Simone Lawson
The United States Constitution, the supreme law of the United States of America, was signed on September 17, 1787, by 39 delegates. However, it did not come into effect immediately. The Constitution required ratification by nine of the 13 existing states, as per Article VII. New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution on June 21, 1788, and the Confederation Congress established March 4, 1789, as the date to begin operating a new government under the Constitution.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of signing | September 17, 1787 |
| Number of delegates who signed | 39 |
| First state to ratify | Delaware, December 7, 1787 |
| Date of ratification by 9th state | June 21, 1788 |
| Date of first federal elections | December 15, 1788 |
| Date new government began | March 4, 1789 |
| Date of first presidential election | 1789 |
| First President | George Washington |
| First Vice President | John Adams |
| Date of full ratification by all states | May 29, 1790 |
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What You'll Learn
The signing of the US Constitution
The Constitutional Convention, which began in May 1787, included delegates from 12 of the 13 states, with Rhode Island declining to send representatives. The delegates worked over four months to draft the Constitution, which outlined a new form of republican government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The final document was signed by 39 of the 41 delegates present, with George Read signing on behalf of the absent John Dickinson. The signatures were witnessed by the convention's secretary, William Jackson, who added a note verifying four amendments made to the document.
The signing of the Constitution was preceded by a speech from Benjamin Franklin, who, despite his own reservations about certain parts of the document, strongly endorsed it. Franklin's speech, read by James Wilson due to Franklin's poor health, appealed to the delegates to sign the Constitution, acknowledging that while it may not be perfect, it was the best that could be hoped for at the time. This was followed by a debate, with Hugh Williamson proposing that a letter should accompany the document when sent to Congress. Despite this objection, Franklin's motion to sign the Constitution was approved by 10 of the state delegations.
The Constitution would not become binding, however, until it was ratified by nine of the 13 states. Delaware was the first state to ratify on December 7, 1787, and on June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to do so, making the Constitution the official framework of the US government. The remaining states, including Rhode Island, would eventually ratify the document by May 29, 1790, and the Bill of Rights was ratified by the end of the following year.
The process of signing and ratifying the US Constitution was a complex and contentious journey, but it laid the foundation for the nation's federal government and the separation of powers it embodies.
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Ratification by the states
The U.S. Constitution is the fundamental framework of America's system of government. It separates the powers of government into three branches: the legislative branch, which makes the laws; the executive branch, which executes the laws; and the judicial branch, which interprets the laws.
The Constitution was written and signed in 1787, and it was ratified by the states. However, it did not go into effect immediately upon being signed by the delegates. It needed to be approved by the people through the ratification process outlined in Article VII, which stated that "The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same." This was due to the suspicion that Rhode Island might not ratify, and the delegates wanted to ensure that the Constitution would go into effect.
The first state to ratify the Constitution 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, and the Confederation Congress established March 4, 1789, as the date to begin operating a new government under the Constitution. This date is significant as it marks the first session of Congress, and it is when the Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America.
The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document. The Bill of Rights, which addressed concerns about the lack of protection for rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and press, was not ratified until the end of 1791. The process of ratification by the states was a long and arduous journey, but it ultimately led to the establishment of the United States Constitution as the supreme law of the land.
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The first federal elections
The US Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to approve it. The first federal elections took place from Monday, December 15, 1788, to Saturday, January 10, 1789.
The elections were set after the ratification of the Constitution, which superseded the Articles of Confederation. The Articles of Confederation had been the nation's first constitution, but it became clear that a stronger, more centralized government was needed. The Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into three branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial.
The first presidential election saw George Washington elected as the first President of the United States, and John Adams as Vice President. Washington was not a member of any political party at the time of his election or during his tenure as president.
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The official implementation
The first state to ratify was Delaware on December 7, 1787, and on June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to do so, meaning the Constitution could now become the official framework of the government of the United States. The Confederation Congress then set March 4, 1789, as the date for the new government to begin operating under the Constitution. This date also marked the first session of Congress, and the nation's first presidential election, in which George Washington was elected president.
However, the Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island approved the document, and the Bill of Rights was not ratified until the end of the following year. The Constitution also did not include a location for the nation's capital, which was only decided on July 16, 1790.
The process of amending the Constitution is also important to its official implementation. A proposed amendment becomes part of the Constitution as soon as it is ratified by three-fourths of the states (38 of 50 states currently). Once the Office of the Federal Register receives the required number of authenticated ratification documents, it drafts a formal proclamation for the Archivist to certify the amendment, which is then published in the Federal Register and United States Statutes at Large.
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The Bill of Rights
The United States Constitution, the supreme law of the United States of America, superseded the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789. The signing of the Constitution occurred on September 17, 1787, when 39 delegates endorsed the document created during the Philadelphia Convention. The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island approved the document.
The first Congress of the United States proposed 12 amendments to the Constitution on September 25, 1789. Ten of these proposed amendments were ratified by three-fourths of the state legislatures on December 15, 1791, forming the Bill of Rights. The ratified amendments constitute the first ten amendments of the Constitution, or the U.S. Bill of Rights.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it.
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 39 delegates.
The US Constitution is the fundamental framework of America's system of government. It separates the powers of government into three branches: the legislative branch, the executive branch, and the judicial branch.
The US Constitution is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789.
A proposed amendment becomes an operative part of the Constitution as soon as it is ratified by three-fourths of the States (currently 38 of the 50 states).
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