233 Years ago, the Constitution Convention Adjourned

Page 1 of the Constitution

On September 17, 1787 the Convention of 1787 broke, finishing its work on our United States Constitution. Originally the Convention was called to "revise and amend" the Articles of Confederation, it instead ended up creating a new style of Government. The Delegates drew upon their own experiences, the writings of Philosophers, Ancient Lessons of Democracy and Republics, their State's Constitutions, and their own desire to bring us the Democratic Federalistic Republic we have today.



It would not be ratified until New Hampshire became the ninth State to do so on June 21, 1788, and did not go into effect until March 4, 1789 with the First Congress taking seat (by which time two more states had ratified it). George Washington would be innaguarated an April 30, 1789 as the First President of the Constitution, and begin a very busy summer for Congress, in which they established the Federal Judiciary System pursuant to Article I section 8, Confirmed the Presidents first Cabinet and first Supreme Court Justices persuant to Article II section 2, and also propose 12 Amendments to the States, 10 of which would be ratified in 1791 in what is now known as the Bill of Rights. Of the two amendments not ratified by the states, one became the 27th amendment in 1992 the other still stands ratified by the Congress, but has never reached the required three-fourth of the States to enact it.

But this all began 233 years ago today in 1787, after a long summer of debates and negotiations 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.".