Jonah Patel
The US Constitution, the world's oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution, was written in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787. The Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention, met between May and September to address the problems of the weak central government that existed under the Articles of Confederation. The final document was signed on September 17, 1787, and it established a federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Philadelphia |
| Dates | May to September 1787 |
| Attendees | Delegates representing 12 of the 13 states |
| Presided by | George Washington |
| Outcome | A federal government with more specific powers, including those related to conducting relations with foreign governments |
| Amendments | 27 |
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What You'll Learn
The Philadelphia Convention, 1787
The United States Constitution was written during the Philadelphia Convention, also known as the Constitutional Convention, which took place from May to September 1787. The convention was convened to address the shortcomings of the Articles of Confederation, which was the country's first constitution. At the time, the young nation was facing challenges due to state disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade, which threatened to tear the country apart.
The Constitutional Convention was conducted under an oath of secrecy, with delegates meeting in the State House in Philadelphia. The delegates included well-educated lawyers, merchants, soldiers, and landowners from 12 of the 13 states, presided over by George Washington, a delegate from Virginia and former commander-in-chief of the American forces during the War for Independence.
Initially, the delegates intended to revise the Articles of Confederation. However, by mid-June, they had decided to abandon it entirely and create a new form of government. They debated various models, with one of the fiercest arguments being over congressional representation, whether it should be based on population or divided equally among the states. They ultimately compromised by creating a bicameral legislature, with the House of Representatives providing representation based on population and the Senate providing equal representation to each state.
The delegates also had to grapple with the issue of slavery, which threatened to derail the Union. They agreed to a temporary resolution, allowing the slave trade to continue until 1808 and counting enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person for representation purposes.
The Constitution that emerged from the Philadelphia Convention established a federal government with three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. This separation of powers was designed to create a system of checks and balances, ensuring that no one branch held too much power. The legislative branch consisted of a bicameral Congress, the executive branch included the president and subordinate officers, and the judicial branch comprised the Supreme Court and other federal courts.
The delegates signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787, and it was published in a newspaper, "The Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser," two days later. The document has since been amended 27 times to adapt to the nation's changing needs, but it remains the foundation of the United States Government and an inspiration for democracies around the world.
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Written by delegates of 12 states
The US Constitution was written in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787 by a convention of delegates representing 12 of the 13 states. The convention was convened to revise the Articles of Confederation, which had served as the first constitution of the United States after the Revolutionary War. However, the delegates soon decided to completely redesign the government, establishing a stronger central government with more specific powers, including the power to print money, collect taxes, build an army, and regulate trade.
The 38 delegates who signed the Constitution, including George Washington, represented a wide range of interests and views, including those of lawyers, merchants, soldiers, and landowners. They crafted compromises to address disputes between the states over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade that threatened to tear the young country apart. One of the fiercest arguments was over congressional representation, which they resolved by compromising on representation based on population in the House of Representatives and equal representation for the states in the Senate. They also agreed to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person and allowed the slave trade to continue until 1808.
To prevent the new government from becoming too powerful, the framers of the Constitution divided its powers among 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. This system of checks and balances ensured that each branch had the authority to check and balance the other two. The Constitution also delineated the rights and responsibilities of state governments and their relationship to the federal government.
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention knew that their work was imperfect and subject to revision. Indeed, the Constitution has been amended 27 times over the past two centuries. However, it remains the longest-lasting written national constitution in the world and has served as the basis of the United States Government since it came into effect in 1789.
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Presided over by George Washington
George Washington, the commander-in-chief of the American Revolutionary Army, played a crucial role in the writing of the US Constitution. He was elected president of the Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention, which took place from May 25 to September 17, 1787.
Washington's primary role during the Convention was to preside over the debates and forge consensus among the delegates. The group of 55 men, consisting of passionate federalists and anti-federalists, had gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, with the original intention of revising the Articles of Confederation. However, the course of history was altered as they ended up drafting a new constitution for the United States.
Washington, despite his personal beliefs about the need for a strong central government and a single executive leader, remained relatively quiet during the debates. He allowed the delegates to discuss and debate the foundation of the Constitution among themselves, only participating to maintain order and provide a deciding vote when necessary. He worked to create an atmosphere that facilitated compromise, which was essential for the creation of a new government.
Washington's support for the Constitution was significant. Federalists used his image and signature on the document to promote its ratification. His private letters, such as the one to Charles Carter of Virginia, reveal his endorsement of the Constitution. Additionally, his letter of September 17, 1787, as president of the Convention to the president of Congress, was attached to the Constitution whenever it was printed. In it, Washington wrote, "the Constitution, which we now present, is the result of a spirit of amity and of that mutual deference and concession which the peculiarity of our political situation rendered indispensable." This letter highlighted the importance of unity and compromise in the creation of the Constitution.
As the first president of the United States under the new Constitution, George Washington performed many "firsts," including the appointment of federal officials and members of the Supreme Court. His involvement in the writing of the Constitution and his subsequent presidency marked a significant chapter in the founding of the American Republic.
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Ratified by 9 of 13 states
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 out of 41 delegates present. However, it was agreed that the document would not be binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 existing states. The road to ratification was long and challenging. The Constitution was eventually ratified by nine states on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to approve it. The new Constitution came into effect on March 4, 1789, and the first permanent US Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America.
The Constitution was initially intended to amend the Articles of Confederation. However, the convention ultimately resulted in the proposal and creation of a new form of government. The document was sent to the states for ratification, and this process faced opposition from influential colonial patriots known as the Anti-Federalists, who were led by Patrick Henry of Virginia. They publicly opposed the new Constitution in town hall meetings, arguing that it did not provide protection for rights such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press.
Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, using the pen name Publius, countered the Anti-Federalist views. They published 85 essays, collectively known as "The Federalist Papers", explaining and defending the proposed new government and the framers' reasoning. The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut.
The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island approved the document. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified on December 15, 1791, and became part of the Constitution.
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Published in the Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser
The United States Constitution, the world's oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution, was written during the Philadelphia Convention, now known as the Constitutional Convention, from May 25 to September 17, 1787. It was signed on September 17, 1787, and was made public two days later, on September 19, 1787, when it was published in the Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser, a daily newspaper based in Philadelphia.
The Pennsylvania Packet and the General Advertiser, founded in 1771 by John Dunlap as a weekly paper, became the first successful daily newspaper published in the United States in 1784. In 1784, the paper was renamed the Pennsylvania Packet, and Daily Advertiser, reflecting its move to daily publication. David C. Claypoole joined Dunlap as a partner. The newspaper subsequently underwent additional name changes, dropping the Pennsylvania Packet prefix in 1791 and becoming Dunlap's American Daily Advertiser (1791–93), Dunlap and Claypoole's American Daily Advertiser (1793–95), and Claypoole's American Daily Advertiser (1796-1800).
The September 19, 1787, issue of the Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser is notable for printing the full United States Constitution, created just two days prior. This printing represents the first time that Americans saw the Constitution, as the Constitutional Convention was conducted under an oath of secrecy. The original signed, handwritten Constitution is at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
The Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser was published in Philadelphia, except during the British occupation of the city between 1777 and 1778, when it was published in Lancaster. In 1800, the paper was purchased by Zachariah Poulson, who renamed it Poulson's American Daily Advertiser. Poulson ran the paper for almost 40 years, selling it at the end of 1839 to the owners of the recently founded North American.
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Frequently asked questions
The Constitution was written in Philadelphia during the summer of 1787.
The Constitutional Convention was assembled to revise the Articles of Confederation, which had failed to create a cohesive nation. The delegates ultimately decided to abandon the Articles of Confederation and create a new form of government.
38 delegates signed the Constitution on September 17, 1787. George Reed signed on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39.
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