Jonah Patel
The United States Constitution was signed by 38 delegates on September 17, 1787, with a 39th signature added by George Reed on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware. The Constitution was written during a time of concern about the Articles of Confederation, with fears that the young country was on the brink of collapse. The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787, with delegates agreeing to compromise and completely redesign the government. The Constitution's main provisions include seven articles that define the framework of the federal government, including the separation of powers into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of Framing | May 1787 |
| Location | Philadelphia |
| Number of Delegates | 38 |
| Number of Signatures | 39 |
| Date of Signing | September 17, 1787 |
| Date of Presentation to Convention | September 12, 1787 |
| Date of Final Vote | September 15, 1787 |
| Number of States for Ratification | 9 out of 13 |
| Number of Articles | 7 |
| Number of Amendments | 27 |
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What You'll Learn
The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787
The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1785, marking a pivotal moment in the formation of the United States government. The gathering was a direct response to the weaknesses of the young nation's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, which had left the country on the brink of collapse. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington were key figures in convening the convention, concerned about the lack of enforcement powers, inability to regulate commerce, and other deficiencies under the Articles.
The convention brought together 55 delegates from various states, including Virginia and Pennsylvania, who played a significant role in shaping the proceedings. The delegates met in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, later known as Independence Hall, and their discussions were kept confidential, with windows shuttered and secrecy sworn to ensure open dialogue.
Initially, the goal was to revise the Articles of Confederation. However, by mid-June, the delegates had decided on a more ambitious course of action: a complete redesign of the government. This decision reflected the diverse interests and views represented by the delegates, who grappled with complex questions about the nature and structure of the government. One of the fiercest debates centred on congressional representation, with delegates arguing over whether it should be based on population or divided equally among the states.
The delegates ultimately crafted a compromise, agreeing to a bicameral Congress with representation proportional to population in the House of Representatives and equal representation among the states in the Senate. They also had to navigate contentious issues like slavery, agreeing to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person and allowing the slave trade to continue until 1808.
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 resulted in the creation of the United States Constitution, a groundbreaking document that established a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to foreign relations. The Constitution's main provisions included seven articles that defined the basic framework of the federal government, reflecting the delegates' commitment to strengthening the American government and addressing the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation.
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38 delegates signed the Constitution on 17 September 1787
The United States Constitution was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on 17 September 1787. George Reed signed for John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May of 1787. The delegates had gathered to revise the Articles of Confederation, but by mid-June, they had decided to completely redesign the government. The Articles of Confederation, ratified several months before the British surrender at Yorktown in 1781, provided for a loose confederation of US states, which were sovereign in most of their affairs.
The Articles' failure to empower the central government to carry out essential functions was their primary weakness. The Articles protected the sovereignty of the states at the expense of the central government, which lacked the power to raise revenue or conduct diplomatic relations. The central government also could not manage the western territories in an effective manner. The delegates to the convention were chosen by the state legislatures of 12 of the 13 original states; Rhode Island refused to send delegates. The convention's initial mandate was limited to amending the Articles of Confederation, which had proven highly ineffective in meeting the young nation's needs.
The first proposal discussed, introduced by delegates from Virginia, called for a bicameral (two-house) Congress that was to be elected on a proportional basis based on state population, an elected chief executive, and an appointed judicial branch. An alternative to the Virginia Plan, known as the New Jersey Plan, retained the essential features of the original Articles: a unicameral legislature where all states had equal representation, the appointment of a plural executive, and a supreme court of limited jurisdiction. The delegates eventually produced the document we now know as the Constitution, which expanded the power of the central government while protecting the prerogatives of the states.
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The Constitution's seven articles
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. The Constitution includes four sections: an introductory paragraph titled "Preamble", a list of seven articles that define the government's framework, an untitled closing endorsement with the signatures of 39 framers, and 27 amendments that have been adopted under Article V.
The seven articles make up the structural constitution. The first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, in which the federal government is divided into 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). Article IV, Article V, and Article VI embody concepts of federalism, describing the rights and responsibilities of state governments, the states in relation to the federal government, and the shared process of constitutional amendment. Article VII establishes the procedure subsequently used by the 13 states to ratify it.
Article I describes the Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government. Section 1 reads, "All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives." The article establishes the manner of election and the qualifications of members of each body. Representatives must be at least 25 years old, be a citizen of the United States for seven years, and live in the state they represent.
Article II describes the executive branch of the federal government, consisting of the President and subordinate officers. It establishes the President as the Commander-in-Chief of the armed forces and outlines the process for electing the President and Vice President.
Article III describes the judicial branch of the federal government, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts. It establishes the role of the Supreme Court in interpreting the Constitution and federal laws and outlines the types of cases that fall under federal court jurisdiction.
Articles IV, V, and VI describe the relationship between the federal government and the states, including how new states can be admitted to the Union and how the Constitution can be amended. These articles also establish the principle of federalism, which ensures that powers not specifically given to the federal government are reserved for the states.
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The Articles of Confederation
The delegates at the Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation. However, by mid-June, they had decided to completely redesign the government. 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.
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The Federalist Papers
At the time of publication, the authors of The Federalist Papers attempted to hide their identities due to Hamilton and Madison's involvement in the Constitutional Convention. However, their identities were correctly discerned by astute observers. After Hamilton's death in 1804, a list emerged claiming that he alone had written two-thirds of the essays. However, it is now believed that several of the essays were written by Madison, with the remaining essays authored by Hamilton and Jay.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution was written in 1787.
The Indian Constitution was written in 1947.
38 delegates signed the US Constitution, with George Reed signing on behalf of John Dickinson, bringing the total to 39 signatures.
The US Constitution defines the framework of the federal government, dividing it into three branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial.
