Malcolm Rivera
The Constitution of the United States of America was written during the Philadelphia Convention, also known as the Constitutional Convention, which convened from May 25 to September 17, 1787. The four-page document, signed on September 17, 1787, established the government of the United States and superseded the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789. The Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. It has been an inspiration that changed the trajectory of world history, as it put governance in the hands of the people.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date written | May 25, 1787 - September 17, 1787 |
| Date signed | September 17, 1787 |
| Location written | Philadelphia |
| Location signed | Philadelphia |
| Building written | Pennsylvania State House |
| Building signed | Pennsylvania State House |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Type of government | Federal |
| Number of articles | 7 |
| Number of amendments | 10 |
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What You'll Learn
The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787. The signing of the Constitution established the government of the United States and it is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. The Constitution was written and signed during the Philadelphia Convention, also known as the Constitutional Convention, which convened from May 25 to September 17, 1787. The convention was held in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall, in Philadelphia. The delegates to the convention created a model of government that relied on a series of checks and balances by dividing federal authority into the legislative, judicial, and executive branches.
The original U.S. Constitution was handwritten on five pages of parchment by Jacob Shallus. The first three articles of the Constitution embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress (Article I); the executive, consisting of the president and subordinate officers (Article II); and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts (Article III). The Constitution's remaining articles embody concepts of federalism, describing the rights and responsibilities of state governments, the states in relation to the federal government, and the shared process of constitutional amendment.
The Constitution did not go into effect immediately after it was signed. Instead, it needed to be approved by the people through a ratification process. After the necessary number of state ratifications, the Constitution came into effect in 1789 and has served as the basis of the United States Government ever since. The first ten amendments to the Constitution, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice and place restrictions on the powers of the government within the U.S. states.
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It superseded the Articles of Confederation
The United States Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation, which served as the country's first constitution. The Articles of Confederation were adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and went into effect on March 1, 1781. It established a decentralised government that vested most powers in the states and the national legislature. The Articles of Confederation outlined a Congress with representation not based on population, with each state holding one vote.
The Articles of Confederation were largely ineffective in governing the 13 colonies, which were growing in number. The central government had limited powers, such as in assembling delegates, raising funds, regulating commerce, and setting commercial policy. It could not tax, and had to rely on the states for funding and troops for the military. The government was also unable to settle disputes between states.
The Constitution was written during the Philadelphia Convention, also known as the Constitutional Convention, which took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787. The delegates to the convention, including James Madison and George Washington, aimed to revise the Articles of Confederation and address the limitations of the central government. The Constitution established a federal government divided into three branches: the legislative, consisting of a bicameral Congress; the executive, consisting of the President and subordinate officers; and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified by the states, becoming the supreme law of the land. It continues to be the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world, inspiring democratic ideals around the world.
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It was drafted in secret by delegates
The United States Constitution was drafted in the summer of 1787, during the Philadelphia Convention, now known as the Constitutional Convention. The convention was conducted under an oath of secrecy, and the delegates debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution in closed sessions. The delegates to the convention created a model of government that relied on a series of checks and balances by dividing federal authority into the Legislative, Judicial, and Executive branches.
The delegates to the convention included General George Washington, who was unanimously elected president, and Robert Morris of Pennsylvania, who opened the proceedings with a nomination. The convention was convened to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation. The delegates debated how much power to allow the central government, how many representatives in Congress to allow each state, and how these representatives should be elected—directly by the people or by state legislators.
The convention was initially scheduled to begin on May 14, 1787, but due to low attendance, it was adjourned until a quorum of seven states was obtained on May 25. The convention lasted until September, and the final version of the Constitution was presented on September 12, with the delegates methodically considering each section. The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and it established the government of the United States.
The original signed, handwritten Constitution is housed in the National Archives in Washington, D.C. It is a four-page document, handwritten by Jacob Shallus, and it continues to be the supreme law of the land.
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It was ratified by nine of 13 states
The United States Constitution was written and signed in 1787. It was drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention, during the summer of that year. The Convention was convened to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation.
The Constitution established a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments. It put governance in the hands of the people, allowing them to select their own form of government. The document was signed on September 17, 1787, and it was ratified by nine of 13 states. It came into effect in 1789 and has served as the basis of the United States Government ever since.
The Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress (Article I); the executive, consisting of the president and subordinate officers (Article II); and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts (Article III). The Constitution also outlines the rights and responsibilities of state governments, the states in relation to the federal government, and the shared process of constitutional amendment.
The Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. It has been an inspiration that changed the trajectory of world history, and it continues to inspire the world today with its powerful vision of freedom.
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It established the US government
The US Constitution, written in 1787, established the US government. It is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. The document is composed of a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments. The first 10 amendments are known as the Bill of Rights.
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 legislative branch consists of a bicameral Congress (Article I), the executive branch consists of the president and subordinate officers (Article II), and the judicial branch consists of the Supreme Court and other federal courts (Article III).
Article IV, Article V, and Article VI embody concepts of federalism, describing the rights and responsibilities of state governments, the states' relationship to the federal government, and the shared process of constitutional amendment. Article VII establishes the procedure used by the 13 states to ratify the Constitution.
The Constitution was drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention during the summer of 1787. The delegates debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution, discussing and compromising on key issues such as the power of the central government, the number of representatives in Congress for each state, and how these representatives should be elected.
The Constitution established a framework for the US government that continues to be the supreme law of the land, providing a powerful vision of freedom and democratic ideals that have inspired the world.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution was written during the summer of 1787.
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787.
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.
