Jonah Patel
The United States of America was the first country to adopt a complete written national constitution, in 1787. However, it was neither the first constitution of a general government nor the first written constitution. The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since it became operational in 1789. The first ten amendments are known as the Bill of Rights. The American Constitution inspired many countries to adopt a single written constitution, and it remains one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Country with the first constitution | United States of America |
| Date of adoption | September 17, 1787 |
| Date of ratification | June 21, 1788 |
| Author | James Madison |
| Type | Written |
| Previous constitution | Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union |
| Number of amendments | 27 |
Explore related products
What You'll Learn
- The US Constitution was the first complete written national constitution
- The US Constitution was ratified in 1787
- The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was ratified
- The US Constitution was neither the first constitution of a general government nor the first written constitution
- The US Constitution's influence has been waning since the 1980s
The US Constitution was the first complete written national constitution
The United States Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. The US Constitution was written in 1787 and has been amended 27 times since it became operational in 1789. It is the fundamental law of the US federal system of government and a landmark document of the Western world. The US Constitution defines the principal organs of government and their jurisdictions and the basic rights of citizens.
The US Constitution was influenced by the country's experience under the Articles of Confederation, which had attempted to retain as much independence and sovereignty for the states as possible. The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union was the first constitution of the United States. It was drafted by a committee appointed by the Second Continental Congress in mid-June 1777 and was adopted by the full Congress in mid-November of that year. Ratification by the 13 colonies took more than three years and was completed on March 1, 1781. The Articles gave little power to the central government, and the Confederation Congress lacked enforcement powers.
The US Constitution was drafted by 55 delegates to a Constitutional Convention that was called ostensibly to amend the Articles of Confederation. The convention assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia between May 25 and September 17, 1787. Delegates to the convention were chosen by the state legislatures of 12 of the 13 original states; Rhode Island refused to send delegates. The convention's initial mandate was limited to amending the Articles of Confederation, but delegates began considering measures to replace the Articles. The first draft of the Constitution was accepted on August 6, 1787.
The US Constitution faced opposition from anti-Federalists, who objected to the lack of a bill of rights, discrimination against southern states in navigation legislation, direct taxation, and the loss of state sovereignty. Despite these objections, the Constitution was ratified by nine states by June 1788, and Congress set March 4, 1789, as the date for the new government to commence proceedings. The first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified by three-fourths of the states by December 15, 1791.
Revolution's First Constitution: Truly Democratic?
You may want to see also
The US Constitution was ratified in 1787
The United States Constitution, the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force, was ratified in 1787. The US Constitution was drafted by a group of lawyers and politicians, including George Washington, who were determined to create a more stable framework of government. The Constitutional Convention, which assembled in Philadelphia, aimed to revise the Articles of Confederation, which had been ratified by the 13 colonies in 1781. However, the delegates ended up drafting a completely new form of government.
The first draft of the Constitution was accepted on August 6, 1787, and it was signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787. Within three days, the document was submitted to the Congress of the Confederation in New York City, the nation's temporary capital. The Congress then voted unanimously to forward the proposal to the 13 states for their ratification.
The ratification process by the original states took place from September 1789 to early 1791. By the end of 1788, nine states had ratified the Constitution, and the new government commenced proceedings on March 4, 1789. The first ten amendments to the Constitution, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified by three-fourths of the states by December 15, 1791.
Since its inception in 1787, the US Constitution has been amended 27 times. While it has faced various criticisms, it remains the most difficult constitution in the world to amend.
Slavery's First Appearance in the Constitution
You may want to see also
The US Constitution has been amended 27 times since it was ratified
The US Constitution, first drafted in 1787, has been amended 27 times since it was ratified. The first ten amendments, known as the Bill of Rights, were ratified in 1791. The process of amending the Constitution is a challenging and time-consuming endeavour, designed to strike a balance between the excesses of constant change and inflexibility.
The US Constitution, which came into operation on March 4, 1789, has faced criticism throughout its history. For instance, it did not originally define who was eligible to vote, leaving this decision to individual states. This resulted in most states restricting voting rights to white male adult property owners. The Constitution also failed to abolish slavery or grant citizenship and voting rights to former slaves until the Reconstruction Amendments were adopted following the Civil War.
The first draft of the Constitution was accepted on August 6, 1787, and it was unanimously ratified by Delaware, Pennsylvania, and New Jersey in 1788. The Federalists promised to add amendments to secure individual liberties, which led to New Hampshire becoming the ninth state to ratify on June 21, 1788.
Since the Constitution's inception, approximately 11,848 proposals to amend it have been introduced in Congress. Members of the House and Senate typically propose around 200 amendments during each two-year term of Congress. However, the amendment process is challenging, and only a small fraction of these proposals have been successful. The last proposal to gain the required support for submission to the states was the District of Columbia Voting Rights Amendment in 1978.
The amendments to the Constitution cover a diverse range of topics. Notable examples include granting women the right to vote, enacting and repealing Prohibition, abolishing poll taxes, and lowering the minimum voting age to 18.
The Evolution of Portugal's First Republic Constitution
You may want to see also
Explore related products
The US Constitution was neither the first constitution of a general government nor the first written constitution
The US Constitution, which came into effect in 1789, was neither the first constitution of a general government nor the first written constitution. The Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, drafted in 1777, was the first constitution of the United States. However, it was deemed ineffective due to its limited power to enforce decisions and inability to regulate commerce, tax, or print money.
The US Constitution was also not the first written constitution. The 1755 Corsican Constitution, drafted by Pasquale Paoli, was the first written constitution of an independent polity. It was short-lived but served as an inspiration for many American patriots. Additionally, several countries, including the United Kingdom, Canada, and New Zealand, have constitutional provisions that are older than the US Constitution and remain in force today.
While the US Constitution was not the first, it has had a significant influence on constitution-writing worldwide. The idea of a single written constitution gained popularity after its ratification. For example, Poland and France adopted their first written constitutions in 1791, and the European Revolutions of 1848 produced numerous new constitutions. The US Constitution's system of checks and balances and its longevity have made it a model for constructing long-lasting democratic governments.
However, the influence of the US Constitution has waned since the 1980s as countries have created new constitutions or updated older ones. The process of amending the US Constitution is considered more challenging than in other countries. The US Constitution has also faced criticisms for its original failure to define voting eligibility, abolish slavery, and grant citizenship and voting rights to former slaves immediately after the Civil War.
Tennessee's First Constitution: When Did It Originate?
You may want to see also
The US Constitution's influence has been waning since the 1980s
The United States Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, has had a profound influence on the world. It introduced novel concepts such as checks and balances, separation of powers, and a living document that could be amended. However, since the 1980s, its influence has been on the decline as other countries have created new constitutions or updated older ones, a process that legal scholar Sanford Levinson believes is more challenging in the US than anywhere else.
The US Constitution's impact has been notable in several waves. The first wave began in 1776, after the American Revolution, when it influenced northwestern Europe and its colonial connections. The second wave, from 1811 to 1848, saw Latin American, Caribbean, and European nationalists reference it following Napoleon's decline. The third wave, from 1898 to 1918, witnessed nationalist movements in Asia and Latin America borrowing from the US Constitution. The fourth wave, post-World War I, saw its influence spread with decolonization movements in Africa, the Middle East, and Asia. The fifth wave, post-World War II, saw continued consultation by independence movements. The sixth wave, from 1974 to 1989, involved former nondemocratic regimes transitioning to constitutional democracies and incorporating elements of the US Constitution.
Despite these historical influences, the US Constitution's impact has diminished in recent decades. This waning influence may be attributed to the US Constitution being increasingly out of sync with evolving global human rights consensus. Countries are less likely to emulate the rights-related provisions or the basic structural provisions of the US Constitution. Instead, they may be influenced by prominent national constitutions like Canada's, which has been particularly influential for common law countries.
Additionally, international and regional human rights instruments have become more influential in shaping national constitutions. While there is no dominant model, undemocratic countries' constitutions tend to exhibit greater similarity to the Universal Declaration of Human Rights, while common law countries show the opposite tendency.
The US Constitution has also faced criticisms throughout its history. Notably, it did not initially define voting eligibility, allowing states to restrict voting to white male property owners, and it failed to abolish slavery or grant citizenship and voting rights to former slaves until after the Civil War. These shortcomings and the difficulty of amending the Constitution have likely contributed to its declining influence.
Peru's First Constitution: When Did It Take Effect?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
The United States of America was the first country to adopt a complete written national constitution. The American Constitution was ratified in 1787 and became operational in 1789.
The first American Constitution was called the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union.
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, or print money.
