    [United States Senate Manual, 117th Congress]
    [S. Doc. 117-1]
    [Historical Documents]
    [Pages 559-560]
    [From the U.S. Government Publishing Office, www.gpo.gov]

    [[Page 559]]

                                           [1710]

                ____________________________________________________________

                        CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA
                ____________________________________________________________

                                    HISTORICAL BACKGROUND

                    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 Massachu

    [[Page 560]]

                setts, 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 19, 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.''
                constitution of the united states