The History of the Constitution

One of the reasons why the colonists in North America began the American Revolution was that the British government had not respected rights that people in America thought important. As a result, when the colonists had won the war and were forming a new government, they wanted to limit its powers. They therefore wrote a document, called the Constitution, describing the new system of government and how it would work.

Leaders from each state met in Philadelphia in 1787 to write the Constitution. This meeting is known as the Constitutional Convention. There was a lot of discussion and compromise, and it was especially difficult to get agreement between large states and smaller ones, and between states with and without slaves. Finally, the Convention agreed on a document, but it could not be put into effect until nine states had ratified (= formally agreed to) it. People living in each state discussed whether the Constitution would benefit or harm them. In some states the decision was made quickly, but in others, such as New York and Virginia, the debate lasted longer. In the end, all 13 states of which the United States was then composed ratified the Constitution. It was signed in 1789 by representatives from each state, including some of the most important figures in early American history, George Washington, Alexander Hamilton, Benjamin Franklin and James Madison.