Omar Bennett
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. The Constitution was formed to secure the people's liberties, not only against foreign attack but also against oppression by their own government. The delegates who signed the Constitution created a powerful central government, bypassing the state legislatures and calling for special ratifying conventions in each state. The Constitution's first three articles embody the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Purpose | To make the people's liberties secure against foreign attack and oppression by their own government |
| Powers of the Confederation Congress | Make rules and request funds from the states |
| Limitations of the Confederation Congress | No enforcement powers, couldn't regulate commerce, or print money |
| Delegates | 38 delegates signed the Constitution, with George Reed signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware |
| Ratification | Ratification by 9 of the 13 states enacted the new government |
| Amendments | The Bill of Rights was not ratified until the end of 1791 |
| Date of Ratification | March 4, 1789 |
| First Capital | New York |
| Date of First Federal Elections | December 15, 1788 |
| First President | George Washington |
| First Vice President | John Adams |
| Date of Twentieth Amendment | 1933 |
| Purpose of Twentieth Amendment | To shorten the time between Election Day and the beginning of Presidential, Vice Presidential and Congressional terms |
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What You'll Learn
- The Constitution's purpose was to protect people's liberties and limit government powers
- The Articles of Confederation, the first constitution, lacked enforcement powers
- The Constitution was ratified by nine of 13 states, bypassing state legislatures
- The Federalists supported a strong central government, while Anti-Federalists opposed it
- The Constitution was amended to include a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties
The Constitution's purpose was to protect people's liberties and limit government powers
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It was formed to protect the people's liberties and limit government powers. The Constitution superseded America's first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, on March 4, 1789. 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. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart. James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, fearing their young country was on the brink of collapse, helped convince Congress to organize a Grand Convention of state delegates to work on revising the Articles of Confederation.
On September 17, 1787, 38 delegates signed the Constitution, with George Reed signing for the absent John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39. The delegates were wary of centralized power and loyal to their states, so they created a powerful central government. They crafted compromises, representing wildly different interests and views, and set the terms for ratifying the Constitution. They called for special ratifying conventions in each state, bypassing the state legislatures, and ratification by 9 of the 13 states enacted the new government. The Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America when New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify it on June 21, 1788.
The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document. The Constitution was formed to make the people's liberties secure, not only against foreign attack but also against oppression by their own government. The Ninth Amendment declares: "The enumeration in the Constitution, of certain rights, shall not be construed to deny or disparage others retained by the people." The Fifth Amendment protects individuals accused of crimes, stating that no person can be held to answer for a capital or infamous crime unless on a presentment or indictment of a grand jury. The Constitution also includes the doctrine of the separation of powers, dividing the federal government into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial.
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The Articles of Confederation, the first constitution, lacked enforcement powers
The Articles of Confederation, officially the Articles of Confederation and Perpetual Union, was the first constitution of the United States. It was an agreement and early body of law in the Thirteen Colonies, which served as the nation's first frame of government during the American Revolution. It was debated by the Second Continental Congress at present-day Independence Hall in Philadelphia between July 1776 and November 1777, was finalised by the Congress on November 15, 1777, and came into force on March 1, 1781, after being ratified by all 13 colonial states.
The Articles of Confederation lacked enforcement powers in several key areas, which ultimately led to its replacement by the Constitution of 1787. Firstly, it lacked the power to tax, relying on voluntary contributions from the states to fund its operations. This meant that the central government struggled to maintain an effective military or back its own currency. Secondly, it lacked the power to compel the states to comply with requests for troops or funding, as any contributions were voluntary. This hindered the ability to wage war effectively and protect the nation from foreign attack.
Thirdly, the Articles did not give Congress explicit power to regulate commerce or negotiate complex trade treaties with foreign nations. This, combined with the lack of a uniform currency, made trade between states and foreign nations difficult and led to inconsistencies in currency exchange rates. Fourthly, the Articles lacked the power to enforce attendance at congressional meetings, which led to problems such as the 1783 Treaty of Paris languishing in Congress for several months due to a lack of delegates to form a quorum.
Finally, the Confederation government's lack of coercive power reduced the likelihood of profit being made through political means, thus potential rulers were uninspired to seek power. The Articles of Confederation's lack of enforcement powers ultimately led to its collapse and replacement by the stronger federal government created by the Constitution of 1787.
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The Constitution was ratified by nine of 13 states, bypassing state legislatures
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. 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. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart. The Constitution was formed to make the people's liberties secure—secure not only against foreign attack but also against oppression by their own government.
The drafting of the Constitution, often referred to as its framing, was completed at the Constitutional Convention, which assembled in Philadelphia. The first three articles of the Constitution 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 relationship to the federal government, and the shared process of constitutional amendment.
The Constitution's ratification process was outlined in Article VII, which stipulated that nine states had to ratify it for it to go into effect. The delegates to the Philadelphia Convention anticipated that many state politicians would be Anti-Federalists, so they provided for ratification by popularly elected ratifying conventions in each state. This convention method also allowed judges, ministers, and others ineligible to serve in state legislatures to be elected to a convention. The ratifying conventions served to inform the public of the provisions of the proposed new government and as forums for proponents and opponents to articulate their ideas. Significantly, state conventions, not Congress, were the agents of ratification, ensuring that the Constitution's authority came directly from representatives of the people.
The first state to ratify was Delaware on December 7, 1787, by a unanimous vote of 30–0. Before the year ended, two more state legislatures voted in favor of ratification: Pennsylvania, approving the measure 46–23, and New Jersey, which also recorded a unanimous vote. As 1788 began, Connecticut and Georgia followed with almost unanimous votes. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, with Virginia and New York narrowly approving the Constitution soon after. The remaining four states could then join the newly formed union by ratifying.
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The Federalists supported a strong central government, while Anti-Federalists opposed it
The Federalists and Anti-Federalists were two rival political factions in the United States during the late 18th century, centred around the creation and ratification of the US Constitution. The Federalists supported a strong central government, while the Anti-Federalists opposed it, advocating for stronger state governments and limited central authority.
The Federalist Party, led by Alexander Hamilton, was the first political party in the United States. It dominated national politics from 1789 to 1801, advocating for a strong, centralised government, a national bank, heavy government subsidies, and a standing army and navy. The party was supported by merchants, bankers, and urban dwellers, particularly in New England and major cities. Federalists favoured Great Britain in foreign affairs and opposed involvement in the French Revolutionary Wars. They were well-organised and included prominent figures such as Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, who wrote a series of influential essays known as The Federalist Papers.
On the other hand, the Anti-Federalists, which included prominent figures such as Patrick Henry and Melancton Smith, opposed the ratification of the Constitution because they feared it would grant too much power to the central government at the expense of the states and individual liberties. They favoured strong state governments, short term limits for officeholders, direct election of government officials, and the strengthening of civil liberties. The Anti-Federalists' critiques influenced the creation of the Bill of Rights, which aimed to protect Americans' civil liberties and limit the power of the national government. They published articles and delivered speeches against the ratification of the Constitution, known collectively as The Anti-Federalist Papers.
The political divide between Federalists and Anti-Federalists emerged during the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in 1787, where 55 delegates from 12 states (excluding Rhode Island) met to draft a new plan of government. The Federalists supported the creation of a new Constitution to replace the weaker national government under the Articles of Confederation. The Anti-Federalists, however, were wary of centralising power and wanted to ensure the protection of individual rights and liberties.
While the Federalists initially held power and successfully ratified the Constitution, the Anti-Federalists' influence led to the adoption of the Bill of Rights and shaped the early political landscape of the United States. The Democratic-Republican Party, led by Thomas Jefferson and James Madison, emerged from the Anti-Federalist movement and defeated the Federalists in the 1800 election.
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The Constitution was amended to include a Bill of Rights to protect individual liberties
The Constitution of the United States is the supreme law of the United States of America. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, the nation's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. The Constitution was formed to make the people's liberties secure—secure not only against foreign attack but also against oppression by their own government.
The Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, 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. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart. Leaders in key states such as Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts expressed concerns over the lack of protections for people's rights.
The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document, and the Bill of Rights was not ratified to become part of the Constitution until the end of the following year. The Constitution has been amended several times since its ratification, including the Twentieth Amendment (1933), which changed the date on which a new president, vice president, and Congress take office, and the Twenty-second Amendment (1951), which limits an elected president to two terms in office, for a total of eight years.
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Frequently asked questions
The deputies were appointed by the legislatures of the different states. Rhode Island and Providence Plantations did not send any deputies.
The Constitution was formed to secure the liberties of the people and set specific limits on the national government and the states. It superseded the Articles of Confederation, which gave the Confederation Congress power but had no enforcement powers.
Jacob Shallus, who was the assistant clerk of the Pennsylvania State Assembly at the time. His identity was not known until 1937, 150 years after the Constitution was signed.
The Continental Congress sat in Philadelphia, Baltimore, Lancaster, York, Princeton, Annapolis, Trenton, and New York. In 1790, the capital was moved from New York to Philadelphia, and in 1800, it was moved to Washington, D.C.
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