Malcolm Rivera
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with George Reed signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total to 39 signatures. The Constitution came into effect in 1789, superseding the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, which took place between May and September 1787, addressed the problems of the weak central government under the Articles of Confederation, and the need for a stronger, more centralized government. The Constitution established a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting foreign relations. The first federal elections were held from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789, and the new government officially began on March 4, 1789.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date the Constitution was signed | September 17, 1787 |
| Number of delegates who signed the Constitution | 38 (39 with George Reed signing for John Dickinson of Delaware) |
| Date the Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America | June 21, 1788 |
| First state to ratify the Constitution | Delaware |
| Date of the first federal elections | Monday, December 15, 1788 |
| Date the new government was set to begin | March 4, 1789 |
| Date the Constitution was ratified by all states | May 29, 1790 |
| Date the Bill of Rights was ratified | End of 1791 |
| Date the location of the capital was decided | July 16, 1790 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
The Constitution supersedes the Articles of Confederation
The United States of America came into existence under the Constitution on March 4, 1789. The US Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation, which was the nation's first constitution.
The Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and served as the United States' first constitution. It was in force from March 1, 1781, until 1789 when the present-day US Constitution went into effect. The Articles of Confederation established a "league of friendship" for the 13 sovereign and independent states. Each state retained "every Power...which is not by this confederation expressly delegated to the United States". The Articles also outlined a Congress with representation not based on population—each state had one vote in Congress.
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 retained considerable power, and the central government had insufficient power to regulate commerce, tax, or effectively support a war effort. The central government also lacked the ability to settle disputes between states.
The US Constitution, on the other hand, establishes a federal government with three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress (Article I); the executive, consisting of the president and subordinate officers (Article II); and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts (Article III). The Constitution also gave the federal government more power over money and taxes, allowing Congress to control interstate commerce and granting it the power to tax individuals.
The Constitution's seven articles define the basic framework of the federal government, with each article embodying specific concepts. Article I describes the Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government, and establishes the manner of election and the qualifications of members. Article II establishes the executive branch, consisting of the president and subordinate officers. Article III establishes the judicial branch, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts. Articles IV, V, and VI embody concepts of federalism, describing the rights and responsibilities of state governments, the states in relation to the federal government, and the shared processes.
Understanding Real Estate Contracts: What Counts as Consideration?
You may want to see also
The Constitutional Convention
The United States Constitution came into effect in 1789, superseding the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution. The Constitutional Convention, also known as the Federal Convention, the Philadelphia Convention, or the Grand Convention, took place in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787. The convention was convened to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation, which had no enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, or print money.
James Madison of Virginia and Alexander Hamilton of New York were leading proponents of the convention. Madison, who arrived in Philadelphia eleven days early, set the convention's agenda. Before the convention, he studied republics and confederacies throughout history 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's blueprint for constitutional revision became the starting point for the convention's deliberations.
Alexander Hamilton helped convince Congress to organize a Grand Convention of state delegates to work on revising the Articles of Confederation. The convention was initially intended to revise the league of states and devise the first system of federal government under the Articles of Confederation. However, Madison and Hamilton sought to create a new frame of government rather than revise the existing one. They believed that a strong central government was necessary to prevent the young country from collapsing.
The convention was presided over by George Washington, former commanding general of the Continental Army in the American Revolutionary War, and a proponent of a stronger national government. The delegates 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. The convention debated and ratified the Constitution of the United States, making it one of the most significant events in American history.
Democratic Views: A Constitutional Conflict?
You may want to see also
The ratification process
The U.S. Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state out of 13 to ratify it. The journey to ratification, however, was a long and arduous process.
The Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 25, 1787, with representatives from all 13 states in attendance. The convention was called by New York's Alexander Hamilton, who, along with James Madison and George Washington, believed that the young country was on the brink of collapse. America's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, had no enforcement powers and could not regulate commerce or print money.
The delegates at the convention were tasked with revising the existing government but ended up creating a completely new form of government. Representing wildly different interests and views, they crafted compromises. Wary of centralized power, they created a powerful central government.
The founders set the terms for ratifying the Constitution. They bypassed the state legislatures, reasoning that their members would be reluctant to give up power to a national government. Instead, they called for special ratifying conventions in each state. Ratification by nine of the 13 states was required to enact the new government.
The ratification campaign was a nail-biter. The Federalists, who believed in a strong central government, needed to convert at least three states. The Anti-Federalists, on the other hand, 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 tide turned in Massachusetts, where the "vote now, amend later" compromise helped secure victory.
After the Constitution was ratified, Congress set dates for the first federal elections, which were held from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789. The new government began on March 4, 1789, with George Washington as President and John Adams as Vice President.
Key US Constitution Provisions: Rights, Representation, and Rule of Law
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Amendments
The US Constitution, which superseded the Articles of Confederation, came into operation on March 4, 1789. The Constitution was signed by 38 delegates (39 including George Reed, who signed for John Dickinson of Delaware) on September 17, 1787.
Since its inception, there have been numerous proposals to amend the Constitution. Approximately 11,848 proposals have been introduced in Congress since 1789, with members of the House and Senate proposing around 200 amendments during each two-year term of Congress. Amendments can be proposed by two-thirds of both houses of Congress or by a national convention requested by two-thirds of state legislatures.
To date, there have been 27 amendments to the Constitution, with the first 10 amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, being ratified on December 15, 1791. The 13th, 14th, and 15th amendments are collectively referred to as the Reconstruction Amendments. The process of amending the Constitution involves proposing and ratifying amendments. Thirty-three amendments have been proposed and sent to the states for ratification, but only 27 have been ratified by the requisite number of states and are part of the Constitution.
The Twenty-first Amendment, ratified in 1933, is the only amendment to be ratified through a state ratifying convention and is also the only one that explicitly repeals an earlier amendment, the Eighteenth Amendment (ratified in 1919), which established the prohibition of alcohol. The ratification process is administered by the Archivist of the United States, who issues a certificate when an amendment becomes part of the Constitution.
The Constitution's seven articles, which define the framework of the federal government, have been amended while retaining the original text. Amendments are indicated by bracketing or italicizing the amended provisions, although the focus of each article remains unchanged since its adoption in 1787.
Stay-at-Home Orders: Are They Legal?
You may want to see also
The Bill of Rights
The United States Constitution, the country's second, came into force on March 4, 1789, superseding the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution. The Constitution was written in the summer of 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by delegates from 12 states.
The First Congress of the United States proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution on September 25, 1789. Ten of these were ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures on December 15, 1791. These ratified articles constitute the first 10 amendments of the Constitution, or the U.S. 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, and assemble, as well as other natural and legal rights.
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. The ninth amendment states that the enumeration in the Constitution of certain rights shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people. The tenth amendment states that the powers not delegated to the United States by the Constitution, nor prohibited by it to the states, are reserved to the states respectively, or to the people.
Prayer and the Constitution: Founding Fathers' Spirituality
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The Constitution became the official framework of the US government 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.
The US did not begin to look and function as it does today until several years after the Constitution was ratified. The Bill of Rights, for instance, was not ratified until the end of 1791.
