When was the Constitution ratified?

When was the Constitution ratified?

• A. September 1787
• B. December 1787
• C. June 1788
• D. March 1789

Answer: (C)

The key idea is the approval process by the states and the threshold required for the Constitution to become law. After the document was signed in September 1787, states had to ratify it through their conventions. The Constitution needed nine of the thirteen states to ratify before it could take effect. By June 1788, that threshold was reached when New Hampshire’s ratification on June 21 made nine states on board, so the Constitution was effectively ratified at that point. It’s important to note that the government under the new framework began later, on March 4, 1789. So June 1788 is the correct marker for ratification, while September 1787 is the signing, December 1787 marks early ratifications beginning, and March 1789 is when the new government actually started operating.

The key idea is the approval process by the states and the threshold required for the Constitution to become law. After the document was signed in September 1787, states had to ratify it through their conventions. The Constitution needed nine of the thirteen states to ratify before it could take effect. By June 1788, that threshold was reached when New Hampshire’s ratification on June 21 made nine states on board, so the Constitution was effectively ratified at that point. It’s important to note that the government under the new framework began later, on March 4, 1789. So June 1788 is the correct marker for ratification, while September 1787 is the signing, December 1787 marks early ratifications beginning, and March 1789 is when the new government actually started operating.