Omar Bennett
The United States Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it. The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787. The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of ratification | June 21, 1788 |
| First state to ratify | Delaware, December 7, 1787 |
| Number of states required for ratification | 9 of 13 |
| Date all 13 states ratified | May 29, 1790 |
| Date the Bill of Rights was ratified | December 15, 1791 |
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What You'll Learn
- The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787
- The Constitution became the official framework of the US government on June 21, 1788
- The Bill of Rights was ratified on December 15, 1791
- The US Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790
- The first federal elections were held from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789
The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787
The journey to ratification was not a straightforward one. The country was governed by the Articles of Confederation, which was tailored to a newly formed nation of states acting more like independent, sovereign countries. It became clear to some of America's leaders that future stability required a stronger, more centralised government. New York's Alexander Hamilton led the call for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation's governing document. Some states voiced opposition to the Constitution on the grounds that it did not provide protection for rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. However, the terms of the Massachusetts Compromise reached in February 1788 stipulated that amendments to that effect—what became the Bill of Rights—would be immediately proposed.
The Power to Ratify Treaties
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The Constitution became the official framework of the US government on June 21, 1788
The new Constitution replaced the Articles of Confederation, which had governed the country up until that point. The Articles had been tailored to a newly formed nation made of states acting more like independent, sovereign countries. However, it soon became clear to some of America's leaders that future stability required a stronger, more centralised government. New York's Alexander Hamilton led the call for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation's governing document.
A Committee of Detail prepared a draft Constitution for delegates to review in early August 1787. On September 17, 1787, 39 of the Constitutional Convention's 55 delegates signed the US Constitution. It was then sent to the states for debate and ratification votes.
Some states voiced opposition to the Constitution on the grounds that it did not provide protection for rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. However, the terms of the Massachusetts Compromise, reached in February 1788, stipulated that amendments to that effect—what became the Bill of Rights—would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document, and the Bill of Rights was not ratified to become part of the Constitution until the end of the following year.
The Constitution's Ratification: A Historical Perspective
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The Bill of Rights was ratified on December 15, 1791
The journey to ratification was not without its challenges. Some states voiced opposition to the Constitution on the grounds that it did not adequately protect certain rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. This led to the Massachusetts Compromise of February 1788, which stipulated that amendments—what became known as the Bill of Rights—would be immediately proposed to address these concerns.
The Bill of Rights consisted of ten amendments, introduced by Madison, that were born out of the Massachusetts Compromise. Congress adopted twelve of these amendments on September 25, 1789, and sent them to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments were ratified on December 15, 1791, becoming the Bill of Rights and a part of the U.S. Constitution.
The ratification of the Constitution and the Bill of Rights marked a significant shift in the governance of the United States, moving away from the Articles of Confederation, which gave more power to individual states, towards a stronger, more centralized government.
Texas Constitution: Ratification and Its Legacy
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The US Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790
The journey to ratification was a long and arduous process. Until the new Constitution was ratified, the country was governed by the Articles of Confederation. This document was tailored to a newly formed nation made of states acting more like independent, sovereign countries. It quickly became clear to some of America's leaders that future stability required a stronger, more centralised government.
Some states voiced opposition to the Constitution on the grounds that it did not provide protection for rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. However, the terms of the Massachusetts Compromise reached in February 1788 stipulated that amendments to that effect—what became the Bill of Rights—would be immediately proposed. Ten of those amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791.
Federalist Papers: A Powerful Tool for Constitution Ratification
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The first federal elections were held from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789
The first federal elections in the United States were held from Monday, December 15, 1788, to Saturday, January 10, 1789. The elections were held after the Constitution was ratified by the required nine of 13 states on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document. The Constitution was drafted in 1787 and the first state to ratify it was Delaware on December 7 of that year.
The Constitution was the official framework of the government of the United States of America, replacing the Articles of Confederation, which had governed the country until that point. The Constitution was drafted because it became clear to some of America's leaders that future stability required a stronger, more centralised government.
The first federal elections resulted in George Washington being elected as President and John Adams as Vice President. The new government was set to begin on March 4, 1789.
The Constitution was not ratified by all 13 states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document.
The Constitution's Ratification by Delaware: A Historical Overview
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Frequently asked questions
The Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it.
Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787.
Nine of the 13 states had to ratify the Constitution for it to become the official framework for the government of the United States of America.
The Bill of Rights, comprising ten amendments, was ratified on December 15, 1791.
