Sign the Constitution and then What?

After four long months of debate, the Constitutional Convention finally agreed on wording for the United States Constitution. It was on September 17, ,1787, that 39 delegates at the convention signed the Constitution.

The delegates were then able to carry the Constitution back to the individual states so the process of ratification could begin. While Benjamin Franklin urged all states to ratify, the convention did agree that only 9 of the 13 states had to do so.

It took the 13 states two and one half years to agree to the new Constitution. Many states refused to agree to the Constitution until certain amendments detailing the rights of individuals were added. These amendments are known as the Bill of Rights.

The new government for the United States was put into practice on March 4, 1789. At that time, only 11 states had ratified the Constitution. The 13th state did not ratify the Constitution until May 1790.

Staff Report
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