Omar Bennett
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, representing 12 states, endorsed the Constitution, which was created during the four-month-long convention. The signing of the Constitution was the result of delegates amending the Articles of Confederation, which gave the Confederation Congress the power to make rules and request funds from the states, but it lacked enforcement powers and could not regulate commerce or print money. The Constitution lays out the framework of the nation's federal government and delineates how its three branches—the legislative, executive, and judicial—are to function.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 17 September 1787 |
| Location | Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Number of delegates signing | 39 |
| Number of states represented | 12 |
| Number of states not represented | 1 (Rhode Island) |
| Youngest signer | 26 (Jonathan Dayton) |
| Oldest signer | 81 (Benjamin Franklin) |
| First signer to die | Benjamin Franklin (April 1790) |
| Last signer to die | James Madison (June 1836) |
| Date first state ratified the Constitution | 7 December 1787 (Delaware) |
| Date Constitution was ratified by all states | 29 May 1790 |
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What You'll Learn
The signing of the US Constitution
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This signing concluded the four-month-long Constitutional Convention, which had begun in May of the same year. The convention was conducted under an oath of secrecy, so the first time the general public saw the Constitution was when it was printed in The Pennsylvania Packet and Daily Advertiser on September 19, 1787—two days after the signing.
The Constitutional Convention was convened because several key political figures, including James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and George Washington, feared that the country was on the brink of collapse. America’s first constitution, 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 initial purpose of the convention was for the delegates to amend the Articles of Confederation, but the ultimate outcome was the proposal and creation of a completely new form of government.
The convention was attended by 55 of the 74 chosen delegates, and 39 of them signed the Constitution. The youngest signer was 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton, and the oldest was 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin. Franklin was also the first signer to die, in April 1790, while James Madison was the last, dying in June 1836. George Washington, as president of the Convention, signed first, followed by the other delegates, grouped by states in progression from north to south.
The US Constitution lays out the framework for the nation's federal government and delineates how its three branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) are to function. It also sets up a system of checks and balances to ensure no one branch has too much power, and divides power between the states and the federal government.
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The role of delegates
The delegates to the Constitutional Convention were tasked with amending the Articles of Confederation, which served as America's first constitution. However, the convention ultimately resulted in the proposal and creation of a new form of government, outlined in the U.S. Constitution.
The delegates represented 12 of the 13 states, with Rhode Island refusing to send representatives. Of the 74 chosen delegates, 55 attended, and 39 signed the final document. The remaining delegates either left before the signing ceremony or refused to sign. The delegates who signed the Constitution represented a range of different interests and views, and their work resulted in a powerful central government with a system of checks and balances to ensure no one branch held too much power.
The delegates included both young and old individuals, with Jonathan Dayton, aged 26, being the youngest signer, and Benjamin Franklin, aged 81, being the oldest. Several of the delegates had also played significant roles in the American Revolution, with seven having signed the Declaration of Independence and 30 having served on active military duty.
The signing of the Constitution was the culmination of a four-month-long convention that began in May 1787. During this period, committees were formed to draft and revise the document, reflecting the resolutions passed by the convention. The final report, or the constitution's first draft, included 23 articles and a preamble. This draft was further condensed into the final Constitution, which comprised seven articles.
The delegates played a crucial role in ensuring the unanimous support of the state delegations for the Constitution. They realized the difficulty of obtaining the consent of the states and wanted to present a united front. As a result, the formula "Done in convention by the unanimous consent of the states present" was devised to give the impression of unanimity.
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The drafting process
During the convention, a Committee of Detail was appointed to prepare a draft constitution. This committee, composed of Nathaniel Gorham of Massachusetts, John Rutledge, Edmund Randolph, James Wilson, and Oliver Ellsworth, produced the constitution's first draft, which included 23 articles and a preamble. This draft reflected the resolutions passed by the convention and underwent some rephrasing.
Near the end of the convention, a Committee of Style and Arrangement condensed the 23 articles into seven in less than four days, giving the document its final form. The final report, or the constitution's first draft, was then signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787, marking the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention. George Washington, as president of the Convention, signed first, followed by the other delegates, grouped by states from north to south.
The signing of the Constitution was a significant step towards establishing a new government, but it did not immediately go into effect. The document required ratification by nine of the 13 existing states to become binding. The first state to ratify was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. However, some states, like Massachusetts, opposed the Constitution due to concerns over the protection of certain rights and the reservation of powers to the states.
It wasn't until May 29, 1790, that Rhode Island, the last of the original 13 colonies, voted to ratify the Constitution, and the Bill of Rights was ratified by the end of the following year. The Constitution, as the fundamental framework of America's system of government, separates powers into three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial, and it continues to be one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world.
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Ratification and implementation
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. However, it did not go into effect immediately. The document stipulated that it would only become binding once it was ratified by nine of the 13 existing states.
The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. However, some states, particularly Massachusetts, opposed the document on the grounds that it did not adequately protect certain rights and freedoms, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. To address these concerns, a compromise was reached, known as the Massachusetts Compromise, which stipulated that amendments—what became the Bill of Rights—would be immediately proposed. As a result, the Constitution was ratified by Massachusetts, Maryland, and South Carolina. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, allowing it to come into effect.
The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island, which had resisted due to its opposition to federal control of currency and criticism of the compromise on slavery, finally approved the document. The Bill of Rights was ratified at the end of the following year, and the location of the capital was set on July 16, 1790.
The implementation of the Constitution involved setting dates for the first federal elections and the official start of the new government. Elections were held from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789, and the new government, with George Washington as President and John Adams as Vice President, took office on March 4, 1789.
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The Bill of Rights
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, representing 12 states, endorsed the Constitution. The original, handwritten Constitution is at the National Archives in Washington, D.C.
The signing of the Constitution was the result of growing concerns about the Articles of Confederation, America's first constitution, which 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, or print money. Disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart.
The Constitutional Convention was tasked with revising the existing government, but the delegates ultimately proposed and created a completely new form of government. The Constitution lays out the framework for the nation's federal government and delineates how its three branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) are to function.
James Madison, a strong advocate for the Bill of Rights, wrote that such "fundamental maxims of free Government" would be "a good ground for an appeal to the sense of community" against potential oppression and would "counteract the impulses of interest and passion." Madison played a critical role in persuading the House to enact amendments, shepherding through 17 amendments, which were later trimmed to 12 in the Senate. On October 2, 1789, President Washington sent a copy of the 12 amendments to each of the states for adoption.
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Frequently asked questions
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787.
The US Constitution was signed at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
39 delegates signed the US Constitution.
The US Constitution was ratified by the necessary nine out of 13 states in 1788. The last state to ratify the Constitution was Rhode Island on May 29, 1790.
