Message:18248 In: TODAY.WW
From: KF5JRVDate: Wed, 04 Mar 26 08:12:00 Z
Newsgroups: TODAY.WW
Subject: Today in History - Mar 04
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The first session of the U.S. Congress is held in New York City as the U.S. Constitution takes effect. However, of the 22 senat
ors and 59 representatives called to represent the 11 states who had ratified the document, only nine senators and 13 represent
atives showed up to begin negotiations for its amendment.
In 1786, defects in the Articles of Confederation became apparent, such as the lack of central authority over foreign and domes
tic commerce and the inability of Congress to levy taxes, leading Congress to endorse a plan to draft a new constitution. On Se
ptember 17, 1787, at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, the new U.S. Constitution, creating a str
ong federal government with an intricate system of checks and balances, was signed by 38 of 41 delegates to the convention.
As dictated by Article VII, the document would not become binding until it was ratified by nine of the 13 states. The Constitut
ion was thus sent to the state legislatures, and beginning on December 7, five states—Delaware, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Geo
rgia, and Connecticut—ratified it in quick succession. However, other states, especially Massachusetts, opposed the document
for its failure to reserve powers not delegated by the Constitution to the states and its lack of constitutional protection for
such basic political rights as freedom of speech, religion, and the press, and the right to bear arms.
In February 1788, a compromise was reached in which Massachusetts and other states agreed to ratify the document with the assur
ance that amendments would immediately be adopted. The Constitution was thus narrowly ratified in Massachusetts, followed by Ma
ryland and South Carolina. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the document, making it binding, an
d government under the U.S. Constitution was scheduled to begin on March 4, 1789.
On September 25, 1789, after several months of debate, the first Congress of the United States adopted 10 amendments to the U.S
. Constitution—the Bill of Rights—and sent them to the states for ratification. This action led to the eventual ratificatio
n of the Constitution by the last of the 13 original colonies: North Carolina and Rhode Island.
73 de Scott KF5JRV
Pmail: KF5JRV@KF5JRV.#NWAR.AR.USA.NA
Email KF5JRV@gmail.com
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