What year was the constitution ratified

1787

May 14      Constitutional Convention begins (no quorum)

May 25   Constitutional Convention opens with quorum (7 state delegates)

Sept. 12  Debate on whether to include a Bill of Rights

Sept. 15   Final draft ordered engrossed (written)

Sept. 17   Final Constitution signed

Sept. 28   Congress refers the proposed Constitution to the states

October 27  First Federalist Paper appears

December 7  Delaware is the first state to ratify the Constitution-–Unanimous vote  30-0

December 12    Pennsylvania ratifies the Constitution--Vote 46-23

December 18    New Jersey ratifies the Constitution--Unanimous vote 38-0

1788

January 2   Georgia ratifies the Constitution--Unanimous vote 26-0

January 9   Connecticut ratifies the Constitution–-Vote 128-40

February 6   Massachusetts ratifies the Constitution–-Vote 187-168

March 24   Rhode Island votes down Constitution in referendum

April 26   Maryland ratifies the Constitution–-Vote 63-11

May 23   South Carolina ratifies the Constitution–-Vote 149-73

June 21   New Hampshire ratifies the Constitution–Vote 57-47; 9th state to ratify which made adoption of the Constitution official

June 25   Virginia ratifies the Constitution–-Vote 89-79

July 2     Congress announces that the Constitution has been adopted

July 26   New York ratifies the Constitution--Vote 30-27

1789

March 4   New Congress meets for the 1st time

April 30   George Washington is inaugurated as 1st President of the United States

November 21  North Carolina ratifies the Constitution -- Vote 194-77

1790

May 29   Constitution is ratified – Rhode Island Vote 34-32

1791

January 10   Constitution is ratified – Vermont Vote 108-5

December 15    Bill of Rights comes into force on ratification by Virginia

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On September 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States was finally accepted by the delegates. It did not contain any sort of Bill of Rights, even though that question had been heavily debated. Of the 42 delegates still present at the convention when it was finished, 39 signed the Constitution. Only Governor Edmund Randolph (Virginia), George Mason (Virginia), and Elbridge Gerry (Massachusetts) declined to sign.

The Founding Fathers now had to get the states to agree to the document and to vote in favor of it. Nine states needed to vote for the Constitution for it to be accepted. Each state was given six months to meet and vote on the proposed Constitution. On December 7, 1787, Delaware was the first state to vote in favor of, or ratify, it. 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.

The states and the dates of ratification are listed here, in order of ratification:

• Delaware: December 7, 1787
• Pennsylvania: December 12, 1787
• New Jersey: December 18, 1787
• Georgia: January 2, 1788
• Connecticut: January 9, 1788
• Massachusetts: February 6, 1788
• Maryland: April 28, 1788
• South Carolina: May 23, 1788
• New Hampshire: June 21, 1788 (With this state’s ratification, the Constitution became legal.)
• Virginia: June 25, 1788
• New York: July 26, 1788
• North Carolina: November 21, 1789
• Rhode Island: May 29, 1790 (Rhode Island did not hold a Constitutional Convention.)

The creation of the US Constitution was a pivotal moment in creating the federal system of the United States. It came a decade after independence, following concerns over limitations in the current system.

The drafting of the Constitution in Philadelphia wasn’t enough. It needed to be ratified for Congress to adopt it.

So, when was the US Constitution ratified, and why did it take so long for all states to agree?

How Was The US Constitution Ratified?

The Constitution of The United States was officially ratified and therefore approved on June 21st, 1788. This was ten months after delegates finalized the document at the Constitutional Convention of 1787. This was the date when the 9th signature necessary for approval was received. This allowed Congress to move forward with the document and new government procedures.

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.

The Constitutional Convention Led To A Proposed Document In Need Of Ratification.

On May 25th, 1787, delegates from the 13 colonies met in the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Alexander Hamilton brought them together to go over the problematic Articles of Convention that directed current government procedure and powers. They were deemed insufficient and unsuitable for the newly independent nation. As a result, the new Constitution was born. The delegates approved the final document on September 17th, 1787.

However, the document couldn’t go forward for ratification by the states until Congress had agreed to direct it to the state legislatures. The concern was that the delegates at the Constitutional Convention had acted beyond their powers. The event aimed to revise what was written in the articles, not create something entirely new. Some in Congress favored censuring the delegates. But, after some debate, they put the document forward on September 28th.

Only 9 States Needed To Ratify The Constitution For It To Pass.

It can seem as though the ratification process was swift and straightforward, but it all depends on the dates you look at. The time between the end of the convention and approval of the Constitution is relatively short. However, they only needed 9 out of 13 signatures to pass. It would take much longer to get all 13 to sign.

Many states were quick to ratify the proposal, and it took just nine months to get those nine signatures. The first was Delaware on December 7th, 1787, and the ninth was New Hampshire the following June. The impressive thing about Delaware was that it was also a unanimous 30-0 vote.

Why Did It Take So Long For All Colonies To Ratify The Constitution?

While some states were quick to ratify and agree to the terms of the Constitution proposed at the convention, others were less convinced. A large part of the problem in gaining enough states in favor was the argument between Federalists and Anti-Federalists.

The Federalists firmly supported the Constitution and the opportunities brought, citing the risk of civil unrest as a reason for the colonies to stick together. But, on the other hand, anti-Federalists worried about the displacement of power between classes and the potential abuse of power of the minority of convention delegates.

Another issue was the lack of a Bill of Rights. This was something that would come later in the form of Constitutional Amendments. However, there were concerns the original document didn’t go far enough. Massachusetts was one of the first states to falter over this issue, and it caused a lot of debate for a long time. The same happened in Virginia, where there was a strong desire to only ratify a Constitution with a clear Bill of Rights attached. New York also struggled with the issue.

This uncertainty was a problem as the newly formed United States didn’t want such strong and economically viable states separated from the rest of the nation. So when the Federalists promised that the new government would make a Bill of Rights a priority, many states conceded.

The Constitution Was Ratified In Full In 1790.

Although enough states had long approved the proposition for the new Constitution, there was still the long process of getting every state to ratify and agree to the proposal. If those remaining states did not agree to the terms, there was the threat that they would be treated as a foreign government operating outside of the approved Constitution of the rest of the United States.

This spurred others on to finally vote in favor. Rhode Island had rejected it at first following a popular referendum. But, they called a new ratifying convention in 1790 out of fear of the repercussions. The ratification was passed on May 29th, 1790, with a slim two-vote margin.

The Newly Formed Government Structure Was Already In Place.

What makes this date of May 29th, 1790, more interesting is that the process of forming the new government of the United States – based on those new Constitutional agreements – was in full effect. After enough states agreed to ratify the Constitution in the summer of 1788, Congress took effect with the new rules and decided on some important dates.

The first federal elections would occur between December 15th and January 10th, with the new government session starting on March 4th, 1789. Therefore, the new system with its first elected President was more than a year old when Rhode Island finally ratified the Constitution.

It may have taken a long time for all states to agree. But, in the end, the necessity of the nine-state majority was all that mattered. As a result, new Hampshire’s signature means that June 21st, 1788, will always be when the United States approved its Constitution.

Watch the following video about the ratification of the US Constitution: