when did states ratify the constitution

How many of the 13 states ratified the Constitution?

U.S. Constitution ratified. As dictated by Article VII, the document would not become binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 states. Beginning on December 7, five states—Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut—ratified it in quick succession. Secondly, which state ratified the constitution last? Rhode Island

When was the Constitution ratified by all 13 states?

When did the Constitution get ratified by all 13 states? O n June 21, 1788, the Constitution became the official framework of the government of the United States of America when New Hampshire became the ninth of 13 states to ratify it.

Why should the Constitution be ratified?

Yes, the constitution should be ratified because the constitution can be amended, separation of powers, and the three branches of government.

When states ratified the 19th Amendment?

• The Nineteenth Amendment was ratified on August 18, 1920. August 26, 1920 The Nineteenth Amendment was officially certified by the Secretary of State. ...
• Other states ratified the Nineteenth Amendment soon after it became law. ...
• Better late than never! ...
• The Nineteenth Amendment was not the moment all American women won voting rights.

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When did each state ratify the US Constitution?

Ratification at a GlanceStateConventionVote on RatificationPennsylvania20 November–15 December 178712 December 1787New Jersey11–20 December 178718 December 1787Georgia25 December 1787–5 January 178831 December 1787Connecticut3–9 January 17889 January 178810 more rows

What were the 9 states that ratified the Constitution?

The Constitution Is Ratified by Nine States. On June 21, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the new Constitution, making its adoption official. Preceding New Hampshire were Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, and South Carolina.

Was the Constitution ratified in 1788 or 1789?

The Constitution was thus narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and South Carolina. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, and it was subsequently agreed that government under the U.S. Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789.

Which states did not ratify the Constitution?

Rhode Island's role in the drafting and ratification of the US Constitution was unlike other states. Rhode Island was the only state not to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787.

What were the last 2 states to ratify the Constitution?

New Hampshire became the ninth state to accept the Constitution on June 21, 1788, which officially ended government under the Articles of Confederation. It was not until May 29, 1790, that the last state, Rhode Island, finally ratified the Constitution.

Why was it important that all 13 states ratify the Constitution?

Why was it important for all of the states to ratify the Constitution? It is important for all 13 states to ratify the Constitution because if that is done, nobody will be left extremely unhappy. The whole country needs to be willing to work together without too many disagreements.

Did all 13 colonies ratify the Constitution?

As debates raged in taverns, halls and homes throughout the eastern seaboard in June 1788, only eight of 13 colonies had ratified a future United States Constitution. In order for the Constitution to be officially adopted as the ruling law of the land, it needed to be accepted by at least nine.

What was the first state to ratify?

DelawareDelaware was the first State to ratify, on December 7, 1787. After New Hampshire became the ninth State to ratify, on June 22, 1788, the Confederation Congress established March 9, 1789 as the date to begin operating under the Constitution.

Why did it take so long to ratify the Constitution?

Yet, it would take until 1790 for all states to finally agree and ratify the Constitution. Disputes over the powers of the delegates, Anti-Federalist fears, and the lack of a Bill of Rights all caused roadblocks. But, compromises and promises by the new government led to an eventual resolution.

Who was the last state to ratify the Constitution?

Rhode IslandThe 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.

Why did several states refused to ratify the Constitution?

The Anti-Federalists opposed the ratification of the 1787 U.S. Constitution because they feared that the new national government would be too powerful and thus threaten individual liberties, given the absence of a bill of rights.

What two states refused to ratify the Constitution until a Bill of Rights was added?

Rhode Island and North Carolina refused to ratify without a bill of rights. New York even went so far as to call for a second constitutional convention.

Why did only 9 states ratify the Constitution?

I, Sec. 2, Cl. 3), the Framers believed that any combination of nine states would comprise a majority of American citizens. Even if the five most populous states all refused to ratify, the remaining nine still would represent a majority of the electorate.

Did all 13 states ratify the Constitution?

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.

How many states were there when the Constitution was ratified?

nineThe Constitution would take effect once it had been ratified by nine of the thirteen State legislatures; unanimity was not required.

What were the 10 changes agreed to by the states in 1791?

The first ten amendments were added in 1791 and later amendments introduced such far-reaching changes as ending slavery, creating national guarantees of due process and individual rights, granting women the vote, and providing for direct popular election of senators.

Which state ratified the Constitution?

Order of Ratification. The Delaware legislature became the first to ratify the Constitution by a vote of 30-0 on December 7, 1787. The ninth state, New Hampshire, ratified it on June 21, 1788, and the new Constitution went into effect on March 4, 1789. Here is the order in which the states ratified the U.S. Constitution.

Why was the Constitution created?

Roughly a decade after the United States declared independence, the United States Constitution was created to replace the failing Articles of Confederation.

What did the Federalists argue about the lack of a Bill of Rights?

To the lack of a Bill of Rights, the Federalists argued that such a list of rights would always be incomplete and that the Constitution as written adequately protected the people from the government. Finally, during the ratification debate in Virginia, James Madison promised that the first act of the new government under the Constitution would be the adoption of a Bill of Rights.

What did the Federalists argue about the Constitution?

The Federalist Papers. Favoring ratification, the Federalists responded, arguing that rejection of the Constitution would lead to anarchy and social disorder. Using the pen name Publius, Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay countered Clinton’s Anti-Federalist Papers .

What was the most impactful objection to the Constitution?

Another often-expressed objection was that the Constitution reserved too many powers to the central government at the expense of “state’s rights.” Perhaps the most impactful objection to the Constitution was that the Convention had failed to include a Bill of Rights clearly enumerating the rights that would protect the American people from potentially excessive applications of government powers.

What was the Great Compromise?

Many compromises occurred over the course of the debate, including the Great Compromise, which tackled the thorny question of the relative representation of more and less populous states. The final document was then sent to the states for ratification. In order for the Constitution to become law, at least nine states would have to ratify it.

Why did the states meet in 1787?

Some states met to try and deal with their individual trade and economic issues. However, they soon realized that individual agreements would not be enough for the scale of problems that were arising. On May 25, 1787, all the states sent ...

When was the Constitution ratified?

On the 4th of March, 1789, the day which had been fixed for commencing the operations of Government under the new Constitution, it had been ratified by the conventions chosen in each State to consider it, as follows:

When did North Carolina ratify the Constitution?

The President informed Congress, on the 28th of January, 1790, that North Carolina had ratified the Constitution November 21, 1789 ; and he informed Congress on the 1st of June, 1790, that Rhode Island had ratified the Constitution May 29, 1790. Vermont, in convention, ratified the Constitution on January 10, 1791, and was, by an act of Congress approved February 18, 1791, “received and admitted into this Union as a new and entire member of the United States”.

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Which state was the first to ratify the Constitution?

Delaware becomes the first state to ratify the Constitution (30–0).

When was the Constitution drafted?

The drafting of the Constitution of the United States began on May 25, 1787, when the Constitutional Convention met for the first time with a quorum at the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall) in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania to revise the Articles of Confederation, and ended on September 17, 1787, the day the Constitution drafted by the convention's delegates to replace the Articles was adopted and signed. The ratification process for the Constitution began that day, and ended when the final state, Rhode Island, ratified it on May 29, 1790. In addition to key events during the Constitutional Convention and afterward while the Constitution was put before the states for their ratification, this timeline includes important events that occurred during the run-up to the convention and during the nation's transition from government under the Articles of Confederation to government under the Constitution, and concludes with the unique ratification vote of Vermont, which at the time was a sovereign state outside the Union. The time span covered is 5 years, 9 months, from March 25, 1785 to January 10, 1791.

How many articles of amendments were passed on September 25?

September 25 • Constitutional amendments proposed by Congress. Twelve articles of amendment to the Constitution are approved by the Senate, having been passed by the House on the preceding day, both without recorded vote, and sent to the states for ratification.

How many delegates signed the Constitution?

The approved Constitution is signed by thirty-nine delegates from twelve states (all but Rhode Island). One delegate, John Dickinson, who was ill and not present, had George Read sign his name by proxy. Three delegates present declined to sign the document: Edmund Randolph, George Mason, and Elbridge Gerry.

What is the purpose of the Constitutional Convention?

The Congress of the Confederation calls a constitutional convention "for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation and reporting to Congress and the several legislatures such alterations and provisions therein and when agreed to in Congress and confirmed by the States render the Federal Constitution adequate to the exigencies of Government and the preservation of the Union".

Why did the Virginia General Assembly call for an interstate convention?

Virginia General Assembly calls for an interstate convention for the purpose of discussing and developing a consensus about reversing the protectionist trade and commerce barriers existing between the various states.

Which article of the Constitution is used to transmit the Constitution to the thirteen states?

Congress of the Confederation votes to transmit the proposed Constitution to the thirteen states for ratification by the people in state conventions, as prescribed In its Article Seven.

Which states ratified the Constitution?

In February 1788, a compromise was reached under which Massachusetts and other states would agree to ratify the document with the assurance that amendments would be immediately proposed. The Constitution was thus narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Maryland and South Carolina. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, and it was subsequently agreed that government under the U.S. Constitution would begin on March 4, 1789. In June, Virginia ratified the Constitution, followed by New York in July.

Which state is the ninth and last necessary to ratify the Constitution?

New Hampshire becomes the ninth and last necessary state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, thereby making the document the law of the land. New Hampshire becomes the ninth and last necessary state to ratify the Constitution of the United States, thereby making the document the law of the land. By.

What were the defects in the Articles of Confederation?

By 1786, defects in the post- Revolutionary War Articles of Confederation were apparent, such as the lack of central authority over foreign and domestic commerce. Congress endorsed a plan to draft a new constitution, and on May 25, 1787, the Constitutional Convention convened at Independence Hall in Philadelphia. On September 17, 1787, after three months of debate moderated by convention president George Washington, the new U.S. constitution, which created a strong federal government with an intricate system of checks and balances, was signed by 38 of the 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the convention. As dictated by Article VII, the document would not become binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 states.

Which colony joined the United States in 1790?

On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island voted by two votes to ratify the document, and the last of the original 13 colonies joined the United States. Today the U.S. Constitution is the oldest written constitution in operation in the world.

What happened on June 21, 1779?

On June 21, 1779, Spain declares war on Great Britain, creating a de facto alliance with the Americans . Spain’s King Charles III would not consent to a treaty of alliance with the United States. For one imperial power to encourage another imperial power’s colonies in revolt was ...read more

How many states were required to ratify the Constitution?

Article VII, the final article of the Constitution, required that before the Constitution could become law and a new government could form, the document had to be ratified by nine of the thirteen states. Eleven days after the delegates at the Philadelphia convention approved it, copies of the Constitution were sent to each of the states, which were to hold ratifying conventions to either accept or reject it.

Which states voted for the Constitution?

For obvious reasons, smaller, less populous states favored the Constitution and the protection of a strong federal government. Delaware and New Jersey ratified the document within a few months after it was sent to them for approval in 1787. Connecticut ratified it early in 1788. Some of the larger states, such as Pennsylvania and Massachusetts, also voted in favor of the new government. New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the Constitution in the summer of 1788.

How did the Federalists win the day?

First, the Federalist position tended to win support among businessmen, large farmers, and, in the South, plantation owners. These people tended to live along the Eastern Seaboard. In 1787, most of the states were divided into voting districts in a manner that gave more votes to the eastern part of the state than to the western part. [7] Thus, in some states, like Virginia and South Carolina, small farmers who may have favored the Anti-Federalist position were unable to elect as many delegates to state ratification conventions as those who lived in the east. Small settlements may also have lacked the funds to send delegates to the convention. [8]

What were the objections to the Constitution?

One of the objections raised to the Constitution’s new government was that it did not set term limits for members of Congress or the president. Those who opposed a strong central government argued that this failure could allow a handful of powerful men to gain control of the nation and rule it for as long as they wished. Although the framers did not anticipate the idea of career politicians, those who supported the Constitution argued that reelecting the president and reappointing senators by state legislatures would create a body of experienced men who could better guide the country through crises. A president who did not prove to be a good leader would be voted out of office instead of being reelected. In fact, presidents long followed George Washington’s example and limited themselves to two terms. Only in 1951, after Franklin Roosevelt had been elected four times, was the Twenty-Second Amendment passed to restrict the presidency to two terms.

Why were anti-federalists so strong in the South?

Related to these concerns were fears that the strong central government Federalists advocated for would levy taxes on farmers and planters, who lacked the hard currency needed to pay them. Many also believed Congress would impose tariffs on foreign imports that would make American agricultural products less welcome in Europe and in European colonies in the western hemisphere. For these reasons, Anti-Federalist sentiment was especially strong in the South.

What did Madison argue about the Federalist?

Objections that an elite group of wealthy and educated bankers, businessmen, and large landowners would come to dominate the nation’s politics were also addressed by Madison in Federalist No. 10. Americans need not fear the power of factions or special interests, he argued, for the republic was too big and the interests of its people too diverse to allow the development of large, powerful political parties. Likewise, elected representatives, who were expected to “possess the most attractive merit,” would protect the government from being controlled by “an unjust and interested [biased in favor of their own interests] majority.”

What was the sticking point of the Constitution?

The greatest sticking point when it came to ratification, as it had been at the Constitutional Convention itself, was the relative power of the state and federal governments. The framers of the Constitution believed that without the ability to maintain and command an army and navy, impose taxes, and force the states to comply with laws passed by Congress, the young nation would not survive for very long. But many people resisted increasing the powers of the national government at the expense of the states. Virginia’s Patrick Henry, for example, feared that the newly created office of president would place excessive power in the hands of one man. He also disapproved of the federal government’s new ability to tax its citizens. This right, Henry believed, should remain with the states.

Which states ratified the Constitution?

Beginning on December 7, 1787, five states– Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia and Connecticut– ratified the Constitution in quick succession. However, other states, especially Massachusetts, opposed the document, as it failed to reserve un-delegated powers to the states and lacked constitutional protection of basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion and the press.

When was the first constitution ratified?

America’s first constitution, the Articles of Confederation, was ratified in 1781, a time when the nation was a loose confederation of states, each operating like independent countries. The national government was comprised of a single legislature, the Congress of the Confederation; there was no president or judicial branch.

How many amendments are there to the Bill of Rights?

The Bill of Rights were 10 amendments guaranteeing basic individual protections, such as freedom of speech and religion, that became part of the Constitution in 1791. To date, there are 27 constitutional amendments.

What was the first document to establish a federal government?

Under America’s first governing document, the Articles of Confederation, the national government was weak and states operated like independent countries. At the 1787 convention, delegates devised a plan for a stronger federal government with three branches—executive, legislative and judicial—along with a system of checks and balances to ensure no single branch would have too much power.

What are the contents of the Constitution?

Contents. The Preamble to the U.S. Constitution. Articles of Confederation. Forming a More Perfect Union. Debating the Constitution. Ratifying the Constitution. The Bill of Rights. The Constitution Today. The Constitution of the United States established America’s national government and fundamental laws, and guaranteed certain basic rights ...

How many Federalist papers were published?

The 85 essays, known collectively as “The Federalist” (or “The Federalist Papers”), detailed how the new government would work, and were published under the pseudonym Publius (Latin for “public”) in newspapers across the states starting in the fall of 1787.

How many words were in the Constitution?

By September 1787, the convention’s five-member Committee of Style (Hamilton, Madison, William Samuel Johnson of Connecticut, Gouverneur Morris of New York, Rufus King of Massachusetts) had drafted the final text of the Constitution, which consisted of some 4,200 words.

How many states ratified the Constitution?

Ratification Dates and Votes. Each of the original thirteen states in the United States was invited to ratify the Constitution created in Philadelphia in 1787. The Constitution specified that nine ratifications would be sufficient to consider the Constitution accepted. Some states ratified quickly, others had to hold several conventions ...

When did the Constitutional Convention adjourn?

This page lists the votes of each state's conventions. September 17, 1787: The Constitutional Convention adjourns. September 28, 1787: The Congress agrees to send the Constitution to the states for debate and ratification.

When did Congress decide to send the Constitution to the states?

Between September 26 and 28, Congress debated in secret whether it should comply with the wishes of the Convention and send the Constitution to the states asking them to call specially-elected state conventions to consider ratification.

Which state was the last to draft a new constitution?

Only in Massachusetts, the last state to draft a new constitution, did the provincial legislature submit its proposal to the people for their approval in town meetings, where, in 1778, ...

What were the first steps in ratifying the Constitution?

The first steps in ratifying the new constitution occurred before and during the meeting of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia in May 1787. A widespread, uncoordinated campaign took place throughout the country to convince the people that the Articles of Confederation needed to be revised to maintain the Union. David Humphreys of Connecticut wrote to George Washington shortly after the Convention adjourned that “the well-affected have not been wanting in efforts to prepare the minds of the citizens for the favorable reception of whatever might be the result of your Proceedings. . . . Judicious & well-timed publications have great efficacy in ripening the judgment of men.” All of America’s newspapers supported the Convention and encouraged their readers to adopt whatever was proposed. The printers of the Northern Centinel in Lansingburgh, N.Y., admitted that they “conceived it as a duty incumbent on them to prepare the minds of their readers for” the Convention’s proposal. This widespread confidence was generated partially because of the stature of the Convention delegates, particularly George Washington and Benjamin Franklin. Consequently, when the Convention adjourned the American people and their state legislatures had a proclivity to accept the Convention’s recommendations.

What did the Antifederalists want to indicate?

Antifederalists also wanted to indicate that the ratification process suggested by the Philadelphia Convention violated the amendment procedure provided by the Articles of Confederation and the congressional resolution of February 21, 1787, that called for the Convention only to amend the Articles. Furthermore, the delegates themselves had violated ...

How long did it take to draft the Articles of Confederation?

Seven states ratified the Articles quickly while also submitting proposed amendments to the Articles. Congress rejected all of the proposed amendments. It took three and a half years to ratify the Articles because of the requirement of the unanimous approval of the state legislatures. Between 1781 and 1787, Congress proposed and the states considered half a dozen amendments to the Articles to strengthen the powers of Congress. All of them had the support of a large majority of both the states and the people. But because the Articles required the unanimous ratification of the state legislatures, none of the amendments were adopted. Slim majorities in one or two states opposed the transference of power from the states to Congress. The delegates to the Constitutional Convention of 1787 were familiar with this decade-long constitutional heritage.

Why did the Federalists send the Constitution to the states without approbation?

But, because they wanted to avoid any indication that there was opposition to the Constitution in Congress, they agreed to send the Constitution to the states without congressional approbation if all debate over the Constitution (including Lee’s bill of rights) would be stricken from Congress’ Journals. Astute politicians, Federalist leaders then included the word “unanimously” in the congressional resolution of September 28, 1787, sending the Constitution to the states with the recommendation that specially-elected conventions be called to ratify the Constitution. When told of the trickery, Washington responded to Madison: “Not everyone has opportunities to peep behind the curtain; and as the multitude often judge from externals, the appearance of unanimity in that body, on this occasion, will be of great importance.”

How many states have bicameral legislatures?

Furthermore, eleven states had bicameral legislatures, meaning that two struggles would be necessary to obtain a single state’s adoption. Conventions would also allow prominent men who were not state legislators to participate in the ratification debate.

The Process for Ratifying the Constitution

While we are all aware of what the United States Constitution is and its overall impact on the country as a whole, considerably fewer people are aware that it was not our first system of government.

What Order Did the States Officially Ratify the Constitution?

Because of the many legitimate concerns brought about by the Anti-Federalists, the Federalists and proponents of the Constitution’s ratification agreed to add in a bill of rights. Founding father James Madison introduced twelve amendments in 1789, ten of which were ratified, thus creating the Bill of Rights.

The Importance of the Bill Of Rights for the Constitution

While it ultimately worked out in the Federalists’ favor, it cannot be overstated just how vitally important it was that the Bill of Rights was included in the Constitution.

Need For A New Constitution

Constitutional Convention

Opposition to Ratification

The Federalist Papers

Order of Ratification

• The Delaware legislature became the first to ratify the Constitution by a vote of 30-0 on December 7, 1787. The ninth state, New Hampshire, ratified it on June 21, 1788, and the new Constitution went into effect on March 4, 1789. Here is the order in which the states ratified the U.S. Constitution. 1. Delaware - December 7, 1787 2. Pennsylvania - D...

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