Isabella Carter
The United States Constitution, the supreme law of the United States of America, was signed on September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia. The signing of the Constitution was the culmination of a process that began on May 25, 1787, when the Constitutional Convention first met to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. The final draft of the Constitution was the result of months of thoughtful deliberation, debate, and compromise among the delegates, with James Madison playing a crucial role in its crafting. The Constitution was then ratified by eleven states, with the final state, Rhode Island, ratifying it on May 29, 1790, making it the law of the land.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of signing | September 17, 1787 |
| Location | Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, Philadelphia |
| Number of signatures | 39 |
| Number of delegates present | 41 |
| Number of states represented | 12 |
| Previous government | Articles of Confederation |
| New form of government | Federal government |
| Number of articles | 7 |
| Number of amendments | 27 |
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What You'll Learn
The final draft was signed on September 17, 1787
The final draft of the United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, marking the end of a long and arduous process that began on May 25, 1787. On this day, the Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention, convened in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The primary purpose of this gathering was to revise the Articles of Confederation, which served as the nation's first constitution. However, the delegates ultimately abandoned these Articles and embarked on the ambitious task of drafting a new Constitution.
The process of crafting the Constitution involved intense debate, deliberation, and compromise among the delegates, who represented diverse interests and viewpoints. The final draft was the culmination of months of dedicated effort by committees and individuals alike. Notably, James Madison, often referred to as the "Father of the Constitution," played a pivotal role in its creation, and his notes from the proceedings provide valuable insights into the drafting process. Other key contributors include Alexander Hamilton, Gouverneur Morris, William Johnson, Rufus King, and James Wilson.
The final draft of the Constitution was carefully distilled from twenty-three approved articles, reorganised into a cohesive document containing seven articles, a preamble, and a closing endorsement. This closing endorsement, known as the eschatocol, included a declaration of the delegates' successful completion of their work and a statement of adoption by the states present. The signatures of thirty-nine delegates from twelve states adorned the document, with only Rhode Island absent.
The signing of the Constitution on September 17, 1787, marked a significant milestone in the history of the United States. It represented the culmination of the delegates' tireless efforts to create a powerful central government that addressed the challenges facing the young nation. The Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation, establishing a federal government with three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. The opening words of the Preamble, "We the People," symbolised the idea that the government derived its legitimacy from the people, not the states.
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39 delegates from 12 states signed
The final draft of the US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, now known as Independence Hall. The signing took place after the Constitutional Convention, which had convened on May 25, 1787, to revise the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution.
The Constitution was signed by 39 delegates from 12 states, with George Washington, the president of the convention, signing first. The delegates then signed in groups by state, in strict congressional voting order. Washington, however, signed near the right margin, and when space ran out beneath his signature, the delegates began a second column of signatures to the left. The convention secretary, William Jackson, also signed as a witness.
The 39 delegates who signed the Constitution represented a compromise between the states, with wildly differing interests and views. The final draft was the result of months of thoughtful deliberation, debate, and compromise. The delegates crafted a powerful central government, wary of centralized power and loyal to their states.
The signing of the Constitution was a significant achievement, and it stands today as one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world. The ratification process began immediately after the signing and ended when the final state, Rhode Island, ratified it on May 29, 1790.
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The signing took place in Philadelphia
The delegates, many of whom had fought in the Revolutionary War, worked through a hot summer, debating and compromising to create a powerful central government. The final draft of the Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, marking the end of the convention. This date is significant as it was when the delegates' work came to fruition, and the new plan for government was presented to the states for their acceptance or rejection.
The signing of the Constitution was a momentous occasion. General George Washington, the president of the convention, signed first, followed by the other delegates, grouped by state. The convention secretary, William Jackson, also signed as a witness, and the document was then considered unanimously approved. The signing of the Constitution was a unanimous decision, with 39 delegates from 12 states signing the document. Three delegates, George Mason, Edmund Randolph, and Elbridge Gerry, refused to sign the Constitution.
The Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation, becoming the supreme law of the United States of America. The signing of the Constitution was a significant step in the process of creating a new form of government for the United States, and it is a document that has stood the test of time, remaining one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world.
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George Washington signed first
The United States Constitution, the country's supreme law, was signed on September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall. The signing of the Constitution was the culmination of a process that began on May 25, 1787, when the Constitutional Convention first met to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution.
General George Washington, who had been unanimously elected president of the convention, was the first to sign the document. Following Washington's signature, the other delegates signed the Constitution, grouped by state in strict congressional voting order. Washington, however, signed near the right margin, and when the delegates ran out of space beneath his signature, they began a second column of signatures to his left. The convention secretary, William Jackson, also signed as a witness, and the convention then adjourned.
The final draft of the Constitution was the result of months of thoughtful deliberation, debate, and compromise among the delegates. The delegates debated the structure and powers of a new federal government, and the convention recessed several times to allow committees to work on drafts of the Constitution. The Committee of Detail, composed of delegates from various states, was tasked with drafting a detailed constitution that reflected the resolutions passed by the convention. The Committee of Style and Arrangement, which included Alexander Hamilton, William Johnson, Rufus King, James Madison, and Gouverneur Morris, was then selected to distill a final draft constitution from the approved articles.
The Constitution was signed by thirty-nine delegates from twelve states, with one delegate, John Dickinson, signing by proxy due to illness. Three delegates present, Edmund Randolph, George Mason, and Elbridge Gerry, declined to sign the document. The ratification process for the Constitution began immediately after the signing and ended when the final state, Rhode Island, ratified it on May 29, 1790.
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The final draft was ratified on June 21, 1788
The United States 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. The Constitution was drafted and signed in Philadelphia in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House, now known as Independence Hall. The drafting of the Constitution of the United States began on May 25, 1787, when the Constitutional Convention met for the first time with a quorum at the Pennsylvania State House. The Constitutional Convention was called to revise the ailing Articles of Confederation, which gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it had no enforcement powers, couldn’t regulate commerce, or print money. The delegates came up with a completely new form of government, creating a powerful central government.
The final draft of the Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788. The ratification process began on September 17, 1787, and ended when the final state, Rhode Island, ratified it on May 29, 1790. The final draft of the Constitution was signed by 39 delegates from 12 states (all but Rhode Island). Three delegates present declined to sign the document: Edmund Randolph, George Mason, and Elbridge Gerry. George Washington, as president of the convention, signed first. The other delegates then signed, grouped by state in strict congressional voting order.
The Constitution includes four sections: an introductory paragraph titled Preamble, a list of seven Articles that define the government's framework, an untitled closing endorsement with the signatures of 39 framers, and 27 amendments that have been adopted under Article V. The Preamble, the Constitution's introductory paragraph, lays out the purposes of the new government: "We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America." The opening words, "We the People," represented a new thought: the idea that the people and not the states were the source of the government's legitimacy.
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Frequently asked questions
The final draft of the US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787.
39 delegates from 12 states signed the final draft of the US Constitution. George Washington, as president of the convention, signed first.
The drafting of the US Constitution began on May 25, 1787, when the Constitutional Convention met for the first time at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia. After months of debate, a Committee of Detail was appointed to put the decisions in writing. A Committee of Style and Arrangement then distilled the 23 articles into a cohesive document containing seven articles, a preamble, and a closing endorsement. This final draft was signed by the delegates on September 17, 1787.
After the final draft of the US Constitution was signed, the document was ratified by the states. The first nine states to ratify the Constitution were Massachusetts and New Hampshire, followed by nine more states, making it the law of the land. The ratification process ended on May 29, 1790, when the final state, Rhode Island, ratified the Constitution.
