The Constitution: Who Gives The First Nod?

The United States Constitution was first ratified by Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. However, it was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document. The ratification process was a contentious one, with Federalists and Anti-Federalists emerging as two factions, the former supporting the Constitution and the latter opposing it due to its creation of a powerful central government and lack of a bill of rights. The Anti-Federalists' concerns were addressed through a `vote now, amend later` compromise, which helped secure victory in several states, including Massachusetts, and ultimately led to the inclusion of the Bill of Rights, which was ratified on December 15, 1791.

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The first state to ratify the US Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787

The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 delegates, with George Read signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The Constitution was then sent to the states for ratification, with ratification by 9 of the 13 states required to enact the new government.

Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution, doing so on December 7, 1787, by a unanimous vote of 30-0. The Delaware Ratifying Convention, which met on December 3, 1787, contributed to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, including proposing a solution to address small versus large state representation. Delaware was followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. However, some states opposed the Constitution on the grounds that it did not protect certain rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press.

The eventual outcome of the ratification process remained uncertain as pivotal states such as Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia had not yet approved the Constitution. The "vote now, amend later" compromise played a crucial role in securing victory in Massachusetts and, eventually, in the final holdout states. On February 6, 1788, Massachusetts ratified the Constitution, becoming the sixth state to do so.

On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth and final state needed to ratify the Constitution, making federal democracy the law of the land. The U.S. Constitution took effect on March 4, 1789, and the Bill of Rights, consisting of ten amendments, was ratified on December 15, 1791. The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island approved the document.

The Federalists wanted a strong central government

The United States Constitution was approved by the required nine of thirteen states in 1788, with New Hampshire being the ninth and final state to ratify the document. The Federalists, supporters of the Constitution, believed in a strong central government.

Leading Federalists such as James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington feared that these weaknesses could lead to the country's collapse. They saw their role as defending the social gains of the Revolution, and they believed that the Constitution was required to safeguard the liberty and independence that the American Revolution had achieved.

To promote their cause, the Federalists were well-organized, well-funded, and made effective use of the printed word. 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 and played a significant role in lobbying for votes in favor of ratifying the Constitution.

The Federalists' efforts were met with opposition from the Anti-Federalists, who fought against the Constitution because it created a powerful central government that reminded them of the one they had just overthrown. The Anti-Federalists also argued that the Constitution lacked a bill of rights to protect freedoms such as speech, religion, and the press. However, the Federalists were able to secure enough states' approval, and the Constitution was ratified, paving the way for the formation of a strong central government in the United States.

The Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution

Secondly, they believed that a large central government would not serve the interests of small towns and rural areas, unlike the urban interests that most Federalist delegates advocated for. Anti-federalists were typically small farmers from rural areas rather than the lawyers and merchants from urban areas who often represented the Federalists. They wanted to protect the interests of rural communities and farmers, believing that the Constitution as written would be oppressive.

Thirdly, the Anti-Federalists opposed the Constitution because it lacked a bill of rights, which they believed was necessary to protect individual rights and freedoms, such as freedom of speech, religion, and press. They also believed that the Constitution provided insufficient rights in the courts, such as the lack of a guarantee of juries in civil cases and local juries in criminal cases.

Finally, they were concerned that the position of the president, a novelty at the time, might evolve into a monarchy, with the Constitution creating a presidency so powerful that it would become a monarchy. This was a significant worry for the Anti-Federalists, given that they had just fought a war to overthrow a monarchical regime.

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The first US Constitution was the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union

The United States' first constitution was the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, written in 1777 and ratified in 1781. It established a weak central government, with the states remaining largely independent and sovereign. The Articles of Confederation gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it lacked enforcement powers, the ability to regulate commerce, and the ability to levy taxes.

The Articles of Confederation were the result of the Continental Congress's desire to create a more permanent union than the temporary Continental Congress. Benjamin Franklin drafted the initial plan, which was introduced to Congress on July 21, 1775, but it was tabled due to opposition from many delegates. The Articles were eventually adopted by the Continental Congress on November 15, 1777, and ratified on March 1, 1781.

The weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation became apparent in the years after their ratification. The national government lacked the authority to prevent states from pursuing independent policies, such as Georgia's attempts to occupy disputed territories with Spanish Florida, threatening war if Spanish officials did not curb Indian attacks or refrain from harboring escaped slaves. The Confederation government also failed to prevent the landing of convicts exported by the British Government to its former colonies and enforce the provisions of the 1783 Treaty of Paris, which allowed British creditors to sue American debtors for pre-Revolutionary debts.

The ineffectual response of the Confederation government to Shays' Rebellion in Massachusetts and the disputes between states over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade convinced national leaders that a more powerful central government was needed. This led to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, which created a new constitution with a stronger central government. The new Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified by the required nine out of thirteen states by 1788, replacing the Articles of Confederation as the governing document of the United States.

The US Constitution was ratified by all states on May 29, 1790

The US Constitution was ratified by all 13 states on May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document. The road to the Constitution's ratification was a long and contentious one. The country's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, was enacted after the Revolutionary War. However, it became clear that the young nation required a stronger, more centralized government.

Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and George Washington were among those who feared the country was on the brink of collapse. Hamilton led the call for a constitutional convention to revise the Articles of Confederation. The Confederation Congress endorsed his initiative, and delegates from all 13 states were invited to Philadelphia in May 1787 to participate in the convention. The convention's initial purpose was to amend the Articles of Confederation, but the delegates ultimately proposed and created a new form of government.

The delegates, representing diverse interests and views, crafted compromises to address concerns about centralized power. They created a powerful central government while bypassing state legislatures, calling instead for special ratifying conventions in each state. The Federalists, who advocated for a strong central government, faced opposition from Anti-Federalists, who were wary of centralized power and wanted a bill of rights. The ratification campaign was closely contested, with Delaware being the first state to ratify the Constitution on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut.

The tide turned in Massachusetts, where a "vote now, amend later" compromise helped secure victory, paving the way for eventual ratification by the required nine out of 13 states. New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution on June 21, 1788, but it was not until Rhode Island's approval on May 29, 1790, that all 13 states had ratified the document. The Bill of Rights, consisting of ten amendments, was ratified on December 15, 1791, marking a significant step in the evolution of the US Constitution.

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