Eleanor Finch
The United States Constitution was first drafted in secret during the summer of 1787 by delegates to the Constitutional Convention. The convention assembled in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on May 14, 1787, to revise the Articles of Confederation, which had been the first constitution of the United States. The delegates, however, soon decided to draft an entirely new constitution. The drafting process involved much debate and redrafting, with the chief points of contention being the power of the central government, the number of representatives in Congress for each state, and how these representatives should be elected. The final document was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratification by the states began. 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.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of the first draft | May 25, 1787 |
| Location | Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Duration | May 25, 1787, to September 17, 1787 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Date of signing | September 17, 1787 |
| Number of signatories | 39 |
| Number of states represented by the signatories | 12 |
| First President elected under the Constitution | George Washington |
| First Vice President elected under the Constitution | John Adams |
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What You'll Learn
- The first draft of the US Constitution was completed in 1787
- The Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia
- George Washington was unanimously elected president of the convention
- The first constitution of the US was the Articles of Confederation
- The Constitution was ratified by all 13 states by 1790
The first draft of the US Constitution was completed in 1787
The US Constitution was first drafted in 1787, during a summer of secret meetings and intense debate. The Constitutional Convention, which assembled in Philadelphia, was tasked with revising the Articles of Confederation, which had been ratified in 1781. However, it soon became clear that a new Constitution was needed to address the limitations of the Articles and to create a stronger, more centralized government.
The drafting process began in May 1787, when delegates from 12 states (all except Rhode Island) convened in Philadelphia. The delegates debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution throughout the summer. On August 6, 1787, the Committee of Detail, led by John Rutledge of South Carolina, presented the first draft of the Constitution. This draft consisted of a preamble and 23 articles, covering topics such as Congress and its powers, the Executive, the judiciary, interstate comity, and the admission of new states.
The first draft was distributed to the delegates, who studied it and made notes. The debates and discussions continued, with further compromises and revisions being made. A Committee of Style and Arrangement, which included Alexander Hamilton, was appointed to prepare a final version of the Constitution. On September 17, 1787, after several days of revisions, the Constitutional Convention voted in favor of the Constitution. The document was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present, and it established the government of the United States.
However, the Constitution would not become binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 states. The first state to ratify was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution, making it the official framework of the US government. The first federal elections were held from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789, and the new government, led by President George Washington and Vice President John Adams, began on March 4, 1789.
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The Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia
The United States Constitution was drafted during the summer of 1787 at the Constitutional Convention, held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The convention took place from May 14 to September 17, 1787, and was convened to address the weaknesses of the existing governing document, the Articles of Confederation.
The Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia was a pivotal gathering of 55 delegates from 12 states, with Rhode Island being the only state that did not send a representative. The delegates included prominent figures such as George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. The convention's initial goal was to revise the Articles of Confederation, which had been adopted in 1777 and ratified by the 13 colonies in 1781. However, it soon became clear that a completely new framework for government was needed.
The delegates to the convention grappled with important issues such as representation, federal power, and the balance between state and central authority. They debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution in closed sessions throughout the summer. The convention ultimately resulted in a significant shift from the Articles of Confederation to a stronger national government, with a federal structure that divided powers between the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches.
The Constitution that emerged from the convention established a federal government with more specific powers, including the authority to conduct relations with foreign governments. The document was signed on September 17, 1787, and came into effect in 1789 after the necessary number of state ratifications. It has served as the basis of the United States Government ever since.
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George Washington was unanimously elected president of the convention
The US Constitution was first drafted in 1787. On May 14, 1787, the Federal Convention convened in the State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia to revise the Articles of Confederation. The delegates soon realised that rather than amend the existing Articles, they would need to draft an entirely new framework of government.
George Washington was unanimously elected president in the first US presidential election, which took place over a period of weeks during December 1788 and January 1789. Washington received 69 electoral votes, winning the support of each participating elector. No other president has since achieved a unanimous vote in the Electoral College.
On April 30, 1789, Washington took the presidential oath of office at Federal Hall in New York City, the first capital of the United States. Washington helped shape the role and powers of the presidency, setting precedents for future presidents. He was re-elected in 1792, again with a unanimous vote, and remains the only US president to have achieved this.
The drafting of the Constitution was completed at the Constitutional Convention, which assembled in Philadelphia. The Convention was convened in response to calls for a stronger, more centralised government, as the Articles of Confederation, which had been ratified in 1781, gave little power to the central government. The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and became the official framework of the US government when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it on June 21, 1788.
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The first constitution of the US was the Articles of Confederation
The United States' first constitution was the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, which was drafted in mid-June 1777 and adopted by the full Congress in mid-November of the same year. The Articles of Confederation established a weak central government that lacked enforcement powers and the ability to regulate commerce or print money. It also left the issue of state claims to western lands unresolved.
The Articles of Confederation were drafted by a committee appointed by the Second Continental Congress. The committee included Benjamin Franklin, who drew up a plan for "Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union." While some delegates, such as Thomas Jefferson, supported Franklin's proposal, many others were strongly opposed.
The final draft of the Articles of Confederation was completed on November 15, 1777, and submitted to the states for ratification in late November. The Articles were a flawed compromise, but most delegates believed that it was better than having no formal national government. The first state to ratify was Virginia on December 16, 1777, and by February 1779, 12 states had ratified the Articles.
However, several states, including Maryland, Delaware, and New Jersey, refused to ratify the Articles due to disputes over territory and other issues. Despite these challenges, the Articles of Confederation served as the written document that established the functions of the national government of the United States after it declared independence from Great Britain.
In the years following the Revolutionary War, concerns arose about the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, and James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington feared that the country was on the brink of collapse. As a result, a Constitutional Convention was called in 1787 to revise the Articles of Confederation. The convention ultimately abandoned the Articles and drafted a new Constitution with a stronger national government. The new Constitution was signed and adopted on September 17, 1787, and the ratification process began, ending when the final state, Rhode Island, ratified it on May 29, 1790.
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The Constitution was ratified by all 13 states by 1790
The United States Constitution was drafted in 1787 and signed on September 17 of that year. The drafting took place in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention, who had convened in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, to revise the Articles of Confederation. The delegates, however, ended up drafting an entirely new form of government.
The Constitution was then submitted to Congress, which voted to forward the proposal to the 13 states for their ratification. Under Article VII, the document would only become binding once it had been ratified by nine of the 13 states. The first state to ratify was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut.
Some states opposed the Constitution on the grounds that it did not provide protection for rights such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press. However, the terms of the Massachusetts Compromise, reached in February 1788, stipulated that amendments would be proposed to that effect—what became the Bill of Rights. The Constitution was subsequently ratified by Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, and, on June 21, 1788, New Hampshire, which became the ninth state to ratify.
The Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire ratified it. However, it was not ratified by all 13 states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document. The Bill of Rights was ratified on December 15, 1791.
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Frequently asked questions
The first draft of the US Constitution was written in 1787.
The US Constitution was ratified in 1788.
The US Constitution was drafted in Independence Hall, Philadelphia.
The US Constitution was signed by 39 delegates from 12 states.
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the first constitution of the United States.
