Ratifying the Constitution

In 1787 people could not decide whether the Constitution was better or worse than the Articles of Confederation. There was a major struggle to ratify, or approve, the Constitutioin. Two groups formed. The Federalists were for the Constitution. The Anti-Federalists were against it. The issues in the debate are described in the chart below.

The contest to approve the Constitution was very close in several States, especially in Virginia and New York. The Federalists finally won.

After the eleventh State had ratified the Constitution in 1788, the States held elections. The first Congress of the new government met in March 1789 in New York Ckty. George Washington was electeed President. John Adams became Vice President. In 1790 Rhode Island became the last State to ratify the Constitution. The United States was now a "more perfect union."

Return to Mr. Haskell's Main Page