The United States Constitution was signed by 39 delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787, after the failure of the Articles of Confederation, which had created a weak central government. The Articles left most power with individual states and Congress lacked authority to enforce its decisions, prompting calls for a new government structure. Delegates met to draft a new constitution, led by George Washington, and developed a federal system with checks and balances, resolving disputes over state representation through the Connecticut Compromise, creating a bicameral legislature.
Ratification required approval by nine of the thirteen states, and although the document quickly gained support from several states, others, including Massachusetts, opposed it due to concerns about lack of protections for basic rights and reserved state powers. A compromise was reached promising amendments, leading to the Constitution’s narrow ratification by enough states by June 1788. The government under this Constitution formally began on March 4, 1789, with Virginia and New York joining soon after.
To address concerns about individual rights, the first Congress proposed the Bill of Rights in 1789, which was ratified by the states in 1791. North Carolina and Rhode Island were late ratifiers, with Rhode Island joining only after economic threats from the federal government. The U.S. Constitution remains the oldest written constitution still in use today.
The United States Constitution was signed by 39 delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787, after the failure of the Articles of Confederation, which had created a weak central government. The Articles left most power with individual states and Congress lacked authority to enforce its decisions, prompting calls for a new government structure. Delegates met to draft a new constitution, led by George Washington, and developed a federal system with checks and balances, resolving disputes over state representation through the Connecticut Compromise, creating a bicameral legislature.
Ratification required approval by nine of the thirteen states, and although the document quickly gained support from several states, others, including Massachusetts, opposed it due to concerns about lack of protections for basic rights and reserved state powers. A compromise was reached promising amendments, leading to the Constitution’s narrow ratification by enough states by June 1788. The government under this Constitution formally began on March 4, 1789, with Virginia and New York joining soon after.
To address concerns about individual rights, the first Congress proposed the Bill of Rights in 1789, which was ratified by the states in 1791. North Carolina and Rhode Island were late ratifiers, with Rhode Island joining only after economic threats from the federal government. The U.S. Constitution remains the oldest written constitution still in use today.