The Ratification Process
One by one, the states voted. Delaware led the way, ratifying on December 7, 1787. Pennsylvania and New Jersey soon followed. In these states, as in the states that ratified later, the main cause behind ratification was that Federalists were able to convince a majority of delegates that the Constitution would bring an improved system of government. The Debate in New England Massachusetts was the first key battleground. There, the old patriots Sam Adams and John Hancock held back their support. The delay seemed “very ominous,” wrote Madison. Finally, Adams and Hancock convinced the state convention to recommend adding a bill of rights to the Constitution. Still the debate continued. “Some gentlemen say, don't be in a hurry … don't take a leap in the dark,” a Federalist farmer told his fellow delegates. “I say … gather fruit when it is ripe.” In February 1788, Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify. In June, New Hampshire joined ranks as the ninth state. The new government could now go into effect. Still, the nation's unity remained in doubt. New York and Virginia, two of the largest states, had not yet ratified the plan. In both states, Federalists and Antifederalists were closely matched. A Vote to Ratify After Long Debates In Virginia, Patrick Henry, George Mason, and Governor Edmund Randolph led the opposition. Still a spellbinding speaker, Henry at one point spoke for seven hours. Soft-spoken, James Madison could not match Henry's dramatic style. Yet his arguments in favor of the Constitution were always clear, patient, and to the point.The tide finally turned when Governor Randolph changed his mind. He gave his support only when the Federalists promised to support a bill of rights. Virginia voted to ratify in late June.
In New York, the struggle went on for another month. In July 1788, the state convention voted to ratify. North Carolina followed in November 1789. Only Rhode Island, which had refused to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention, remained. On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island became the last state to ratify the Constitution. The effect of ratification was to create a new system of government for the United States, the same basic system that remains in effect today. Celebration of a New Constitution Throughout the land, Americans celebrated the news that the Constitution was ratified. The city of Philadelphia set its festival for July 4, 1788. A festive parade filed along Market Street, led by soldiers who had fought in the Revolution. Thousands cheered as six colorfully outfitted horses pulled a blue carriage shaped like an eagle. Thirteen stars and stripes were painted on the front, and the Constitution was raised proudly above it. Benjamin Rush, a Philadelphia doctor and strong supporter of the Constitution, wrote to a friend, “‘Tis done. We have become a nation.”
Read this text to answer this question : Explain how the Constitution was ratified
The Constitution was ratified through a process in which each state individually voted on whether to accept it. Delaware was the first state to ratify on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The main argument made by the Federalists, who supported the Constitution, was that it would bring about an improved system of government.
The debate over ratification was particularly significant in Massachusetts, where prominent patriots Sam Adams and John Hancock initially withheld their support. However, they eventually convinced the state convention to recommend adding a bill of rights to the Constitution. Massachusetts ratified in February 1788. New Hampshire joined ranks as the ninth state in June of that same year, allowing the new government to go into effect.
The ratification process faced significant opposition in New York and Virginia, both large states. Patrick Henry, George Mason, and Governor Edmund Randolph led the opposition in Virginia, with Patrick Henry giving a lengthy seven-hour speech against ratification. However, James Madison presented clear and patient arguments in favor of the Constitution. Eventually, Governor Randolph changed his mind and Virginia voted to ratify in late June.
In New York, the struggle continued for another month, but the state convention eventually voted to ratify in July 1788. North Carolina ratified in November 1789, and finally, Rhode Island, the last state to ratify, did so on May 29, 1790.
The ratification of the Constitution created a new system of government for the United States, which remains in effect today. The news of ratification was celebrated throughout the country, with Philadelphia holding a festive parade and raising the Constitution proudly above a carriage shaped like an eagle.
The process of ratifying the Constitution involved the states individually voting to accept or reject the Constitution. It began with Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania and New Jersey. The main reason for ratification in these states, as well as in the states that ratified later, was that the Federalists were successful in convincing a majority of delegates that the Constitution would bring about an improved system of government.
The state of Massachusetts became a key battleground in the debate. Influential figures such as Sam Adams and John Hancock initially withheld their support, causing concern. Eventually, Adams and Hancock convinced the state convention to recommend adding a bill of rights to the Constitution. Massachusetts ratified the Constitution in February 1788, becoming the sixth state to do so. New Hampshire followed suit in June, making it the ninth state to ratify.
At this point, the new government could be put into effect. However, there was still uncertainty about the unity of the nation, as New York and Virginia, two of the largest states, had not yet ratified the plan. These states had closely matched numbers of Federalists and Antifederalists. The debates in Virginia were particularly intense, with Patrick Henry, George Mason, and Governor Edmund Randolph leading the opposition. James Madison, a strong supporter of the Constitution, argued in favor of it, but was overshadowed by Henry's dramatic speaking style.
Ultimately, the tide turned in Virginia when Governor Randolph changed his position and gave his support, but only after the Federalists promised to support a bill of rights. Virginia ratified the Constitution in late June. In New York, the struggle continued for another month, and the state convention finally voted to ratify in July 1788. North Carolina ratified in November 1789, and Rhode Island, which had initially refused to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention, became the last state to ratify on May 29, 1790.
Upon ratification, the Constitution created a new system of government for the United States, which remains largely in effect today. The news of the Constitution's ratification was celebrated throughout the country, with Philadelphia holding a festive parade on July 4, 1788. The city displayed a blue carriage shaped like an eagle, pulled by six colorfully outfitted horses, with the Constitution proudly raised above it. Benjamin Rush, a strong supporter of the Constitution, declared, "‘Tis done. We have become a nation."
The Constitution was ratified through a process that involved each state voting on whether to accept it. The ratification process began with Delaware, which was the first state to ratify on December 7, 1787. Pennsylvania and New Jersey followed soon after. The main reason behind ratification in these states, as well as in the states that ratified later, was the convincing arguments made by the Federalists, who were able to convince a majority of delegates that the Constitution would bring about an improved system of government.
Massachusetts was a key battleground in the ratification process. Initially, prominent patriots Sam Adams and John Hancock held back their support, which caused concern. Eventually, they were able to convince the state convention to recommend adding a bill of rights to the Constitution. Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify in February 1788, and New Hampshire joined soon after in June, becoming the ninth state to ratify. With these ratifications, the new government could go into effect.
However, the unity of the nation was still in doubt, as two of the largest states, New York and Virginia, had not yet ratified the Constitution. In both states, the Federalists and Antifederalists were closely matched. In Virginia, the opposition was led by Patrick Henry, George Mason, and Governor Edmund Randolph. Patrick Henry, in particular, was a powerful speaker who spoke against the Constitution for seven hours. James Madison, a Federalist, presented clear and patient arguments in favor of the Constitution. The tide turned when Governor Randolph changed his mind and supported ratification after the Federalists promised to support a bill of rights. Virginia voted to ratify in late June.
In New York, the struggle for ratification continued for another month. The state convention finally voted to ratify in July 1788. North Carolina followed in November 1789. The last state to ratify was Rhode Island, which had initially refused to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention. On May 29, 1790, Rhode Island finally ratified the Constitution.
The ratification of the Constitution created a new system of government for the United States, which remains in effect today. The news of ratification was celebrated throughout the country, with the city of Philadelphia holding a festive parade to mark the occasion on July 4, 1788. The Constitution was raised proudly above a blue carriage shaped like an eagle, and Benjamin Rush, a strong supporter of the Constitution, stated, "‘Tis done. We have become a nation."