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S.N.A.G. Disk of the Month 90-07 (1990)(Southern Nevada Amiga Group)(PD).zip
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Constitution_Origin
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-=* Origin of the the Constitution *=-
mThe War of Independence was conducted by delegates from the
original 13 states, called the Congress of the United States of America and
generally known as the Continental Congress. In 1777 the Congress
submitted to the legislatures of the states the Articles of Confederation
and Perpetual Union, which were ratified by New Hampshire, Massachusetts,
Rhode Island, Connecticut, New York, New Jersey, Pennsylvania, Delaware,
Virginia, North Carolina, South Carolina and Georgia, and finally in 1781,
by Maryland.
The first article of the instrument read: "The stile of this
confederacy shall be the United States of America." This did not signify a
sovereign nation, because the states delegated only those powers they could
not handle individually, such as power to wage war, establish a uniform
currency, make treaties with foreign nations and contract debts for general
expenses (such as paying the army). Taxes for the payment of such debts
were levied by the individual states. The president under the Articles
signed himself "President of the United States in Congress assembled," but
here the United States were considered in the plural, a cooperating group.
Canada was invited to join the union on equal terms but did not act.
When the war was won it became evident that a stronger federal
union was needed to protect the mutual interests of the states. The
Congress left the initiative to the legislatures. Virginia, in January 1786
appointed commissioners to meet with representatives of other states, with
the result that delegates from Virginia, Delaware, New York, New Jersey,
and Pennsylvania met at Annapolis. Alexander Hamilton prepared for their
call by asking delegates from all states to meet in Philadelphia in May
1787 "to render the Constitution of the Federal government adequate to the
exigencies of the union." Congress endorsed the plan February 21, 1878.
Delegates were appointed by all states except Rhode Island.
The convention met May 14, 1787. George Washington was chosen
president (presiding officer). The states cerified 65 delegates, but 10 did
not attend. The work was done by 55, not all of whom were present at all
sessions. Of the 55 attending delegates, 16 failed to sign, and 39
actually signed September 17, 1787, some with reservations. Some
historians have said 74 delegates (9 more that the 65 actually certified)
were named and 19 failed to attend. These 9 additional persons refused the
appointment, were never delegates and never counted as absentees.
Washington sent the Constitution to congress with a covering letter to that
body, September 28, 1787, ordering it sent to the legislatures, "in order
to be submitted to a convention of delegates chosen in each state by the
people thereof."
The Constitution was ratified by votes of state conventions as
follows: Delaware, Dec. 7, 1787, unanimous; Pennsylvania, Dec. 12, 1787,
43 to 23; New Jersey, Dec. 18, 1787, unanimous; Georgia, Jan 2, 1788,
unanimous; Connecticut, Jan. 9, 1788, 128 to 40; Massachusetts, Feb. 6,
1788, 187 to 168; Maryland, Apr. 28, 1788, 63 to 11; South Carolina, May
23, 1788, 149 to 73; New Hampshire, June 21, 1788, 57 to 46; Virginia, June
26, 1788, 89 to 79; New York, July 26, 1788, 30 to 27. Nine states were
needed to establish the operation of the Constitution "between the states
so ratifying the same" and New Hampshire was the 9th state. The government
did not declare the Constitution in effect until the first Wednesday in
Mar, 1789, which was March 4. After that North Carolina ratified it Nov.
21, 1789 194 to 77; and Rhode Island, May 29, 1790, 34 to 32. Vermont in
convention ratified it Jan. 10, 1791, and was admitted into the Union as
the 14th state, Mar 4, 1791.