'WE THE PEOPLE OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA"

CONSTITUTION SIGNED IN PHILADELPHIA

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (JFK+50) On September 17, 1787, 39 delegates of the Constitutional Convention signed the final draft of the Constitution of the United States in the Assembly Room of the Pennsylvania State House (a.k.a. Independence Hall*) here in Philadelphia.

The Convention had begun work on May 25, 1787.  The 39 delegates who signed represented 12 of the 13 states.  Rhode Island was not represented.

The Constitution would go to the states for ratification.  Nine states would be necessary for approval.  On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the 9th state to ratify and the Confederation Congress established March 4, 1789 as the date for the new government under the Constitution to begin operation.

September 17th was christened "Constitution Day" in 2004. 

*Independence Hall, 520 Chestnut Street, Philadelphia, PA opened in 1753.  It was designed in Georgian style by Edmund Woolley and Andrew Hamilton.  It was where both the Declaration of Independence & United States Constitution was signed.  It served as the capital of Pennsylvania until 1799.

SOURCE

"Constitution FAQS," Interactive Constitution, www.constitutioncenter.org/ 

 

 

Independence Hall Assembly Room

Photo by Radio Fan @ English Wikipedia 

2009  

"IN ORDER TO FORM A MORE PERFECT UNION"

U.S. CONSTITUTION ADOPTED IN PHILADELPHIA

Philadelphia, Pennsylvania (JFK+50) On September 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States of America was adopted and signed by 39 delegates at the State House here in Philadelphia.  55 delegates from 12 of the 13 states attended the Convention from May through September 1787.

Sessions were closed to the press and the public and when the delegates became deadlocked on the specifics of representation of the people in the government, they were able to compromise and settle on a two house legislature with the House of Representatives determined by population and the Senate determined by equal representation.

The delegates agreed to abandon the principle of a federation of states and put in place a centralized federal system.  It would be a novel form of federalism, however, with shared power and dual lawmaking by both state and national governments.

Unlike the Articles of Confederation which it replaced, the Constitution provides for an executive of the federal government, the President of the United States.The Constitution, consisting of a preamble and seven articles, was ratified on June 21, 1788 and went into effect on March 4, 1789.

The Preamble

"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."

SOURCE

Advanced Placement U.S. History Lecture Notes, by John White, Carter High School, Knoxville, Tennessee, 2009.

Signing of the US Constitution

Painting by Howard Chandler Christy