Malcolm Rivera
The ratification of the U.S. Constitution was a lengthy process that took three and a half years. The delegates at the Constitutional Convention wanted the new constitution to be ratified by both a majority of states and a majority of the country's citizens. They decided that nine states would be needed to ratify the constitution, as nine was the number of states necessary in the Confederation Congress to adopt important matters such as borrowing money, declaring war, ratifying treaties, and admitting new states into the Union. The ratification process was designed to demonstrate that the new constitution would be established by the will of the people rather than by a few political elites in state legislatures.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Ratification process | Demonstrates that the new constitution would be established by the will of the people rather than political elites |
| Ratification by | A majority of states and a majority of the country's citizens |
| Number of states required for ratification | Nine |
| Method of ratification | State conventions instead of state legislatures |
| Unanimity requirement | Would doom any hopes of ratification |
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What You'll Learn
Ratification by the people
The delegates decided that nine states would be required to ratify the constitution. This was to ensure that a majority of states would also yield a majority of citizens. Nine was also the number of states necessary in the Confederation Congress to adopt important matters such as borrowing money, declaring war, ratifying treaties, and admitting new states into the Union.
The Convention also decided to substitute state conventions instead of state legislatures as the bodies to consider ratification. This was to make the new federal Constitution superior to any specific legislature. It would also be easier to obtain ratification from ad hoc state conventions that would meet only once and then disappear forever, as opposed to having legislatures consider giving up some of their own powers.
The process of ratifying the US Constitution took three and a half years due to the requirement of the unanimous approval of the state legislatures.
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Ratification by a majority of states
The delegates knew that the unanimity requirement of the Articles would doom any hopes of ratification. Rhode Island was not even represented in the Convention and New York was likely to oppose any significant transfer of power from the states to Congress. To ensure that a majority of states would also yield the majority of citizens, they added the requirement that nine states, rather than a simple majority of seven states, would be needed for ratification. This was the number of states necessary in the Confederation Congress to adopt important matters such as borrowing money, declaring war, ratifying treaties, and admitting new states into the Union.
The Convention also decided to substitute state conventions instead of state legislatures as the bodies to consider ratification. This was because it would be easier to obtain ratification from ad hoc state conventions that would meet only once and then disappear forever, as opposed to having legislatures consider giving up some of their own powers. Eleven states had bicameral legislatures, meaning that two struggles would be necessary to obtain a single state’s adoption.
The new US Constitution was ratified on June 21, 1788, when the state of New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify, satisfying the requirement for ratification.
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Ratification by a majority of citizens
The delegates knew that the unanimity requirement of the Articles would doom any hopes of ratification. They felt it necessary to obtain majorities of both states and people. Ratification by seven small states might not provide a majority of people, so they decided that nine states would be appropriate to implement the Constitution among the ratifying states. This was the number of states necessary in the Confederation Congress to adopt important matters such as borrowing money, declaring war, ratifying treaties, and admitting new states into the Union.
The delegates also decided to substitute state conventions instead of state legislatures as the bodies to consider ratification. This was because it would be easier to obtain ratification from ad hoc state conventions that would meet only once and then disappear forever, as opposed to having legislatures consider giving up some of their own powers.
The ratification process took three and a half years due to the requirement of the unanimous approval of the state legislatures.
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Ratification by state conventions
The delegates at the Constitutional Convention wanted the new constitution to be ratified by both a majority of states and a majority of the country's citizens. They decided that nine states would be needed for ratification, as this was the number of states necessary in the Confederation Congress to adopt important matters such as borrowing money, declaring war, ratifying treaties, and admitting new states into the Union.
The Convention also decided to substitute state conventions instead of state legislatures as the bodies to consider ratification. A proposal to allow each of the states their own discretion in deciding its method of ratification was rejected. It was believed that having conventions representing the will of the people directly would make the new federal Constitution superior to any specific legislature. It was also thought that it would be easier to obtain ratification from ad hoc state conventions that would meet only once and then disappear forever, as opposed to having legislatures consider giving up some of their own powers.
The ratification process took three and a half years due to the requirement of the unanimous approval of the state legislatures.
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Ratification by nine states
The delegates knew that the unanimity requirement of the Articles would doom any hopes of ratification. Ratification by seven small states might not provide a majority of people. On August 31, the delegates decided (by a vote of eight states to three) that nine states would be appropriate to implement the Constitution among the ratifying states.
The Convention also decided to substitute state conventions instead of state legislatures as the bodies to consider ratification. A proposal to allow each of the states their own discretion in deciding its method of ratification was rejected. Philosophically, by having conventions representing the will of the people directly, this process would make the new federal Constitution superior to any specific legislature. Politically, it would be easier to obtain ratification from ad hoc state conventions that would meet only once and then disappear forever as opposed to having legislatures consider giving up some of their own powers.
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Frequently asked questions
Ratification was important because it demonstrated that the new constitution was established by the will of the people, rather than by a few political elites in state legislatures.
The Constitution was ratified by nine states, which was the number of states necessary in the Confederation Congress to adopt important matters such as borrowing money, declaring war, ratifying treaties, and admitting new states into the Union.
It took three and a half years to ratify the Constitution because of the requirement of unanimous approval of the state legislatures.
The delegates decided to substitute state conventions because they wanted the new constitution to be superior to any specific legislature. It would also be easier to obtain ratification from ad hoc state conventions that would meet only once and then disappear forever, as opposed to having legislatures consider giving up some of their own powers.
