Isabella Carter
The United States Constitution, the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force, was written during the Philadelphia Convention, also known as the Constitutional Convention, which took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787. The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 out of 41 delegates present, and it established the government of the United States. The document was drafted in secret and included seven articles, with the first three embodying the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into three branches: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial. The Constitution's journey to ratification was long and arduous, and it officially became the framework of the US government on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date written | May 25, 1787 – September 17, 1787 |
| Date signed | September 17, 1787 |
| Date published | September 19, 1787 |
| Date ratified | June 21, 1788 |
| Date of first federal elections | December 15, 1788 – January 10, 1789 |
| Date of first government | March 4, 1789 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Number of articles | 7 |
| Number of amendments | 17 |
| Number of delegates who signed | 38 out of 41 |
| Number of states that ratified | 13 |
| Number of states required to ratify | 9 |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution was written in 1787
The delegates debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution throughout the summer of 1787. The chief points at issue included how much power to allow the central government, how many representatives in Congress to allow each state, and how these representatives should be elected. The resulting document was a model of cooperative statesmanship and the art of compromise.
The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 out of 41 delegates present. It then needed to be ratified by nine of the 13 existing states. Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787, and it became the official framework of the government of the United States on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it.
The original US Constitution was handwritten on five pages of parchment by Jacob Shallus. It is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world.
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It superseded the Articles of Confederation
The United States Constitution was written in 1787, during the Philadelphia Convention. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, which had been the governing document of the country since 1777, and established a
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It was signed on September 17, 1787
The United States Constitution, the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force, was signed on September 17, 1787. This date is now celebrated as Constitution Day, a federal observance that was established by law in 2004. The Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789.
The Constitution was written during the Philadelphia Convention, now known as the Constitutional Convention, which convened from May 25 to September 17, 1787. The Federal Convention was conducted under an oath of secrecy, and the delegates debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution throughout the summer. The document was signed by 38 out of 41 delegates present, and it established the government of the United States.
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 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. It needed to be ratified by nine of the 13 existing states. Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787, and New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it on June 21, 1788, making it the official framework of the government of the United States. The first ten amendments to the Constitution, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791.
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It was ratified in 1788
The United States Constitution, the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force, was signed on September 17, 1787. However, it was not ratified until 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it.
The Constitution was drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention during the summer of 1787. The convention was convened to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was the nation's first constitution. However, it soon became clear that the convention would instead draft an entirely new form of government. The delegates debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution, addressing issues such as how much power to allow the central government, how many representatives in Congress to allow each state, and how these representatives should be elected.
The Constitution was signed by 38 out of 41 delegates present, but it was agreed that the document would not be binding until its ratification by nine of the 13 existing states. Hamilton, Madison, and Jay led the lobbying efforts for votes in favor of ratifying the Constitution. They produced 85 essays known as "The Federalist Papers," which explained and defended how the proposed new government would function. These essays were published in newspapers nationwide.
The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. The Massachusetts Compromise of February 1788 stipulated that amendments would be made to the Constitution to protect rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. This led to the creation of the Bill of Rights, which was ratified on December 15, 1791. The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document.
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It's the oldest and longest-standing written constitution
The United States Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. It was signed on September 17, 1787, and established the government of the United States. The Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789, and became the official framework of the government of the United States of America when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it on June 21, 1788.
The Constitution was written during the Philadelphia Convention, now known as the Constitutional Convention, which convened from May 25 to September 17, 1787. The Federal Convention convened in the State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, to revise the Articles of Confederation. The delegates to the convention were under an oath of secrecy, and so the first time the American people saw the Constitution was when it was published in a newspaper, The Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser, on September 19, 1787—two days after it was signed.
The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document. The first ten amendments to the Constitution, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791. These amendments offered specific protections of individual liberty and justice and placed restrictions on the powers of government within the U.S. states.
The Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, in which the federal government is divided 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 has been an inspiration that changed the trajectory of world history, as it put governance in the hands of the people.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution was written in 1787 during the Philadelphia Convention, also known as the Constitutional Convention.
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.
