Results for “when was the constitution written and ratified” · retrieved September 22, 2026

Quick answer

The U.S. Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, and became binding upon the ratification of the ninth state, New Hampshire, on June 21, 1788.

Answer details

1

Writing the Constitution

The Constitutional Convention met in Philadelphia from May 25 to September 17, 1787, to draft the new frame of government.

2

Signing the Document

Thirty-nine delegates signed the final document on September 17, 1787, following months of debate and compromise.

3

Ratification Process

Ratification required approval from special conventions in nine of the 13 states, a threshold reached on June 21, 1788.

4

Completion of Ratification

While the Constitution became binding in 1788, the final two states, North Carolina and Rhode Island, did not ratify it until 1789 and 1790, respectively.

archives.gov

The Constitution: How Did it Happen? | National Archives

The Constitutional Convention assembled in Philadelphia in May of 1787. The delegates shuttered the windows of the State House and swore secrecy so they could speak freely. Although they had gathered to revise the Articles of Confederation, by mid-June they had decided to completely redesign the government. There was little agreement about what form it would take....After three hot summer months of equally heated debate, the delegates appointed a

March 30, 2016

archives.gov

Constitution questions and answers | National Archives

Q. Who actually wrote the Constitution? A. In none of the relatively meager records of the Constitutional Convention is the literary authorship of any part of the Constitution definitely established. The deputies debated proposed plans until, on July 24, 1787, substantial agreement having been reached, a Committee of Detail was appointed, consisting of John Rutledge, of South Carolina; Edmund Randolph, of Virginia; Nathaniel Gorham, of Massachuse

November 4, 2015

archives.gov

The Constitution: How Was it Made? | National Archives

The state delegates approved the draft of the Constitution on September 15, 1787. The signing was set for the very next Monday. Jacob Shallus, the assistant clerk for the Pennsylvania General Assembly, agreed to engross (copy in a fine, clear hand) the document. Over the course of about 40 hours, he created an accurate transcription of the draft. He was paid $30 for his efforts. On September 17, the document was ready for signing....Thirty-nine o

April 1, 2016

constitutioncenter.org

The U.S. Constitution

The seven articles make up the structural constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788....There have been 27 amendments to the Constitution, beginning with the Bill of Rights, the first 10 amendments, ratified December 15, 1791.

Publication date not supplied

archives.gov

Constitution of the United States (1787)

Drafted in secret by delegates to the Constitutional Convention during the summer of 1787, this four-page document, signed on September 17, 1787, established the government of the United States....The Federal Convention convened in the State House (Independence Hall) in Philadelphia on May 14, 1787, to revise the Articles of Confederation. Because the delegations from only two states were at first present, the members adjourned from day to day un

April 10, 2024

archives.gov

Constitution of the United States—A History | National Archives

May 25, 1787, freshly spread dirt covered the cobblestone street in front of the Pennsylvania State House, protecting the men inside from the sound of passing carriages and carts. Guards stood at the entrances to ensure that the curious were kept at a distance. Robert Morris of Pennsylvania, the "financier" of the Revolution, opened the proceedings with a nomination--Gen. George Washington for the presidency of the Constitutional Convention. The

November 4, 2015

govinfo.gov

United States Senate Manual, 107th Congress-Section 1249:RATIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION

```[United States Senate Manual,...107th Congress][S. Doc. 107-1][Historical Documents][Pages 973-995][From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov] 1249 RATIFICATION OF THE CONSTITUTION The Constitution was adopted by a convention of the States September 17, 1787, and was subsequently ratified by the several States, in the following order, viz: Delaware, Decemb

Publication date not supplied

britannica.com

Constitutional Convention | History & Compromises | Britannica

United States history...1787...U.S. Constitution The signing of the U.S. Constitution by 39 members of the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787; painting by Howard Chandler Christy.(more)...Constitutional Convention, (1787), in U.S. history, convention that drew up the Constitution of the United States. Stimulated by severe economic troubles, which produced radical political movements such as Shays’s Rebellion, and urged on by a demand

July 20, 1998

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