Omar Bennett
The United States Constitution, the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force, was drafted and signed in 1787. It was written during the Philadelphia Convention, now known as the Constitutional Convention, which convened from May 25 to September 17, 1787, and was signed on September 17, 1787. The Constitution was a charter of government that came to be ratified by the states and continues to be the supreme law of the land.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date drafted | May 25 to September 17, 1787 |
| Location drafted | Philadelphia |
| Building drafted | State House (Independence Hall) |
| Date signed | September 17, 1787 |
| Number of signatures | 39 |
| Date ratified | March 4, 1789 |
| Date of first federal elections | December 15, 1788 |
| Date of first federal elections end | January 10, 1789 |
| Date Bill of Rights ratified | December 15, 1791 |
| Date ratified by all states | May 29, 1790 |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787
The US Constitution, the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in the world, was signed on September 17, 1787. It was drafted in secret during the summer of 1787 by delegates to the Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention, which convened on May 14, 1787, in the State House (now known as Independence Hall) in Philadelphia. The convention was convened to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution but gave little power to the central government. However, it soon became clear that the convention would not amend the existing Articles but would instead draft an entirely new form of government.
The delegates to the convention, representing wildly different interests and views, crafted compromises and created a powerful central government. The Constitution they drafted was a four-page document that established the government of the United States and included an introductory paragraph titled "Preamble," a list of seven Articles that define the government's framework, an untitled closing endorsement, and 27 amendments that have been adopted. The Preamble lays out the purposes of the new government and begins with the words “We the People,” which represented a new thought: the idea that the people, and not the states, were the source of the government's legitimacy.
The Constitution was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present, with George Reed signing for the absent John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The signing of the Constitution concluded the Constitutional Convention, which had been conducted under an oath of secrecy. The document was then published in a newspaper, "The Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser," on September 19, 1787, two days after it was signed. This represented the first time that Americans saw the Constitution.
The Constitution did not go into effect immediately after it was signed; it needed to be ratified by the states. The first state to ratify was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. The Constitution was eventually ratified by nine states, and on March 4, 1789, a new government was established. The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island approved the document. The Bill of Rights, which included ten amendments, was ratified on December 15, 1791.
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The Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia
The Convention was conducted in secret, and the resulting four-page document was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 out of 41 delegates present. This document established the government of the United States and was the first time that a nation allowed its citizens to select their form of government democratically. The Constitution was not immediately effective and needed to be ratified by the states. Delaware was the first state to ratify on December 7, 1787, and the necessary number of state ratifications was achieved by 1789, when the Constitution came into effect.
The original signed, handwritten Constitution is kept at the National Archives in Washington, D.C. The National Constitution Center in Philadelphia also owns a rare, original copy of the first public printing of the Constitution. The Constitution continues to be the supreme law of the land and the basis of the United States Government. It has played a significant role in American history and inspired democratic ideals worldwide.
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The Constitution was drafted in secret
The Constitution of the United States was drafted in the summer of 1787, a few years after the Revolutionary War. At this time, America's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the state governments, but it lacked enforcement powers, the ability to regulate commerce, and the ability to print money. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young nation apart.
New York's Alexander Hamilton led the call for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation's governing document. The Confederation Congress endorsed his initiative, and representatives from all 13 states were invited to convene in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787. The convention was tasked with amending the Articles of Confederation, but it became clear by mid-June that the delegates would draft an entirely new form of government.
The Constitutional Convention was conducted under an oath of secrecy. The delegates to the convention drafted the Constitution in secret during the summer of 1787. The document was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 of the 41 delegates present, with George Reed signing for the absent John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39.
The Constitution established a powerful central government, separating the powers of government into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. It also set up a system of checks and balances to ensure that no one branch had too much power, and it divided power between the state and federal governments. The Constitution was an extraordinary achievement, standing today as one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world.
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38 of the 41 delegates present signed the Constitution
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 of the 41 delegates present at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. The Federal Convention, which had convened in the State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, was initially tasked with revising the Articles of Confederation. However, it soon became clear that a new framework of government was needed, and the delegates worked through the summer of 1787 to draft the Constitution.
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention ranged in age from 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton to 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin, who was so infirm that he had to be carried to sessions in a sedan chair. The Convention was conducted under an oath of secrecy, so the American public did not see the Constitution until it was published in The Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser on September 19, 1787, two days after it was signed.
The Constitution established a stronger, more centralized government for a newly formed nation of states that had previously acted more like independent, sovereign countries. It separated the powers of government into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial branches. It also set up a system of checks and balances to ensure that no one branch held too much power and divided power between the states and the federal government.
Not all of the delegates agreed with the final document. Three delegates, Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, George Mason of Virginia, and Randolph, did not sign the Constitution at all. They preferred the decentralized nature of the Articles of Confederation as a check on the power of the central government and were dubbed "Anti-Federalists" by their opponents. Despite these objections, the Constitution was a significant step towards a more unified and powerful central government for the United States.
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The Constitution was ratified by the states
The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 of the 41 delegates present. However, George Reed signed for John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The signing took place in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, now known as Independence Hall. This was the same place the Declaration of Independence was signed.
The Constitution did not go into effect immediately after it was signed. It had to be ratified by the states. The process for ratification was established in Article VII of the Constitution, which stated that ratification by the conventions of nine states would be sufficient for the establishment of the Constitution.
Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787. This was followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. Some states opposed the Constitution because it did not provide protection for certain rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. However, the terms of the Massachusetts Compromise, reached in February 1788, addressed these concerns and stipulated that amendments—what became the Bill of Rights—would be immediately proposed.
On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution. The Confederation Congress then established March 4, 1789, as the date to begin operating under the new government. The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island approved the document. The Bill of Rights, which consisted of ten amendments, was ratified on December 15, 1791.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution was drafted in 1787, during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 of the 41 delegates present. George Reed signed for John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39.
The US Constitution was ratified by the states, with Delaware being the first state to do so on December 7, 1787. The final state, Rhode Island, approved the document on May 29, 1790.
The US Constitution was signed in Philadelphia, in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall.
