Jonah Patel
The United States Constitution, the supreme law of the United States of America, was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The signing of the Constitution occurred after a four-month-long convention, during which 39 delegates representing 12 states (excluding Rhode Island, which did not send delegates) debated and crafted the document. The Constitution was created to address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution but lacked enforcement powers and the ability to regulate commerce or print money. The U.S. Constitution established a federal government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial, and it delineated their functions and powers. The signing of the Constitution was a significant moment in American history, as it laid the framework for the nation's government and helped unify the states under a powerful central government.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | September 17, 1787 |
| Location | Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Number of Signatures | 39 |
| Number of Delegates | 38 or 39 |
| Number of States Represented | 12 |
| Number of States Needed for Ratification | 9 |
| Number of States That Approved by January 9, 1788 | 5 |
| Age of Youngest Signer | 26 (Jonathan Dayton) |
| Age of Oldest Signer | 81 (Benjamin Franklin) |
| Type of Government | Federal |
| Number of Branches of Government | 3 (legislative, executive, and judicial) |
| Number of Articles | 7 |
| Number of Amendments | 27 |
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What You'll Learn
The Signing of the United States Constitution
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This signing occurred after a four-month-long Constitutional Convention, which began in May of the same year. The convention was held to address the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. The Articles of Confederation gave the Confederation Congress the authority to make rules and request funds from the states, but it lacked enforcement powers and could not regulate commerce or print money. This led to disputes among the states over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade, threatening the country's stability.
During the Constitutional Convention, 39 delegates representing 12 states (all except Rhode Island, which did not send any delegates) worked on creating a new governing document. The delegates came from diverse backgrounds and held varying interests and views, but they managed to craft compromises and create a powerful central government that addressed their concerns. The final draft of the Constitution, presented on September 12, 1787, contained seven articles, a preamble, and a closing endorsement.
The signing of the Constitution on September 17 was a significant moment in American history. The delegates' endorsement included signatures, a declaration of successful completion, and a statement of adoption by the states present. Benjamin Franklin, the oldest signer at 81, delivered a speech endorsing the Constitution, despite its imperfections. He appealed for unity and hoped to gain the support of critics. The convention secretary, William Jackson, added a note verifying four amendments made to the document and signed to authenticate its validity.
The U.S. Constitution laid out the framework for the nation's federal government, outlining the functions of its three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The document was influenced by various sources, including the Magna Carta, common law, and Enlightenment philosophers such as Montesquieu and John Locke. The signing of the Constitution marked a pivotal moment in the formation of the United States government, and it superseded the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789.
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The Compromises and Disappointments
The US Constitution, produced after the Constitutional Convention, is sometimes referred to as a "bundle of compromises". This is because delegates had to make concessions on several key points to create a government charter that was acceptable to each of the 13 states.
One of the most contentious issues was congressional representation. The question was whether it should be based on population or divided equally among the states. The framers compromised by giving each state one representative for every 30,000 people in the House of Representatives and two representatives in the Senate.
Another thorny issue was slavery, which threatened to derail the Union. Delegates from Northern states, where the economy did not rely heavily on the enslavement of African people, wanted to end the importation and sale of enslaved individuals. Southern states, however, felt that the enslavement of African people was vital to their economy and did not want the government interfering. The delegates agreed to a compromise, whereby Northern states agreed to wait until 1808 before Congress could ban the trade of enslaved people. This became known as the "Three-Fifths Compromise", as it counted every five enslaved people as three individuals for representation purposes.
The issue of representation in the Senate was also a major point of contention. The Great Compromise, or Connecticut Compromise, proposed that each state would have an equal vote in the Senate, with members elected by the individual state legislatures. This was amended in 1913, when the Seventeenth Amendment was ratified, requiring members of the Senate to be elected by the people.
The Electoral College was another compromise, between those who wanted the direct popular election of the president, and those who supported other presidential selection systems. The framers debated a range of ways to select the president, including direct election by popular vote, by members of Congress, by electors selected by lottery, by state governors, or by an electoral college.
The ratification campaign was a tense process. The "vote now, amend later" compromise helped secure victory in Massachusetts and eventually in the final holdout states.
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The Role of the Committee of Style
The United States Constitution was signed by 39 of 55 delegates on September 17, 1787. The summer of 1787 witnessed the delegates debating and modifying the document that would become the United States Constitution. However, the document was drafted by the Committee of Detail and the Committee of Style and Arrangement, also known as the Committee of Style.
The Committee of Style played a crucial role in the creation of the United States Constitution. The committee was formed on August 31, 1787, with the purpose of revising and finalizing the constitution's text. The committee members were chosen for their strong writing skills and attention to detail. They were tasked with reviewing the draft constitution, ensuring consistency in style and language, and making any necessary grammatical and stylistic changes.
The committee consisted of five members, each representing a different state: William Samuel Johnson (Connecticut), Alexander Hamilton (New York), Gouverneur Morris (Pennsylvania), James Madison (Virginia), and Rufus King (Massachusetts). Morris, known for his eloquent writing style, was appointed as the committee's chairman.
The Committee of Style's primary task was to review the draft constitution and ensure that the language was clear, consistent, and free of errors. They carefully examined the document, section by section, to identify any ambiguous or confusing passages and to improve the overall flow and readability of the text. They also standardized the wording and format of the various provisions to create a cohesive and unified document.
In addition to editing and revising the text, the Committee of Style also had some substantive influence on the Constitution. They made certain decisions regarding the structure and organization of the document. For example, they rearranged the articles and sections to create a more logical flow and clarified some ambiguous provisions to ensure they accurately reflected the intentions of the convention. They also filled in some gaps and added missing details to the draft, such as the "necessary and proper" clause in Article I, Section 8, which grants Congress implied powers to enact laws necessary to carry out its enumerated powers.
While the Committee of Style did not significantly alter the substance of the Constitution, their contributions were essential in ensuring the document's clarity, coherence, and stylistic consistency. Their work helped transform a collection of ideas and principles into a well-crafted and enduring constitution.
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The Delegates and their Endorsement
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, representing 12 states, endorsed the Constitution. The endorsement included a declaration that the delegates' work had been completed successfully and that those who signed the document subscribed to its final form.
The delegates also included a statement pronouncing the document's adoption by the states present, a formulaic dating of its adoption, and the signatures of those endorsing it. The convention's secretary, William Jackson, added a note verifying four amendments made by hand to the final document and signed it to authenticate its validity.
The signing of the Constitution was the culmination of a four-month-long convention that began in May 1787. The delegates to the convention were tasked with revising the existing government under the Articles of Confederation, which had been America's first constitution. However, the Articles of Confederation had several shortcomings, including a lack of enforcement powers and an inability to regulate commerce or print money.
Several delegates were disappointed by the numerous compromises contained in the final document, believing that they had compromised its quality. Despite this, Benjamin Franklin strongly endorsed the Constitution, appealing for unity and hoping to gain the support of critics. Franklin's speech, delivered by his colleague James Wilson, declared:
> "I think it will astonish our enemies, who are waiting with confidence to hear that our councils are confounded [...] and that our States are on the point of separation, only to meet hereafter for the purpose of cutting one another's throats."
The delegates who signed the Constitution represented a wide range of interests and views, and many had taken part in the American Revolution. Seven had signed the Declaration of Independence, and thirty had served on active military duty. The youngest signer was 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton, while the oldest was 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin.
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The Constitution's Influence and Legacy
The United States Constitution was signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The signing of the document, which superseded the Articles of Confederation, marked a significant shift from the rule of a sovereign to a representative government, with laws drafted by the people's representatives. This shift had a profound impact on the history of ideas and legal thinking, both within the United States and globally.
One of the Constitution's key legacies is its influence on legal thinking and adaptation in emerging nations. Beginning in the mid-19th century, European colonies referenced the U.S. Constitution when developing their own freely elected governments, citing the rights of man and the separation of powers. The Constitution's framework, which outlines the federal government's structure and the functioning of its three branches (legislative, executive, and judicial), provided a model for nations transitioning to self-governance.
The Constitution's influence extended beyond the theoretical and inspired practical political reforms. For instance, President Benito Juarez of Mexico implemented practices like judicial review when introducing more liberal policies into the Mexican constitution, drawing legal inspiration from the United States. Similarly, nationalists such as Jose Rizal of the Philippines and Sun Yat-sen of China invoked the U.S. Constitution in their calls for political reform and representative government. Rizal, for example, cited the U.S. Constitution in pushing for Filipino representation in the Spanish Parliament.
The Constitution's legacy also lies in its enduring impact on the United States' legal and political landscape. The Bill of Rights, comprising the first ten amendments to the Constitution, guarantees individual freedoms and protections from the state government. The Due Process Clause, influenced by common law and Magna Carta, safeguards against arbitrary interference from the government, while the Separation of Powers doctrine ensures a balance of power between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches.
While the Constitution's influence has evolved over time, with a decreasing reliance on it for ideas and models of government in recent decades, its signing remains a pivotal moment in the history of governance. It continues to shape legal and political thinking, serving as a foundation for representative democracy and the rule of law.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787.
39 delegates signed the US Constitution, representing 12 states.
The US Constitution was signed at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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.
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