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Remembering The Constitution: 221 Years Ago Today!
- Sep 17, 2008 at 10:29 AM
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- Comments (12) Total Views (1533) Everyone can see this journal post.
221 Years Ago Today, The Constitution of the United States was signed by the delegates of the Constitutional Convention ....
This Day in History ...
September 17, 1787: U.S. Constitution signed
The Constitution of the United States of America is signed by 38 of 41 delegates present at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. Supporters of the document waged a hard-won battle to win ratification by the necessary nine out of 13 U.S. states.
On May 25, 1787, delegates representing every state except Rhode Island convened at Philadelphia's Pennsylvania State House for the Constitutional Convention. The building, which is now known as Independence Hall, had earlier seen the drafting of the Declaration of Independence and the signing of the Articles of Confederation. The assembly immediately discarded the idea of amending the Articles of Confederation and set about drawing up a new scheme of government. Revolutionary War hero George Washington, a delegate from Virginia, was elected convention president.
During an intensive debate, the delegates devised a brilliant federal organization characterized by an intricate system of checks and balances. The convention was divided over the issue of state representation in Congress, as more-populated states sought proportional legislation, and smaller states wanted equal representation. The problem was resolved by the Connecticut Compromise, which proposed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the lower house (House of Representatives) and equal representation of the states in the upper house (Senate).
On September 17, 1787, the Constitution was signed. 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. However, other states, especially Massachusetts, opposed the document, as it failed to reserve undelegated powers to the states and lacked constitutional protection of basic political rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. 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.
On September 25, 1789, the first Congress of the United States adopted 12 amendments to the U.S. Constitution--the Bill of Rights--and sent them to the states for ratification. Ten of these amendments were ratified in 1791. In November 1789, North Carolina became the 12th state to ratify the U.S. Constitution. Rhode Island, which opposed federal control of currency and was critical of compromise on the issue of slavery, resisted ratifying the Constitution until the U.S. government threatened to sever commercial relations with the state. 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.
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. - US Constitution Preamble
During Constitution Week (Sept 17-23), take time to read the complete document at: http://www.usconstitution.net/xconst.html
Comments:
We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish Justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defence, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. - US Constitution Preamble
-Does anyone else get all teary eyed reading the Constitution or the Declaration of Independence...?
We must take some to read and understand our founding document. I think our founders would be outraged in the direction our country is taking.
You can get free pocket constitutions by ordering here: https://secure.heritage.org/firstPrinciples/pocketconstitution.aspx They'll send as many as you want, so let's get them back into circulation! I got enough for my family, and my sister ordered enough for all of the fifth graders at the school where she teaches!
Love the comments ladies ...
WatchGirl ... have fun this week studying the Constitution via homeschool. BTW, ya might want to check out these other links for added info http://constitutioncenter.org/ http://constitutioncenter.org/ConstitutionDay/
Kimberleee ... yes, I get teary eyed reading the Constitution and the Declaration (especially the Declaration) ... powerful and inspiring words!
Pamela ... you're spot on, the founders would be outraged!
Deb ... thanks for posting the link so everyone interested can get their own copy of the Constitution!
It's amazing what our founders went through to get our Constitution signed. I hope the people will fight now to keep it.
You can get free pocket constitutions by ordering here: https://secure.heritage.org/firstPrinciples/pocketconstitution.aspx They'll send as many as you want, so let's get them back into circulation! I got enough for my family, and my sister ordered enough for all of the fifth graders at the school where she teaches!
I can't comment on this. It will cause an uproar, but it is nice too see people still see it as a document outlining your freedom. Too bad our govt. has torn it apart in some aspects over the years to suit their needs.
perfectkitten ... I've never been one to mind an uproar :-) so feel free to add your comments and let's discuss!
In the mean time, I wanted to post this thought from the late, great Sen. Barry Goldwater who understood the importance of respecting and abiding by the Constitution ...
"I have little interest in streamlining government or in making it more efficient, for I mean to reduce its size. I do not undertake to promote welfare, for I propose to extend freedom. My aim is not to pass laws, but to repeal them. It is not to inaugurate new programs, but to cancel old ones that do violence to the Constitution or that have failed their purpose, or that impose on the people an unwarranted financial burden. I will not attempt to discover whether legislation is 'needed' before I have first determined whether it is constitutionally permissible. And if I should later be attacked for neglecting my constituents 'interests', I shall reply that I was informed that their main interest is liberty and that in that cause I am doing the very best I can."
We too are studying The Constitution this week. It's nice to see other people remember this day. Great post!
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A great piece of documentation. We're actually taking the week to study this at our home. People need to be more aware and more versed on what this fine document states. Thanks for the reminder!
- WatchGirl29
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