Note 1: This text of the Constitution follows
the engrossed copy
signed by Gen. Washington and the deputies from 12 States.
The Constitution was adopted by a convention of the States on
September 17, 1787, and was subsequently ratified by the several
States, on the following dates: Delaware, December 7, 1787;
Pennsylvania, December 12, 1787; New Jersey, December 18, 1787;
Georgia, January 2, 1788; Connecticut, January 9, 1788;
Massachusetts, February 6, 1788; Maryland, April 28, 1788; South
Carolina, May 23, 1788; New Hampshire, June 21, 1788.
Ratification was completed on June 21, 1788.
The Constitution was subsequently ratified by Virginia, June 25,
1788; New York, July 26, 1788; North Carolina, November 21, 1789;
Rhode Island, May 29, 1790; and Vermont, January 10, 1791.
In May 1785, a committee of Congress made a report recommending
an alteration in the Articles of Confederation, but no action was
taken on it, and it was left to the State Legislatures to proceed in
the matter. In January 1786, the Legislature of Virginia passed a
resolution providing for the appointment of five commissioners, who,
or any three of them, should meet such commissioners as might be
appointed in the other States of the Union, at a time and place to
be agreed upon, to take into consideration the trade of the United
States; to consider how far a uniform system in their commercial
regulations may be necessary to their common interest and their
permanent harmony; and to report to the several States such an act,
relative to this great object, as, when ratified by them, will enable
the United States in Congress effectually to provide for the same. The
Virginia commissioners, after some correspondence, fixed the first
Monday in September as the time, and the city of Annapolis as the place
for the meeting, but only four other States were represented,
viz: Delaware, New York, New Jersey, and Pennsylvania; the
commissioners appointed by Massachusetts, New Hampshire, North
Carolina, and Rhode Island failed to attend. Under the
circumstances of so partial a representation, the commissioners
present agreed upon a report, (drawn by Mr. Hamilton, of New
York,) expressing their unanimous conviction that it might
essentially tend to advance the interests of the Union if the
States by which they were respectively delegated would concur,
and use their endeavors to procure the concurrence of the other
States, in the appointment of commissioners to meet at
Philadelphia on the Second Monday of May following, to take into
consideration the situation of the United States; to devise such
further provisions as should appear to them necessary to render
the Constitution of the Federal Government adequate to the
exigencies of the Union; and to report such an act for that
purpose to the United States in Congress assembled as, when
agreed to by them and afterwards confirmed by the Legislatures of
every State, would effectually provide for the same.
Congress, on the 21st of February, 1787, adopted a resolution in
favor of a convention, and the Legislatures of those States which
had not already done so (with the exception of Rhode Island)
promptly appointed delegates. On the 25th of May, seven States
having convened, George Washington, of Virginia, was unanimously
elected President, and the consideration of the proposed
constitution was commenced. On the 17th of September, 1787, the
Constitution as engrossed and agreed upon was signed by all the
members present, except Mr. Gerry of Massachusetts, and Messrs.
Mason and Randolph, of Virginia. The president of the convention
transmitted it to Congress, with a resolution stating how the
proposed Federal Government should be put in operation, and an
explanatory letter. Congress, on the 28th of September, 1787,
directed the Constitution so framed, with the resolutions and
letter concerning the same, to "be transmitted to the several
Legislatures in order to be submitted to a convention of
delegates chosen in each State by the people thereof, in
conformity to the resolves of the convention."
On the 4th of March, 1789, the day which had been fixed for
commencing the operations of Government under the new
Constitution, it had been ratified by the conventions chosen in
each State to consider it, as follows: Delaware, December 7,
1787; Pennsylvania, December 12, 1787; New Jersey, December 18,
1787; Georgia, January 2, 1788; Connecticut, January 9, 1788;
Massachusetts, February 6, 1788; Maryland, April 28, 1788; South
Carolina, May 23, 1788; New Hampshire, June 21, 1788; Virginia,
June 25, 1788; and New York, July 26, 1788.
The President informed Congress, on the 28th of January, 1790,
that North Carolina had ratified the Constitution November 21,
1789; and he informed Congress on the 1st of June, 1790, that
Rhode Island had ratified the Constitution May 29, 1790. Vermont,
in convention, ratified the Constitution January 10, 1791, and
was, by an act of Congress approved February 18, 1791, "received
and admitted into this Union as a new and entire member of the
United States."
Note 2: The part of this Clause relating to the mode of
apportionment of representatives among the several States has
been affected by Section 2 of amendment
XIV, and as to taxes on
incomes without apportionment by amendment
XVI.
Note 3: This Clause has been affected by Clause 1 of amendment
XVII.
Note 4: This Clause has been affected by Clause 2 of amendment
XVII.
Note 5: This Clause has been affected by amendment
XX.
Note 6: This Clause has been affected by amendment
XXVII.
Note 7: This Clause has been affected by amendment
XVI.
Note 8: This Clause has been superseded by amendment
XII.
Note 9: This Clause has been affected by amendment
XXV.
Note 10: This Clause has been affected by amendment XI.
Note 11: This Clause has been affected by amendment XIII.
Note 12: The first ten amendments
to the Constitution of the United States are known collectively
as These ten amendments (and two others, one of which was never ratified and the other which later became the 27th amendment) were proposed to the legislatures of the several States by the First Congress on September 25, 1789. The first ten amendments were ratified by the following States, and the notifications of ratification by the Governors thereof were successively communicated by the President to Congress: New Jersey, November 20, 1789; Maryland, December 19, 1789; North Carolina, December 22, 1789; South Carolina, January 19, 1790; New Hampshire, January 25, 1790; Delaware, January 28, 1790; New York, February 24, 1790; Pennsylvania, March 10, 1790; Rhode Island, June 7, 1790; Vermont, November 3, 1791; and Virginia, December 15, 1791.
Ratification was completed on December 15, 1791.
The amendments were subsequently ratified by the legislatures of Massachusetts, March 2, 1939; Georgia, March 18, 1939; and Connecticut, April 19, 1939.
Note 13:
Only the 13th, 14th, 15th, and 16th articles of amendment
had numbers assigned to them at the time of ratification.
Note 14: This sentence has been superseded by section 3 of
amendment
XX.
Note 15: See amendment
XIX and section 1 of amendment
XXVI.
Note 16: Repealed by section 1 of amendment
XXI.
Note 17: So in original. Probably should be "departments".