Eleanor Finch
The US Constitution was written in 1787, during a time of concern about the Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington feared that the young country was on the brink of collapse due to the Articles' lack of enforcement powers and inability to regulate commerce or print money. To address these issues, a Constitutional Convention was convened in Philadelphia in May 1787, resulting in the drafting of a four-page document that established the government of the United States. The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and it superseded the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of commencement of the Federal Convention | May 14, 1787 |
| Date the Federal Convention obtained a quorum | May 25, 1787 |
| Date the Constitution was signed | September 17, 1787 |
| Number of delegates who signed the Constitution | 39 |
| Number of pages in the document | 4 |
| Date the Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation | March 4, 1789 |
| Date the first elections were held under the Constitution | Late 1788 |
| Date Congress proposed 12 amendments | September 1789 |
| Date 10 of the 12 proposed amendments were ratified | December 15, 1791 |
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What You'll Learn
The Constitutional Convention
The United States Constitution was drafted in the summer of 1787 by delegates to the Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention. The convention was convened to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. However, it became clear that rather than amend the existing Articles, the Convention would draft an entirely new framework for the government.
The convention was proposed by James Madison and John Tyler in the Virginia assembly, who suggested that the Continental Congress be given the power to regulate commerce throughout the Confederation. Madison, along with Alexander Hamilton, a young lawyer from New York, issued a report on the meeting, calling upon Congress to summon delegates from all of the states to meet.
The convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787. General George Washington was unanimously elected president of the convention. The delegates debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution, with the chief points at issue being the amount of power given to the central government, the number of representatives in Congress for each state, and how these representatives should be elected.
The delegates appointed a Committee of Detail to put its decisions in writing, and a Committee of Style and Arrangement to condense the articles into seven in less than four days. On September 17, 1787, 39 delegates signed the Constitution, establishing a powerful central government. The Constitution was then ratified by nine of the thirteen states, with the first elections under the Constitution being held in 1788.
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The Articles of Confederation
The weaknesses of the Articles became apparent following Shays's Rebellion in 1786, which was a response to high state taxes and wartime debt. The federal government established by the Articles was unable to address internal rebellions as it lacked the necessary funds and military power.
In May 1787, the Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia to address the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation and to revise them. However, it soon became clear that the defects in the government's framework could not be remedied by altering the Articles, and so the delegates wrote a new constitution, which was signed on September 17, 1787. This new constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789.
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The ratification process
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 out of 41 delegates present at the Constitutional Convention. The Convention was convened to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. However, it soon became clear that a new framework of government was required, and the delegates debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution over the summer of 1787.
The US Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state out of 13 to ratify it. The Constitution required ratification by nine states to become the official framework for the government of the United States of America. The ratification process was long and arduous, with Federalists and Anti-Federalists passionately debating the merits of the Constitution. The Federalists supported the Constitution and believed in a strong central government, while the Anti-Federalists opposed it, arguing that it created a powerful central government that reminded them of the one they had just overthrown.
The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. The ratification campaign was a close contest, with the "'vote now, amend later'" compromise in Massachusetts helping to secure victory and shift the tide in favour of ratification.
The Constitution was drafted in secret by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention, and it stands today as one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world. The ratification process was a critical step in the establishment of the United States of America, and the first national day of Thanksgiving was designated by President George Washington to celebrate the ratification of the Constitution and the founding of the nation.
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The US government framework
The US Constitution, drafted in 1787, forms the framework of the US federal government. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. The Articles of Confederation 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, and couldn't print money.
The US Constitution was drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention, which assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787. The delegates debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution throughout the summer. The chief points at issue were 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 Constitution's main provisions include seven articles that define the basic framework of the federal government. Article I describes the Congress, the legislative branch of the federal government. It establishes the manner of election and the qualifications of members of each body. Representatives must be at least 25 years old, be US citizens for seven years, and live in the state they represent. Article II covers the executive branch, consisting of the president and subordinate officers. Article III covers the judicial branch, consisting of the Supreme Court and other federal courts. Articles IV, V, and VI 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. Article VII establishes the procedure used by the 13 states to ratify the Constitution.
Amendments to the Constitution must be properly adopted and ratified before they change the Constitution. Amendments can be proposed by two-thirds of both houses of Congress or by a national convention requested by two-thirds of state legislatures. Proposed amendments are sent to the states for ratification, which requires approval by three-fourths of the states.
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The authors and their intentions
The US Constitution was written by 55 delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the summer of 1787. These delegates were elected by 12 of the 13 states (Rhode Island abstained) and represented various backgrounds, ideologies, and experiences. The drafting of the Constitution was a long and arduous process, with delegates disagreeing on several key issues.
One of the most prominent authors of the Constitution was James Madison, often called the "Father of the Constitution". Madison advocated for a strong central government that could provide order and stability while maintaining state power. He was the primary author of the Virginia Plan, which served as the basis for much of the Constitution. Madison also played a key role in the debates over the Constitution and wrote many of the Federalist Papers, a series of essays defending the Constitution.
Alexander Hamilton, a delegate from New York, was another key author. He was a passionate advocate for a strong federal government and played a leading role in drafting the document. Hamilton also authored "The Federalist Papers," a series of essays providing arguments in favour of the Constitution's adoption. Benjamin Franklin, at 81, was the oldest delegate at the convention. His wisdom and diplomacy helped bridge gaps between differing factions and contributed to the necessary compromises.
Other key figures who made significant contributions to the drafting of the Constitution include George Washington, Roger Sherman, and Gouverneur Morris. Washington, often referred to as the "Father of His Country," presided over the Constitutional Convention. His leadership and presence provided the convention with gravitas and credibility, helping to garner consensus. John Jay, a lawyer and diplomat from New York, was the third member of the "Triumvirate" that led the drafting. He was a strong advocate for a federal system of government and played a crucial role in establishing the judicial branch outlined in Article III of the Constitution.
The authors of the US Constitution intended to create a fair, just, and protective system of government that respected individual rights and distributed power among the executive, legislative, and judiciary branches. The delegates debated and compromised on issues such as the balance of power between the states and the federal government, the structure of the legislature, and the qualifications for voting and office holding. The resulting Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, established the government of the United States and superseded the Articles of Confederation on March 4, 1789.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution was written in 1787.
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787.
The US Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788.
The US Constitution is a four-page document comprising a preamble, seven articles, and 27 amendments.
