Eleanor Finch
The first constitution of the United States was ratified on March 1, 1781, after a three-year process. This was the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, which was superseded by the Constitution of the United States on March 4, 1789. The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware, on December 7, 1787, and it became the official framework for the government of the United States on June 21, 1788.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of ratification | 21 June 1788 |
| First state to ratify the Constitution | Delaware |
| Date of first ratification | 7 December 1787 |
| Date of first federal elections | 15 December 1788 |
| Date of official implementation of the Constitution | 4 March 1789 |
| First President | George Washington |
| First Vice President | John Adams |
| Date of first ratification of the first constitution | 1 March 1781 |
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What You'll Learn
- The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787
- The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States
- The Constitution became the official framework for the government of the United States of America on June 21, 1788
- The first federal elections took place from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789
- The first three articles of the Constitution embody the doctrine of the separation of powers
The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787
The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and sent to the states for ratification. Nine of the 13 states were required to ratify the Constitution before it would be accepted as the nation's founding document. Delaware was followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut.
The ratification of the Constitution was the culmination of a contentious Constitutional Convention. The Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. The Articles gave little power to the central government and lacked enforcement powers.
After ratification, Congress set dates for the first federal elections and the official implementation of the Constitution. Elections were set to take place from Monday, December 15, 1788, to Saturday, January 10, 1789, and the new government was set to begin on March 4, 1789. In the nation’s first presidential election, George Washington was elected President and John Adams was elected Vice President.
The Constitution's Original Ratification: A Historical Perspective
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The Articles of Confederation was the first constitution of the United States
The Articles of Confederation was superseded by the U.S. Constitution on March 4, 1789. The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and sent to the states for ratification. Nine of 13 states were required to ratify the Constitution before it would be accepted as the nation's founding document. Delaware was the first state to approve it on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. The first federal elections took place from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789, and the new government was set to begin on March 4, 1789, with George Washington as President and John Adams as Vice President.
The Constitution was still evolving, and Madison introduced 17 amendments to the Constitution born from the Massachusetts Compromise, of which Congress adopted 12 on September 25, 1789, to send forth to the states for ratification. These amendments, which became the Bill of Rights, addressed concerns about the lack of protection for rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and press.
The Proposal's Power: Constitution Ratification Explored
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The Constitution became the official framework for the government of the United States of America on June 21, 1788
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the first constitution of the United States. It was drafted by a committee appointed by the Second Continental Congress in mid-June 1777 and was adopted by the full Congress in mid-November of that year. Ratification by the 13 colonies took more than three years and was completed on March 1, 1781. The Articles gave little power to the central government, and the Confederation Congress lacked enforcement powers.
The Constitution was written by state delegates during a four-month Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia, PA. After signing the Constitution on September 17, 1787, they sent it to the states for ratification. Nine of 13 states were required to ratify the Constitution before it would be accepted as the nation's founding document. Delaware was the first to approve it on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, and South Carolina.
After ratification, Congress set dates for the first federal elections and the official implementation of the Constitution. Elections were set to take place from Monday, December 15, 1788, to Saturday, January 10, 1789, and the new government was set to begin on March 4, 1789. In the nation’s first presidential election, George Washington was elected President and John Adams was elected Vice President.
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The first federal elections took place from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789
The Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. The Articles of Confederation had been ratified on March 1, 1781, and gave little power to the central government. The new Constitution, in contrast, established a federal government with three branches: the legislative, consisting of the bicameral Congress; the executive, consisting of the president and subordinate officers; and the judicial, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
The first federal elections were held to elect representatives to the new government, which was set to begin on March 4, 1789. In the nation's first presidential election, George Washington was elected President and John Adams was elected Vice President. The Congress was restructured to reflect the system of representation created by the Connecticut Compromise at the Constitutional Convention.
The Constitution was still evolving, and Madison introduced 17 amendments to it, born from the Massachusetts Compromise. Twelve of these amendments were adopted by Congress on September 25, 1789, and sent to the states for ratification. These amendments became the Bill of Rights, which addressed concerns about the lack of protection for rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and press.
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The first three articles of the Constitution embody the doctrine of the separation of powers
The first constitution was ratified on 1 March 1781, with the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union being the first constitution of the United States. The document was drafted by a committee appointed by the Second Continental Congress in June 1777 and was adopted by the full Congress in November of that year. It took more than three years for the 13 colonies to ratify it.
The Constitution was signed on 17 September 1787 and sent to the states for ratification. Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on 7 December 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. The Constitution became the official framework for the government of the United States of America on 21 June 1788.
The Constitution, however, was still evolving. Madison introduced 17 amendments to the Constitution, of which Congress adopted 12 on 25 September 1789, to send forth to the states for ratification. The first federal elections took place from 15 December 1788 to 10 January 1789, and the new government was set to begin on 4 March 1789. In the nation's first presidential election, George Washington was elected President and John Adams was elected Vice President.
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Frequently asked questions
The first constitution was ratified on March 1, 1781.
The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the first constitution of the United States.
Ratification by the 13 colonies took more than three years.
