Simone Lawson
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 or 39 delegates, depending on the source. The document was originally intended as a revision of the Articles of Confederation, but it introduced a new form of government. The Constitution was submitted to the Congress of the Confederation, which voted to forward the proposal to the 13 states for their ratification. Under Article VII, the Constitution required ratification by nine of the 13 states, and on June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to do so. The Constitution gives Congress and the federal government the power to determine the times, places, and manner of congressional elections, but it does not explicitly grant U.S. citizens the right to vote. The authority to protect voting rights stems from later amendments and legislation.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of signing | September 17, 1787 |
| Number of delegates who signed | 38 or 39 out of 41 |
| First state to ratify | Delaware |
| Date of first ratification | December 7, 1787 |
| Number of states needed for ratification | 9 out of 13 |
| Date of ratification | June 21, 1788 |
| State that ratified the Constitution | New Hampshire |
| Key figures | Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, George Washington, John Jay, Gouverneur Morris, Benjamin Franklin, Rufus King |
| Documents that influenced the Constitution | The Federalist Papers, The Federalist No. 43 |
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What You'll Learn
- The US Constitution was ratified by the necessary nine of 13 states on June 21, 1788
- The first state to ratify was Delaware, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut
- The Constitution does not explicitly state that citizens have the right to vote
- The authority to protect voting rights comes from post-Civil War amendments and civil rights legislation
- The 26th Amendment states that citizens aged 18 or older cannot be denied the right to vote
The US Constitution was ratified by the necessary nine of 13 states on June 21, 1788
The US Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to approve the document. The Constitution was drafted during a four-month Constitutional Convention held in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, from May 25, 1787, to September 17, 1787. The convention was attended by representatives from all 13 states, and the final document was signed by 38 or 39 of the 41 or 55 delegates present.
The Constitution was then sent to the states for ratification. The first state to ratify was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. As 1788 began, Connecticut and Georgia also voted in favour of ratification. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire cast the ninth vote in favour of ratification, making the Constitution the official framework of the US government.
The journey to ratification was long and arduous. The Articles of Confederation, which preceded the Constitution, were tailored to a newly formed nation of states acting more like independent, sovereign countries. However, it became clear that future stability required a stronger, more centralized government. The new Constitution created a stronger federal government with an intricate system of checks and balances.
The first federal elections were held from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789, and the new government began on March 4, 1789, with George Washington as president and John Adams as vice president. The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island, the last of the original 13 colonies, approved the document.
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The first state to ratify was Delaware, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut
The road to the ratification of the United States Constitution was long and arduous. The country was governed by the Articles of Confederation, which gave individual states a lot of political power, making the national government less significant. It was clear to America's leaders that a stronger, more centralised government was needed.
The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on 7 December 1787. This was followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. Delaware Day has been celebrated annually since 1933 to commemorate this event.
Pennsylvania was the second state to ratify the Constitution, approving it by a vote of 46-23. New Jersey was the third state to ratify, and it did so unanimously. Connecticut and Georgia followed Delaware's lead with almost unanimous votes.
New Hampshire became the ninth and final state needed to ratify the Constitution on 21 June 1788. The Constitution then became the official framework of the government of the United States of America.
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The Constitution does not explicitly state that citizens have the right to vote
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 38 or 39 delegates, and it established a new form of government for the country. The Constitution does not explicitly state that citizens have the right to vote. Instead, the authority to protect voting rights comes from amendments and legislation adopted after the Civil War and during the Civil Rights Movement.
The Constitution does, however, give Congress and the federal government the power to determine the "times, places, and manner" of congressional elections through the Elections Clause. This power has been used to establish a single national Election Day and mandate single-member congressional districts. Additionally, the Constitution requires all states to have a representative form of government with elections and majority rule, but this provision is rarely invoked.
The framers of the Constitution left the specifics of voting to the states, which resulted in unfair voting practices. Initially, only white men with property were routinely allowed to vote. Over time, various groups have had to fight for their right to vote, including African Americans, women, Native Americans, and citizens between the ages of 18 and 21. Amendments, such as the 19th Amendment for women's suffrage and the 26th Amendment lowering the voting age to 18, have been necessary to expand voting rights.
While the federal government technically has the power to protect voting rights and regulate elections, it currently lacks the tools to do so effectively due to Supreme Court rulings and Senate inaction. As a result, the responsibility to protect voting rights has largely fallen to individual states, which can take steps such as removing barriers to voter registration and passing state-level voting rights acts.
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The authority to protect voting rights comes from post-Civil War amendments and civil rights legislation
Despite these amendments, many states, particularly in the South, continued to use poll taxes, literacy tests, and other discriminatory practices to restrict the voting rights of African Americans and other minority groups. In response, Congress passed the Civil Rights Act of 1957, which authorized the Attorney General to seek injunctions against voting discrimination. The Civil Rights Act of 1960 further empowered the Attorney General by granting access to local voting records and authorizing courts to register voters in areas of systematic discrimination.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a landmark federal statute that sought to enforce the Fourteenth and Fifteenth Amendments and secure the right to vote for racial minorities, especially in the South. It prohibited discriminatory voting practices, such as literacy tests and poll taxes, and required states with a history of voting suppression to obtain preclearance from the federal government for any changes to their election laws. The Act was signed into law by President Lyndon B. Johnson on August 6, 1965, and was later amended five times to expand its protections.
The Voting Rights Act of 1965 was a significant turning point in the relationship between federal and state governments regarding voting rights, and it is considered the most effective piece of federal civil rights legislation in the country's history. It took major steps to curtail voter suppression and reduce barriers to voting, including lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 and protecting the voting rights of language minorities and people with disabilities.
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The 26th Amendment states that citizens aged 18 or older cannot be denied the right to vote
The 26th Amendment to the U.S. Constitution, ratified on July 1, 1971, lowered the voting age for all Americans to 18 years, from 21 years previously. The Amendment states: "The right of citizens of the United States, who are eighteen years of age or older, to vote shall not be denied or abridged by the United States or by any State on account of age." This change was brought about by a long campaign, with the earliest calls for lowering the voting age from 21 to 18 emerging in the 1940s, endorsed by First Lady Eleanor Roosevelt.
The movement to lower the voting age gained momentum when President Dwight D. Eisenhower used his 1954 State of the Union address to call upon Congress to propose an amendment to the Constitution, allowing citizens to vote at 18. Widespread public support followed in the 1960s, with the Vietnam War placing the issue of citizens being old enough to fight for their country, without being able to vote, back on the agenda. The slogan "old enough to fight, old enough to vote" became a rallying cry for a youth voting rights movement, powered by young people and their allies.
In 1965, Congress voted to add an amendment to the Voting Rights Act, lowering the voting age to 18. However, this was only in federal elections, as the Supreme Court ruled that Congress did not have the power to set the minimum voting age in state or local elections. This led to the proposal and passing of an amendment to the Constitution, which was passed by both chambers of Congress in March 1971. After being sent to the states for ratification, 38 states ratified the 26th Amendment within two months, and it officially went into effect on July 1, 1971.
The 26th Amendment has faced legal challenges, with questions over its application to other political institutions, such as serving on a jury, and the validity of voter identification laws. However, it has also led to unprecedented levels of youth voter turnout in recent elections, with young voters enthusiastic about participating in the democratic process.
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Frequently asked questions
Nine out of the 13 existing states were required to ratify the US Constitution.
Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, and New Hampshire.
38 or 39, depending on the source.
June 21, 1788.
The US Constitution was created to propose and create a new form of government, as the Articles of Confederation were no longer adequate.
