Jonah Patel
The ratification of the Constitution was a long and arduous process. The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by eight other states, including New Hampshire, which became the ninth state to ratify it on June 21, 1788, making it the official framework of the government of the United States of America. All 13 states eventually ratified the Constitution by May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island approved the document. The Bill of Rights, consisting of ten amendments, was ratified on December 15, 1791.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of ratification | 21 June 1788 |
| First state to ratify | Delaware, 7 December 1787 |
| Date of first federal elections | 15 December 1788 |
| Date of official implementation of the Constitution | 4 March 1789 |
| Date all 13 states ratified the Constitution | 29 May 1790 |
| Date the Bill of Rights was ratified | 15 December 1791 |
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What You'll Learn
- The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787
- The Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America on June 21, 1788
- The Bill of Rights was ratified on December 15, 1791
- The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790
- The first federal elections were held from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789
The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787
On June 21, 1788, the Constitution 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. The required nine of 13 states had ratified the Constitution between December 7, 1787, and June 21, 1788.
Some states voiced opposition to the Constitution on the grounds that it did not provide protection for rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. The terms of the Massachusetts Compromise reached in February 1788 stipulated that amendments to that effect—what became the Bill of Rights—would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was subsequently ratified by Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, and, finally, New Hampshire.
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The Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America on June 21, 1788
The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document. The Bill of Rights was not ratified to become part of the Constitution until the end of the following year.
Even after the Constitution’s ratification, the U.S. did not begin to look and function remotely like it does today until several years later. Until the new Constitution was ratified, the country was governed by the Articles of Confederation. That document was tailored to a newly formed nation made of states acting more like independent, sovereign countries, and it quickly became clear to some of America’s leaders that future stability required a stronger, more centralised government.
New York’s Alexander Hamilton thus led the call for a constitutional convention to reevaluate the nation’s governing document.
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The Bill of Rights was ratified on December 15, 1791
However, the Constitution did not provide protection for certain rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. To address this, the Massachusetts Compromise of February 1788 stipulated that amendments—what became the Bill of Rights—would be immediately proposed. The Bill of Rights consisted of ten amendments, which were ratified on December 15, 1791, and became part of the Constitution.
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The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790
The journey to ratification was not straightforward, with some states voicing opposition to the Constitution on the grounds that it did not provide protection for rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. However, the terms of the Massachusetts Compromise reached in February 1788 stipulated that amendments to that effect—what became the Bill of Rights—would be immediately proposed.
The Constitution was ratified by nine of the 13 states by June 21, 1788, making it the official framework for the government of the United States of America. The remaining four states to ratify the Constitution were Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, and, finally, New Hampshire.
The Bill of Rights was not ratified to become part of the Constitution until the end of 1791.
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The first federal elections were held from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789
The first federal elections in the United States were held from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789. This was a significant moment in the country's history, as it marked the official implementation of the Constitution, which had been ratified by the required nine of 13 states on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to approve the document. The Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America, replacing the Articles of Confederation, which had governed the country up until that point. The journey to ratification was a long and arduous process, with the first state, Delaware, ratifying the Constitution on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut.
The elections of 1788-1789 were also notable for being the nation's first presidential election, in which George Washington was elected President and John Adams was elected Vice President. The new government was set to begin on March 4, 1789.
While the Constitution was ratified by the required number of states in 1788, it was not ratified by all 13 states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document. Additionally, the Bill of Rights, which addressed concerns about the protection of rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and press, was not ratified to become part of the Constitution until December 15, 1791.
The process of drafting and ratifying the Constitution was a complex and contentious one, involving debates and compromises among the states. The final document established a stronger, more centralized government for the United States, setting the foundation for the country's future stability and development.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it.
The Bill of Rights was ratified on December 15, 1791.
The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware, on December 7, 1787.
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