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CHRONOLOGY 1776 July 4 The United States declares its independence from Great Britain. 1777 November 15 The Continental Congress adopts the Articles of Confederation and submits them to the states for ratification. 1780 September Even before Articles are ratified, Hamilton suggests convention to draft new constitution. 1781 March 1 The Articles of Confederation enter into force with ratification by Maryland, the last of the 13 states to ratify. 1783–1786 All attempts by the Continental Congress to amend the Articles are frustrated by need for unanimous approval of states. 1786 September Annapolis Convention for commercial reform among states fails for lack of quorum. Meeting adopts a resolution for Congress to propose holding a convention in Philadelphia in May 1787. 1786 Fall Shays’ Rebellion in Massachusetts alarms men of prop- erty and commerce. 1787 February 21 Continental Congress recommends that states send delegates to convention to meet in Philadelphia in May to propose alterations to Articles, so as to “render the federal constitution adequate to the exigencies of Government & the preservation of the Union.” 1787 March–April Madison, in letters to Jefferson, Randolph, and Washington, outlines major reforms he proposes, including a national veto on all state legislation. 1787 May 14 Lack of quorum delays opening of Constitutional Convention. © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2017 229 S. Slonim, Forging the American Nation, 1787–1791, DOI 10.1057/978-1-349-95163-5 230 CHRONOLOGY 1787 May 25 Convention begins deliberation with arrival of majority of state delegates. George Washington is elected as Chairman. 1787 May 29 Gov. Edmund Randolph submits Virginia Plan to plenum. 1787 June 15 Wm Paterson submits New Jersey Plan to plenum. 1787 June 19 By vote of 7:3, one divided, convention adopts Virginia Plan over New Jersey Plan as working document. 1787 July 12 By vote of 6:2, two divided, convention accepts proportional representation for both lower house of national legislature and for direct taxation, according to population and three-fifths of slave population. 1787 July 16 By vote of 5:4, one divided, convention adopts Connecticut Compromise for equality of representation for states in upper house of legislature. 1787 July 17 Convention rejects Madison’s scheme for national veto over state legislation. 1787 September 6 Convention adopts Electoral College system for electing President. 1787 September 17 Convention adopts Constitution signed by delegates from all 12 states present; Massachusetts delegate Elbridge Gerry, and Virginia delegates George Mason and Edmund Randolph, decline to sign. 1787–1788 During fall and winter, Hamilton, Madison, and Jay, publish 85 essays of the Federalist Papers in New York newspapers, to rally support for Constitution. 1787–1790 Ratification by 9 states is required for Constitution to enter into force between ratifying states. Ultimately all 13 states ratify. The following is the sequence of ratification: 1787 December 7 Delaware, unanimous ratification. 1787 December 12 Pennsylvania, 46:23. 1787 December 18 New Jersey, unanimous ratification. 1788 January 2 Georgia, unanimous ratification. 1788 January 9 Connecticut, 128:40. 1788 February 6 Massachusetts, 187:168, with recommendation, but not on condition, that bill of rights be appended to Constitution. This formula of ratification serves as model for other states. 1788 April 28 Maryland, 63:11. 1788 May 23 South Carolina, 149:73, with recommendatory amendments. 1788 June 21 New Hampshire, 57:47, with recommendatory amend- ments. This ratification allows the Constitution to enter into force between the nine ratifying states. CHRONOLOGY 231 1788 June 26 Virginia, 89:79, with recommendatory amendments. 1788 July 26 New York, 30:27, with recommendatory amendments, plus a round-robin to the other states proposing a second constitutional convention to revise parts of Constitution. 1789 November 21 North Carolina, 194:77, with recommendatory amendments. 1790 May 29 Rhode Island, 34:32, with recommendatory amendments. 1788 July 2 Continental Congress acknowledges that Constitution was ratified by required number of states to enter into force. 1788 September 13 Continental Congress adopts resolution for putting Constitution into operation, with election of President by Electoral College scheduled for February 1789. 1789 February Electoral College unanimously elects George Washington as first President of the United States. 1789 March 4 Congress opens proceedings under Constitution. 1789 April 30 George Washington takes oath as first President of the United States. 1789 September 28 First Congress adopts resolution submitting 12 draft amendments to the states for ratification. These amend- ments constitute a bill of rights. Madison, who rushed resolution through Congress, rejects every attempt to limit Congress to powers expressly enumerated in Constitution. 1790 December Hamilton submits Bank Bill to Congress. 1791 February 2 Madison opposes Bank Bill in House of Representatives. 1791 February 25 President Washington signs Bank Bill into law. 1791 December 15 Bill of Rights comes into force with ratification of 10 of the amendments by required number of states when Virginia adds its ratification. 1796 April 6 Madison enunciates novel thesis that only commentary (largely Antifederalist) at state ratifying conventions offers valid interpretation of provisions of Constitution. 1798 Jefferson and Madison formally establish Democratic- Republican Party as opposition to Federalist Party. 1799 In opposing Alien and Sedition Laws, Madison issues the Virginia Resolution, and Jefferson the Kentucky Resolution, according to which an individual state is qualified to nullify a federal law which it deems violates the Constitution. Resolutions have fateful consequences for American history. 1800 Jefferson defeats Adams in close election, thanks to three-fifths slave increment in Electoral College. 232 CHRONOLOGY 1803 Jefferson in constitutional dilemma over purchase of Louisiana Territory. 1808 Madison elected President. 1816 April After originally opposing renewal of national bank, Madison signs renewal bill. 1819 Chief Justice John Marshall, in historic unanimous opinion in McCulloch v. Maryland, rules that creation of national bank is valid and Maryland attempt to tax bank unconstitutional. Opinion endorses implied pow- ers doctrine by adopting broad interpretation of neces- sary and proper clause, as outlined by Hamilton. Madison’s narrow thesis is dismissed. 1847 Chief Justice Roger Taney enunciates concept of Dual Federalism in License Cases. This doctrine dominates Supreme Court jurisprudence for close to a century. 1933–1936 President Franklin D. Roosevelt launches New Deal program to revive American economy. Program stymied by conservative Supreme Court jurisprudence. 1941–1942 With change in composition of Court, Chief Justice Harlan Stone invokes, in two cases (U.S. v. Darby and Wickard v. Filburn), Marshall’s federal jurisprudence of McCulloch v. Maryland, to validate New Deal legisla- tion. Tenth Amendment deemed a mere truism. 1976 Chief Justice William Rehnquist, in his decision in National League of Cities v. Usery, enunciates New Federalism doctrine, which represents revival of Dual Federalism. APPENDIX 1: THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1787 Preamble We the People of the United States, in Order to form a more perfect Union, establish justice, insure domestic Tranquility, provide for the common defense, promote the general Welfare, and secure the Blessings of Liberty to ourselves and our Posterity, do ordain and establish this Constitution for the United States of America. Article I Section 1. All legislative powers herein granted shall be vested in a Congress of the United States, which shall consist of a Senate and House of Representatives. Section 2. The House of Representatives shall be composed of members chosen every second year by the people of the several states, and the electors in each state shall have the qualifications requisite for electors of the most numerous branch of the state legislature. No person shall be a Representative who shall not have attained to the age of twenty five years, and been seven years a citizen of the United States, and who shall not, when elected, be an inhabitant of that state in which he shall be chosen. Representatives and direct taxes shall be apportioned among the several states which may be included within this union, according to their respective numbers, which shall be determined by adding to the whole number of free persons, including those bound to service for a term of years, and excluding Indians not taxed, three fifths of all other Persons. The actual Enumeration shall be made within three years after the first meeting of the Congress of the United States, and within every subsequent term of ten years, in such manner as they shall by law direct. The number of Representatives shall not exceed one for every thirty thousand, but each state shall have at least one Representative; and © The Editor(s) (if applicable) and The Author(s) 2017 233 S. Slonim, Forging the American Nation, 1787–1791, DOI 10.1057/978-1-349-95163-5 234 APPENDIX 1: THE CONSTITUTION OF THE UNITED STATES OF AMERICA 1787 until such enumeration shall be made, the state of New Hampshire shall be entitled to chuse three, Massachusetts eight, Rhode Island and Providence Plantations one, Connecticut five, New York six, New Jersey four, Pennsylvania eight, Delaware one, Maryland six, Virginia ten, North Carolina
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