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| The Fight for the Constitution |
June 14, 2002 |
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The Constitution has become such an unquestionable part of the United States and its national character that it is hard to believe it had a shaky beginning. Yet the Constitution was initially met with bitter opposition, battered by accusations that it gave too much power to the government and failed to adequately safeguard basic rights. However, on June 21, 1788, efforts to ratify the Constitution were finally successful, and it was adopted as America’s system of fundamental laws.
"An Assembly of Demi-Gods"
In the summer of 1787, 55 men, delegates from 12 of the 13 states (Rhode Island did not send any) met in Philadelphia to form the Constitutional Convention. Their purpose was to define the underlying ideals, laws, and system of government that would shape the newly formed United States of America. This convention included many of the nation’s prominent figures, men such as George Washington, James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin, a group that Thomas Jefferson dubbed "an assembly of demi-gods."
"We the People..." Representing the citizens of their newly formed nation, delegates argue and compromise to find the most effective plan of government.
The Constitution sets forth the basic structure of our government, a government centered on controlling and minimizing the power granted to all authoritative bodies. The establishment of separate judicial, executive, and legislative governing branches is one devise used to keep a rein on federal power. The delegates, or Constitutional Framers, also defined specific powers and duties for the Congress, the president, and the federal courts, integrating a system of checks and balances into the fabric of the national government. The Consitution limits the amount of control the federal government can exercise over the states and defines the items and issues over which the states had authority, as well.
The Fight for Ratification
The delegates approved the Constitution on September 17, 1787, and in order for it to take effect, it then had to be ratified by nine of the thirteen states. However, there was strong opposition to the Constitution from those who distrusted any sort of central government and who feared that the Constitution did not adequately safeguard their rights. Many furious battles waged between the Framers and those opposed to the new Constitution in state ratifying conventions, and eventually, those supporting the Constitution only gained victory by promising to amend the Constitution at the first available opportunity. James Madison did make good on this promise, and in 1791, he pushed a series of proposals through Congress that became the first ten amendments to the Constitution, or the Bill of Rights, listing the specific rights and freedoms to which citizens of the United States are entitled.
Delaware was the first state to ratify, followed by several others, until New Hampshire, the ninth state, ratified the document on June 21, 1788, making it legally effective. However, this did not ensure a secure future for the Constitution. New York and Virginia, two of the nation’s most powerful states, were not among the nine that ratified, and without their support, the success of the new Constitution was almost nonexistent. Virginia ratified four days after New Hampshire by a narrow margin of the ratifying convention’s votes, and it was not until July 26, 1788, nearly one month later, that New York ratified. By 1790, all thirteen states had ratified the Constitution, making it a permanent and essential force in America’s history. |
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