Jonah Patel
The United States Constitution, the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution, was drafted in 1787 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, during the Constitutional Convention. The Constitutional Convention was convened to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. However, the delegates at the convention decided to draft an entirely new constitution, which established the government of the United States. The Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and it has since been a crucial part of American history, serving as a symbol of the country's values and principles.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Location | Philadelphia |
| Dates | May 25, 1787 – September 17, 1787 |
| Signed | September 17, 1787 |
| Signatories | 39 |
| Number of pages | 4 |
| Amendments | The first 10 are known as the Bill of Rights |
| Articles | 7 |
| Ratification | Ratified by 9 of the 13 states |
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What You'll Learn
The US Constitution was drafted in Philadelphia
The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787, with the delegates meeting in the State House, now known as Independence Hall. The delegates closed the shutters and swore an oath of secrecy so they could speak freely. Their initial task was to revise the Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States. However, by mid-June, it became clear that they would be drafting an entirely new constitution.
The delegates debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution throughout the summer. Among the most contentious issues were the balance of power between the central government and the states, the number of representatives in Congress for each state, and how these representatives should be elected. The delegates also grappled with the issue of slavery, ultimately agreeing to a compromise that allowed the slave trade to continue until 1808 and to count enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person for representation purposes.
The final document, consisting of four pages, was signed by 38 delegates, with George Reed signing on behalf of the absent John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The Constitution of the United States is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution still in force in the world. It outlines the separation of powers between the three branches of government, defines the rights and freedoms of citizens, and sets the parameters for the relationship between the states and the federal government.
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It was signed in 1787
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with George Reed signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The signing took place in Philadelphia, where the Constitutional Convention had assembled in May of the same year. The delegates had gathered to revise the Articles of Confederation, but by mid-June, they had decided to completely redesign the government.
The Constitution was drafted in secret over the summer of 1787, with delegates debating and redrafting the articles of the new Constitution in closed sessions. The document was a four-page, handwritten declaration, establishing the government of the United States. It was the first permanent constitution and has been described as a model of cooperative statesmanship and the art of compromise.
The Constitution was a revolutionary document, as it put governance in the hands of the people. In 1787, no other country in the world had allowed its citizens to select their own form of government, let alone a democratic one. The Constitution has inspired the world and changed the trajectory of history, becoming the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force.
The document was signed under an oath of secrecy, and its first public printing was published in a newspaper, The Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser, on September 19, 1787, two days after it was signed. The original signed copy is now held at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
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The document was written in secret
The US Constitution was written in Philadelphia during the Constitutional Convention, also known as the Philadelphia Convention, which convened from May 25 to September 17, 1787. The document was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with George Reed signing on behalf of the absent John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The Constitutional Convention was conducted under an oath of secrecy, with the delegates shuttering the windows of the State House to ensure privacy. This secrecy allowed the delegates to speak freely as they debated and redrafted the articles of the new Constitution.
The delegates to the convention included James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, who feared that their young country was on the brink of collapse due to the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, which gave the Confederation Congress limited powers and no ability to enforce its rules, regulate commerce, or print money. The delegates had initially gathered to revise the Articles of Confederation, but by mid-June, they had decided to completely redesign the government. They debated key issues such as congressional representation, the power of the central government, and the number of representatives in Congress for each state.
The Constitution established the framework for the organization of the government and the rights of its citizens, delineating the frame of the federal government and the separation of powers into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. It also addressed concepts of federalism, describing the rights and responsibilities of state governments, their relationship to the federal government, and the process of constitutional amendment.
The document was first made public when it was published in a newspaper, The Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser, on September 19, 1787, two days after it was signed. This printing represented the first time that Americans saw the Constitution, and it stands today as one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world.
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It was published in a newspaper two days after being signed
The U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with George Reed signing on behalf of the absent John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The signing took place in Philadelphia, where the delegates had assembled in May of the same year to revise the Articles of Confederation. However, they soon decided to completely redesign the government, and the result was the Constitution.
The Constitution was drafted in secret over the summer of 1787, with delegates debating and redrafting the articles of this new document. The document was a four-page, handwritten text, establishing the government of the United States and outlining the separation of powers between the three branches of government. It also defined the rights and freedoms of the American people and set the parameters for the relationship between the states and the federal government.
The delegates who drafted the Constitution took an oath of secrecy, so when it was published in the newspaper, The Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser, on September 19, 1787, just two days after it was signed, it was the first time that Americans saw the Constitution. This newspaper printing represents a significant moment in history, as it made the Constitution accessible to the public, allowing "We the People" to understand the framework for the organisation of their government and their rights as citizens.
The publication of the Constitution in the newspaper marked the beginning of the process of ratification. The Constitution needed to be approved by the people and ratified by nine of the 13 states to become effective for those states. This process sparked a debate between Federalists, who supported the Constitution, and Anti-Federalists, who opposed it. The Constitution of the United States is now the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force worldwide.
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It was the first permanent constitution
The US Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. It is also the world's shortest and oldest constitution. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. The US Constitution was the first permanent constitution, interpreted, supplemented, and implemented by a large body of federal constitutional law. It has influenced the constitutions of other nations.
The US Constitution was written during the Philadelphia Convention, now known as the Constitutional Convention, which convened from May 25 to September 17, 1787. It was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with George Reed signing for John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The Constitutional Convention was conducted under an oath of secrecy. The first draft of the Constitution was accepted on Monday, August 6, 1787. The original US Constitution was handwritten on five pages of parchment by Jacob Shallus.
The Constitution was an extraordinary achievement. The delegates were tasked with revising the existing government, but they came up with a completely new one. Wary of centralized power and loyal to their states, they created a powerful central government. Representing wildly different interests and views, they crafted compromises. It stands today as one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world.
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). Article IV, Article V, and Article 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 subsequently used by the 13 states to ratify it.
The first ten amendments, known collectively as the Bill of Rights, offer specific protections of individual liberty and justice and place restrictions on the powers of government within the US states. The majority of the 17 later amendments expand individual civil rights protections. Others address issues related to federal authority or modify government processes and procedures. Amendments to the US Constitution, unlike those made to many constitutions worldwide, are appended to the document.
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Frequently asked questions
The Constitution was written in Philadelphia during the Philadelphia Convention, now known as the Constitutional Convention, which convened from May 25 to September 17, 1787.
The Constitution was drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention. 38 delegates signed the Constitution, with George Reed signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39.
The Constitution of the United States of America provides the framework for the organization of the government and the rights of its citizens. It outlines the separation of powers between the three branches of government: the legislative, the executive, and the judicial.
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