The Constitution's Ratification: Congress' Next Steps

The United States Constitution was sent to the states for ratification. The drafting of the Constitution, often referred to as its framing, was completed at the Constitutional Convention, which assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia between May 25 and September 17, 1787. The Constitution came into effect in 1789 after the necessary number of state ratifications and has served as the basis of the United States Government ever since. The procedure established for ratifying the proposed new Constitution of 1787 was critical. Previous attempts to amend the Articles of Confederation had failed due to the requirement for unanimous approval of the state legislatures. The Constitution was ratified by all states by May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document.

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The US Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution

The US Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing codified national constitution in force in the world. The drafting of the Constitution, often referred to as its framing, was completed at the Constitutional Convention, which assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia between May 25 and September 17, 1787.

The 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 to amend the Articles of Confederation, which had become ineffective in meeting the young nation's needs. However, the delegates quickly began considering measures to replace the Articles of Confederation.

The Constitution was submitted to the Congress of the Confederation on September 17, 1787, and after debating whether to censure the delegates for exceeding their authority, Congress decided to forward the proposal to the thirteen states for their ratification on September 28. Under Article VII of the proposed Constitution, the state legislatures were tasked with organizing "Federal Conventions" to ratify the document. This process bypassed the amendment provision of the Articles of Confederation, which required unanimous approval of all the states, and instead called for ratification by just nine of the 13 states, a two-thirds majority.

The state conventions served the purpose of informing the public of the provisions of the proposed new government and provided a forum for proponents and opponents to articulate their ideas. Ratification was not a foregone conclusion, and many able, articulate men used newspapers, pamphlets, and public meetings to debate ratification. The Constitution was eventually ratified, and the first federal elections were held from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789, with George Washington elected as the first President.

While some scholars argue that the United Kingdom and San Marino have written governing documents that predate the 1789 enactment of the US Constitution, these are not single documents that provide an overall framework for governing a country. As such, the US Constitution is considered the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution.

The Articles of Confederation governed the country until the new Constitution was ratified

The Articles of Confederation, the first constitution of the United States, governed the country until the new Constitution was ratified. The Articles were drafted by a committee appointed by the Second Continental Congress in June 1777 and were ratified by the 13 colonies in March 1781. The Articles gave limited power to the central government, and while the Confederation Congress had some decision-making abilities, it lacked enforcement powers.

The implementation of most decisions, including amendments to the Articles, required legislative approval by all 13 newly formed states. The Articles enabled the country to prosecute the Revolutionary War and allowed for the negotiation of the Treaty of Paris in 1783, which ended the war. However, the Articles' weaknesses became apparent in the years following the war, as the central government struggled with economic and political issues.

In 1786, Alexander Hamilton led a group of nationalists calling for a constitutional convention to revise the Articles. The convention assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787, with delegates from 12 of the 13 states. The convention's initial mandate was to amend the Articles, but the delegates quickly began considering measures to replace them. The new Constitution was signed in September 1787 and submitted to the Congress of the Confederation.

Congress voted to forward the proposal to the 13 states for ratification, and on July 3, 1788, the ninth state, New Hampshire, ratified the Constitution, establishing it as the new framework of governance. The new government was set to begin on March 4, 1789, with George Washington as the first president. The Articles of Confederation continued to inspire changes to the new federal charter, with several amendments to the Constitution being based on the Articles.

The Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia between May and September 1787

The United States Constitution was drafted during the Constitutional Convention, held in Philadelphia between May 25 and September 17, 1787. The convention was convened to address the shortcomings of the existing government structure under the Articles of Confederation, which had left the central government weak and ineffective in meeting the young nation's needs.

The convention was initially intended to revise the Articles of Confederation and create a stronger federal government. However, the delegates, including James Madison of Virginia and Alexander Hamilton of New York, sought to establish a new form of government rather than simply amend the existing one. Madison, who had arrived in Philadelphia eleven days early, set the convention's agenda with his document, "Vices of the Political System of the United States," which offered solutions to the weaknesses of the American political system.

The convention was attended by delegates from all 13 states, with Rhode Island being the only state that refused to send representatives. The delegates debated and discussed various proposals, including the structure of Congress, the division of powers, and the protection of slavery. The Connecticut Compromise, which proposed proportional representation in the lower house and equal representation in the Senate, was a significant step forward in the convention.

On September 17, 1787, a majority of the delegates approved the final version of the Constitution, which was signed by 39 of the 55 delegates. The document was then submitted to the Congress of the Confederation in New York City on September 20, 1787. Despite some criticism that the delegates had exceeded their authority, Congress voted to forward the proposal to the thirteen states for ratification. The state legislatures were tasked with organizing "Federal Conventions" or ratification conventions to ratify the document, bypassing the amendment process of the Articles of Confederation.

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The Constitution was sent to the states for ratification without congressional approbation

The United States Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in force in the world. The drafting of the Constitution, often referred to as its framing, was completed at the Constitutional Convention, which assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia between May 25 and September 17, 1787. The Convention was attended by representatives from 12 of the 13 original states, with Rhode Island refusing to send delegates.

The initial purpose of the Convention was for the delegates to amend the Articles of Confederation, which had proven ineffective in meeting the young nation's needs. However, the delegates ended up drafting a new form of government, which was laid before the United States Congress on September 20, 1787. For the next two days, Congress debated whether to censure the delegates for exceeding their authority. On September 28, Congress decided to drop the matter and directed the state legislatures to call ratification conventions in each state.

The Constitution was then sent to the states for ratification without congressional approbation. This was a politically astute move by the Federalists, who supported the Constitution. By sending the document without approbation, the Federalists avoided any indication of opposition to the Constitution in Congress. They also bypassed the amendment process of the Articles of Confederation, which required unanimous approval of all the states. Instead, the Constitution only needed ratification by nine of the 13 states, which was achieved on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify.

The state conventions served the important function of informing the public about the provisions of the proposed new government and allowing proponents and opponents to articulate their ideas. Significantly, the authority of the Constitution came from representatives of the people specifically elected to approve or disapprove of the charter, reflecting the will of the electorate. After ratification, Congress set dates for the first federal elections and the official implementation of the Constitution, which took place on March 4, 1789.

The Constitution was ratified by every state by May 29, 1790

The United States Constitution is the oldest and longest-standing written and codified national constitution in the world. The drafting of the Constitution, often referred to as its framing, began on May 25, 1787, when the Constitutional Convention met for the first time at the Pennsylvania State House (now known as Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The convention was convened to revise the Articles of Confederation, which had proven inadequate in meeting the needs of the newly formed nation. However, the delegates quickly began considering measures to replace the Articles of Confederation with a completely new form of government.

The drafting of the Constitution was completed on September 17, 1787, when 39 of the 55 delegates to the convention signed the document. The Constitution was then submitted to the Congress of the Confederation, which voted unanimously to forward the proposal to the states for ratification. Under the process outlined in Article VII of the proposed Constitution, the state legislatures were tasked with organizing "Federal Conventions" or "ratifying conventions" to ratify the document. This process bypassed the amendment provision of the Articles of Confederation, which required unanimous approval of all the states, and instead required ratification by just nine of the 13 states—a two-thirds majority.

The ratification process for the Constitution was not without controversy. Able and articulate opponents, known as Antifederalists, used newspapers, pamphlets, and public meetings to debate ratification and voice their objections. Some argued that the delegates in Philadelphia had exceeded their congressional authority by replacing the Articles of Confederation with an illegal new document. Others complained that the delegates represented only the well-born few and had crafted a document that served their special interests and reserved the franchise for the propertied classes. There were also concerns that the Constitution gave too much power to the central government at the expense of the states, and that it did not include a bill of rights.

Despite these objections, the required nine states ratified the Constitution between December 7, 1787, and June 21, 1788, making it the official framework for the government of the United States of America. However, it was not until May 29, 1790, that the final state, Rhode Island, ratified the document, bringing the total number of ratifying states to 13. The first national day of thanksgiving was designated by President George Washington on October 3, 1789, to celebrate the ratification of the Constitution and the founding of the United States of America.

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