Malcolm Rivera
The United States Constitution, the oldest written national constitution in use, was written in 1787 during the Philadelphia Convention, also known as the Constitutional Convention. The Federal Convention convened in the State House (now known as Independence Hall) in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, to revise the Articles of Confederation. The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and established the government of the United States.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date written | Summer of 1787 |
| Date signed | September 17, 1787 |
| Location written | Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Number of delegates | 55 |
| Number of essays in the Federalist Papers | 85 |
| Location of original signed copy | National Archives, Washington, D.C. |
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What You'll Learn
The Federal Convention
Initially, only delegates from two states were present, so the convention adjourned until a quorum of seven states was reached on May 25. During the convention, it became clear that rather than amending the existing Articles, a new frame of government would be required. This new constitution would address several key issues, including the balance of power between the central government and the states, the number of representatives in Congress for each state, and how these representatives should be elected.
General George Washington was unanimously elected president of the convention. The delegates debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution throughout the summer, and the final document was signed on September 17, 1787.
The Constitution was a revolutionary document, putting governance into the hands of the people. It has inspired the world and continues to be the supreme law of the land.
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The Articles of Confederation
The Articles were drafted by John Dickinson, a delegate from Delaware, and consisted of six sheets of parchment stitched together. The document included language guaranteeing each state's sovereignty, left the matter of western land claims to individual states, established state-by-state voting, and outlined a Congress with representation based on a single vote per state, rather than population.
By the mid-1780s, it became apparent that the Articles of Confederation were flawed and inadequate in addressing the country's needs. The limitations on the central government, such as raising funds and regulating commerce, hindered its ability to effectively govern the growing nation. As a result, the Constitutional Convention was convened in Philadelphia in May 1787 to revise the Articles, ultimately leading to the drafting of the new US Constitution.
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The Connecticut Compromise
The United States Constitution, the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution, was drafted in 1787. The Federal Convention convened in the State House in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, to revise the Articles of Confederation. However, the delegates soon decided to draft an entirely new frame of government.
One of the chief points of contention was how much representation to allow each state in Congress. The delegates from small states and those from large states disagreed on the apportionment of representation in the federal government. This dispute was eventually resolved through the Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise of 1787 or Sherman Compromise.
The Compromise was approved on July 16, 1787, after six weeks of turmoil. The Convention reached a compromise when North Carolina switched its vote to equal representation per state, and the Massachusetts delegation was divided. This agreement allowed the delegates to continue their work and led to the Three-fifths Compromise, which further complicated the issue of popular representation in the House.
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The Declaration of Independence
The Constitution of the United States, written and signed in 1787, established the government of the country and is considered the supreme law of the land. It was drafted in secret during the summer of 1787 by 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention, which was convened to revise the Articles of Confederation. The delegates debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution, addressing key issues such as the balance of power between the central government and the states, representation in Congress, and the election process for representatives.
The final document, consisting of four pages, was signed on September 17, 1787, and established a federal system of government with three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. The legislative branch consists of a bicameral Congress, the executive branch consists of the President and subordinate officers, and the judicial branch is comprised of the Supreme Court and other federal courts. The Constitution also outlines the rights and responsibilities of state governments and their relationship to the federal government, and it provides a process for constitutional amendments.
The process of creating the Constitution was not without opposition. Anti-Federalists criticized the lack of a bill of rights, discrimination against southern states, direct taxation, and the loss of state sovereignty. They argued that the Constitution favoured aristocratic politicians and protected their class interests. Despite these objections, the Constitution was ratified by the states and has endured as the foundation of American governance, undergoing amendments over time to adapt to the evolving needs of the nation.
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The Bill of Rights
The United States Constitution, written in 1787, is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in the world. The document was drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention during the summer of that year and signed on September 17, 1787.
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 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 United States Bill of Rights comprises the first ten amendments to the United States Constitution. Proposed following the 1787–88 debate over the ratification of the Constitution, the amendments add to the Constitution specific guarantees of personal freedoms, such as freedom of speech, the right to publish, practice religion, possess firearms, and assemble. The concepts codified in these amendments are built upon those in earlier documents, especially the Virginia Declaration of Rights (1776), the Northwest Ordinance (1787), the English Bill of Rights (1689), and the Magna Carta (1215).
The amendments in the Bill of Rights include the Seventh Amendment, which extends the right to a jury trial in Federal civil cases, and the Eighth Amendment, which bars excessive bail and fines and cruel and unusual punishment. The Ninth Amendment states that listing specific rights in the Constitution does not mean that people do not have other rights that have not been spelled out, and the Tenth Amendment says that the Federal Government only has those powers delegated in the Constitution.
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Frequently asked questions
The federal constitution was written in 1787.
The federal constitution was written in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The federal constitution was signed on September 17, 1787.
