Article VII of VII · 1788
Article VII: Approving the Constitution
Ratification
The one-line version
The Constitution would take effect once conventions in nine of the thirteen states ratified it.
Plain English
Once conventions in nine states ratify this Constitution, it takes effect among those states.
The Convention finished this Constitution on September 17, 1787, with the consent of all states present. That was the twelfth year of American independence. The signers' names follow.
Original text, 1788
The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.
Done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven and of the Independence of the United States of America the Twelfth. In witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names.
Phrase by phrase
The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution
- Nine state conventions saying yes was enough to start the Constitution.
between the States so ratifying the Same
- It applied only to the states that ratified it.
Done in Convention by the Unanimous Consent of the States present
- Every state delegation at the Convention voted to approve it.
the Seventeenth Day of September in the Year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and Eighty seven
- The Convention finished on September 17, 1787.
In witness whereof We have hereunto subscribed our Names
- To show we agree, we sign our names below.
Picture it
Example. Not legal advice.
Every September 17, schools and government offices mark Constitution Day. It celebrates the day the delegates signed the Constitution in 1787. The date comes straight from Article VII.
Myth check
MythAll 13 states had to agree before the Constitution took effect.
FactOnly nine were needed. North Carolina and Rhode Island did not ratify until after the new government started.
MythEvery delegate at the Convention signed the Constitution.
FactThree delegates who stayed to the end refused to sign: Edmund Randolph, George Mason, and Elbridge Gerry.
Common questions
What does Article VII say in simple terms?
Article VII says the Constitution would take effect once conventions in nine states ratified it, and only among those states. It also records that the Convention finished the Constitution on September 17, 1787.
When was the Constitution ratified?
New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify on June 21, 1788, which was enough for the Constitution to take effect. The last of the 13 states, Rhode Island, ratified in May 1790.
How many states had to ratify the Constitution?
Nine of the 13. Article VII set that number so one or two holdouts could not block the new system. Each state voted through a special convention.
Why is Constitution Day on September 17?
It is the day the delegates signed the Constitution in 1787. Article VII records that date. George Washington signed as President of the Convention, along with 38 other delegates from twelve states.
Go deeper
The scene · 1787
On September 17, 1787, the delegates in Philadelphia signed the finished Constitution. Then it went to the states. Each state held a special convention to vote yes or no. New Hampshire became the ninth state to say yes on June 21, 1788.
Back then
The Articles of Confederation needed all 13 states to agree to any change. Rhode Island had refused even to send delegates. The writers set the bar at nine states so one or two holdouts could not block the new system.
Words that changed
- “subscribed”
ThenSigned your name at the bottom of a document.
NowUsually means signing up for a service, like a streaming app.
- “Year of our Lord”
ThenA common way to write dates, counting years from the birth of Jesus.
NowUsually written as A.D., or just the year number.
Who argued what
Federalists
The Articles had failed. The Constitution should be ratified now, and changes could follow by amendment.
Anti-Federalists
The Constitution gave the national government too much power and had no bill of rights. States should not ratify it as written.
More history and context
Article VII set the rule for how the Constitution would start. It needed nine of the thirteen states, not all of them. Each state held a special convention to vote.
This was a big change. The Articles of Confederation, the earlier system, needed every state to agree to any change.
New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify on June 21, 1788. Virginia followed four days later and New York a month after that. North Carolina ratified in November 1789, and Rhode Island in May 1790.
The date in this article, September 17, 1787, is now marked as Constitution Day. George Washington signed as President of the Convention, along with 38 other delegates from twelve states. Rhode Island sent no delegates.
"Unanimous Consent of the States present" means every state delegation voted yes. It does not mean every delegate agreed. Edmund Randolph and George Mason of Virginia and Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts refused to sign.
Quick check
Just for you. Nothing is saved.