James Wilson, who played an invaluable role in convincing Pennsylvanians to ratify the US Constitution.
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Frequently asked questions
The Pennsylvania colony ratified the constitution on December 12, 1787.
The vote count was 46-23 in favour of ratifying the constitution.
Pennsylvania was the second state to ratify the constitution and the first big state to do so. It was also the most ethnically and religiously diverse state in the new nation.
