How many states had to approve the Constitution before it passed?
http://bensguide.gpo.gov/6-8/documents/constitution/background.html
Scroll down to the "Order of Ratification."
Would it be 7?
Nope. Please check it again.
How about 10?
7 Maryland April 28, 1788
8 South Carolina May 23, 1788
9 New Hampshire June 21, 1788
(With this state's signing, the Constitution became legal)
To find out how many states had to approve the Constitution before it passed, we need to look at the historical context. During the Constitutional Convention in 1787, delegates from the 13 original states gathered to draft a new governing document to replace the Articles of Confederation. Once the Constitution was drafted, it required the approval of the states before it could become law.
The specific number of states needed to approve the Constitution is stated in Article VII of the Constitution itself. According to this article, the Constitution would become effective once it was ratified by at least nine out of the thirteen states. This was the threshold set by the framers to ensure a significant level of support among the states before the new government could be established.
Once the Constitution was drafted, it was then sent to the states for ratification. Each state held its own ratification conventions where delegates would debate and vote on whether to approve the Constitution. After the necessary nine states ratified it, it became binding between those nine states. However, the framers knew that the support of all thirteen states was essential for the new government's success. Therefore, they continued to advocate for the remaining states to ratify the Constitution.
Ultimately, the Constitution was ratified by all thirteen states by the year 1790, with Rhode Island being the last state to do so. The nine states that initially ratified the Constitution were Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, Connecticut, Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, and New Hampshire.
In summary, nine states had to approve the Constitution before it passed, but it was eventually ratified by all thirteen original states.