The Constitution: Signed And Approved By Congress

The U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 or 39 delegates, establishing the government of the United States. The signing took place after three months of fierce debates and discussions, during which delegates sought to revise the Articles of Confederation, which had been America's first constitution. The final draft of the Constitution, which was drafted in secret, contained seven articles, a preamble, and a closing endorsement. Within three days of its signing, the Constitution was submitted to the Congress of the Confederation. The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document.

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The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787

The Constitutional Convention, which began in May 1787, played a crucial role in shaping the Constitution. The convention was convened in Philadelphia, with representatives from 13 states, to amend the existing Articles of Confederation. However, it became evident by mid-June that the convention would draft an entirely new form of government. The delegates engaged in heated debates over congressional representation, the balance of power between the state and central governments, and the issue of slavery, among other topics.

The final document, signed by 38 or 39 out of 41 delegates, reflected a series of compromises. Some delegates were disappointed, and a few even refused to sign. Despite the disagreements, the Constitution was submitted to the Congress of the Confederation within three days of its signing. The signing of the Constitution marked a significant step toward unifying the country and addressing the concerns about the young nation's stability and governance.

The Constitution continued to evolve after its signing, with amendments being proposed and ratified over time. The Bill of Rights, comprising ten amendments, was ratified on December 15, 1791, further safeguarding individual freedoms and rights. The ratification process for the Constitution was not without challenges, with some states voicing opposition due to the lack of protection for certain rights. However, the Massachusetts Compromise addressed these concerns, and the Constitution was gradually ratified by all states, with Rhode Island being the last state to approve it on May 29, 1790.

The US Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, remains a living document that has undergone amendments and interpretations over the years. It serves as a testament to the cooperative statesmanship and the art of compromise that characterized its creation, shaping the government and the nation we know today.

38 of 41 delegates present signed the Constitution

The U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 of the 41 delegates present at the Federal Convention of 1787. The convention was held in Philadelphia, and the delegates included those who had served in the Continental Congress and those who had fought the British during the American Revolution. The signing of the Constitution marked the end of a heated debate over congressional representation, slavery, and the role of the central government.

The Constitutional Convention was convened in response to concerns about the Articles of Confederation, which gave the Confederation Congress limited powers and could not effectively manage western territories. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington feared that the young country was on the brink of collapse due to disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade. The convention debated competing proposals, such as the "New Jersey Plan," which retained the features of the Articles of Confederation, and the "Great Compromise," which prescribed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House and equal state representation in the Senate.

The final draft of the Constitution, presented on September 12, 1787, contained seven articles, a preamble, and a closing endorsement. While some delegates expressed reservations, 38 of the 41 delegates present signed the document, with three refusing to sign. The Constitution was then submitted to the Congress of the Confederation in New York City within three days of its signing.

The ratification process for the Constitution was not without opposition. While 9 of the 13 states enacted the new government, only 6 of the 13 states reported a pro-Constitution majority. The Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution due to its creation of a powerful central government and the lack of a bill of rights. On the other hand, the Federalists, who supported a strong central government, worked to convert at least three states to secure the enactment of the new government.

The Constitution was submitted to the Congress of the Confederation within three days of its signing

The U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 or 39 delegates out of 41, including Benjamin Franklin, and established the government of the United States. The delegates were part of the Constitutional Convention, which assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787. The Convention was convened to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution and 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 debated and discussed the issues, and it became clear that rather than amend the existing Articles, a new frame of government was needed. A Committee of Style and Arrangement was appointed to distill a final draft constitution from the 23 approved articles. The final draft, presented to the convention on September 12, contained seven articles, a preamble, and a closing endorsement. The final document was taken up on September 17, at the convention's final session.

Within three days of its signing, the Constitution was submitted to the Congress of the Confederation, then sitting in New York City, the nation's temporary capital. The Congress of the Confederation was the governing body under the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution was submitted to the Congress of the Confederation as part of the process of enacting the new government.

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.

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The Constitution was influenced by the study of the Magna Carta

The United States Constitution was approved and signed by Congress on September 17, 1787.

The US Constitution was influenced by the study of the Magna Carta and other federations, both ancient and extant. The Founding Fathers were reacting to decades of abuses by the British Parliament, which the colonists believed had betrayed the "higher law" of the Magna Carta. The Magna Carta, or the "Great Charter of Freedoms", was viewed as a model for free men petitioning a despotic government for their God-given rights to "life, liberty and the pursuit of happiness". The colonists sought the preservation of their self-government, freedom from taxation without representation, the right to a trial by a jury of their countrymen, and their enjoyment of "life, liberty, and property" free from arbitrary interference from the crown.

The Due Process Clause of the Constitution was partly based on common law and on the Magna Carta, which had become a foundation of English liberty against arbitrary power wielded by a ruler. The Magna Carta created and memorialized the idea that the people had the right to limit the powers of their government and protect basic and important rights. The legacy of the Magna Carta is also reflected in the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments to the Constitution ratified by the states in 1791. Amendments five through seven set ground rules for a speedy and fair jury trial, and the Eighth Amendment prohibits excessive bail and fines. The Founding Fathers understood that in drafting the US Constitution, they were creating a Magna Carta for a new era.

The Due Process Clause of the Constitution was partly based on common law

The U.S. Constitution was approved and signed by Congress on September 17, 1787. The document was the culmination of three hot summer months of heated debate, during which the delegates grappled with issues such as congressional representation, slavery, and state disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade. The final draft, presented to the convention on September 12, was a compromise that managed to secure the support of eleven state delegations and the lone remaining delegate from New York, Alexander Hamilton.

Procedural due process has been crucial in shaping the law of personal jurisdiction, ensuring that a state's judicial machinery cannot unfairly deprive a person with no connection to the state of their property. The Due Process Clause has also been invoked in cases where laws are deemed too vague for the average citizen to understand, potentially depriving them of their rights. For example, in Coates v. Cincinnati, the word "annoying" was ruled as lacking due process insertion of fair warning.

The Fourteenth Amendment's Due Process Clause has been central to the incorporation of the Bill of Rights to state governments. This process, which began in 1897, has resulted in most rights in the Bill of Rights being applied to the states, with a few exceptions, such as the Third Amendment's restriction on quartering soldiers and the Fifth Amendment's right to a grand jury trial.

The concept of substantive due process, which deals with substantive rights enumerated in the Constitution, has also been a subject of debate and interpretation. While some early invocations of substantive due process were unsuccessful, the 1997 case of Washington v. Glucksberg set a more restrictive methodology for determining unenumerated rights. The case of Bloomer v. McQuewan in 1852 is also notable as one of the first appearances of the concept of substantive due process.

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