Article Seven of the United States Constitution - wikipedia Article Seven of the United States Constitution For the closing endorsement following Article Seven, see Signing of the United States Constitution Wikisource has original text related to this article : Article VII of the United States Constitution This article is part of a series on the Constitution of the United States of America Preamble and Articles of the Constitution Preamble II III IV V VI VII Amendments to the Constitution Bill of Rights II III IV V VI VII VIII IX X XI XII XIII XIV XV XVI XVII XVIII XIX XX XXI XXII XXIII XXIV XXV XXVI XXVII Unratified Amendments Congressional Apportionment Titles of Nobility Corwin Child Labor Equal Rights D.C. Voting Rights History Drafting and ratification timeline Convention Signing Federalism Republicanism Full text of the Constitution and Amendments Preamble and Articles I -- VII Amendments I -- X Amendments XI -- XXVII Unratified Amendments United States portal U.S. Government portal Law portal Wikipedia book Article Seven of the United States Constitution sets the number of state ratifications necessary in order for the Constitution to take effect and prescribes the method through which the states may ratify it. Contents 1 Text 2 Background 3 Implementation 4 See also 5 External links 6 References Text The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be sufficient for the Establishment of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same. Background On September 20, 1787, three days after its adoption by the Constitutional Convention, the drafted Constitution was submitted to the Congress of the Confederation for its endorsement. After eight days of debate, the opposing sides came to the first of many compromises that would define the ratification process. The Confederation Congress voted to release the proposed Constitution to the states for their consideration, but neither endorsed nor opposed its ratification. Implementation In 1787 and 1788, following the Constitutional Convention, a great debate took place throughout the United States over the Constitution that had been proposed. The supporters of the Constitution began the ratification campaign in those states where there was little or no controversy, postponing until later the more difficult ones. New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify the proposed constitution on June 21, 1788, thus establishing it as the new framework of governance for the United States. Though officially enacted, four states, Virginia, New York, North Carolina and Rhode Island remained outside the new government. The Congress of the Confederation chose March 4, 1789 as the day `` for commencing proceedings under the Constitution. '' Virginia and New York ratified the Constitution before the members of the new Congress assembled on the appointed day to bring the new Government into operation. North Carolina and Rhode Island ratified only after Congress sent a series of constitutional amendments to the states ( specific guarantees of personal freedoms and rights ; clear limitations on the government 's power in judicial and other proceedings ; and explicit declarations that all powers not specifically delegated to Congress by the Constitution are reserved for the states or the people ) for ratification. The Constitution was ratified by the 13 states between December 7, 1787 and May 29, 1790 as follows : State and date Votes PCT Yea Nay Delaware -- December 7, 1787 30 0 100 % Pennsylvania -- December 12, 1787 46 23 67 % New Jersey -- December 18, 1787 38 0 100 % Georgia -- January 2, 1788 26 0 100 % 5 Connecticut -- January 9, 1788 128 40 76 % 6 Massachusetts -- February 6, 1788 187 168 53 % 7 Maryland -- April 28, 1788 63 11 85 % 8 South Carolina -- May 23, 1788 149 73 67 % 9 New Hampshire -- June 21, 1788 57 47 55 % 10 Virginia -- June 25, 1788 89 79 53 % 11 New York -- July 26, 1788 30 27 53 % 12 North Carolina -- November 21, 1789 194 77 72 % 13 Rhode Island -- May 29, 1790 34 32 52 % Total : 1071 577 65 % See also Timeline of drafting and ratification of the United States Constitution The Federalist Papers Anti-Federalist Papers External links Gary Lawson & Guy Seidman, When Did the Constitution become Law, 77Notre Dame L. Rev. 1 ( 2001 ) Steve Mount, The Federalists and Anti-Federalists, usconstitution.net ( 2003 ) References Jump up ^ `` Article VII, Ratification ''. Cornell University Law School. Retrieved November 4, 2016. Jump up ^ `` The Six Stages of Ratification - Teaching American History ''. Jump up ^ `` Article VII. Ratification ''. Justia.com. Jump up ^ `` The States and the Ratification Process ''. Center for the Study of the American Constitution, University of Wisconsin -- Madison Department of History. United States Constitution Text ( via Wikisource ) Preamble and Articles I -- VII Amendments 1 -- 10 Amendments 11 -- 27 Unsuccessful Proposed Amendments Debates in State Conventions on the Adoption of the Constitution Preamble and articles Preamble II III IV V VI VII Amendments Ratified Bill of Rights 5 6 7 8 9 10 Others 11 12 13 14 15 16 17 18 19 20 21 22 23 24 25 26 27 Pending Congressional Apportionment Titles of Nobility Corwin Amendment Child Labor Repealed Eighteenth Amendment Unsuccessful Equal Rights District of Columbia Voting Rights List of Amendments Bill of Rights ( Amendments 1 -- 10 ) Reconstruction Amendments ( Amendments 13 -- 15 ) Amendment proposals in Congress Convention to propose amendments State ratifying conventions Formation History Articles of Confederation Mount Vernon Conference Annapolis Convention Philadelphia Convention Virginia Plan New Jersey Plan Connecticut Compromise Three - Fifths Compromise Committee of Detail Signing Independence Hall Syng inkstand The Federalist Papers Anti-Federalist Papers Massachusetts Compromise Virginia Ratifying Convention Hillsborough Convention Rhode Island ratification Drafting and ratification timeline Clauses Appointments Appropriations Assistance of Counsel Bill of credit Case or Controversy Citizenship Commerce Compact Compulsory Process Confrontation Contract Copyright and Patent Double Jeopardy Due Process Equal Protection Establishment Exceptions Excessive Bail Ex post facto Extradition Free Exercise Free Speech Fugitive Slave Full Faith and Credit General Welfare Guarantee Impeachment Import - Export Ineligibility Militia Natural - born citizen Necessary and Proper New States No Religious Test Oath or Affirmation Origination Petition Postal Presentment Privileges and Immunities Privileges or Immunities Recommendation Self - Incrimination Speech or Debate Speedy Trial State of the Union Supremacy Suspension Take Care Takings Taxing and Spending Territorial Title of Nobility Treaty Trial by Jury Vesting Vicinage War Powers List of clauses Interpretation Concurrent powers Congressional enforcement Constitutional law Criminal procedure Criminal sentencing Dormant Commerce Clause Enumerated powers Equal footing Executive privilege Incorporation of the Bill of Rights Judicial review Nondelegation doctrine Preemption Saxbe fix Separation of church and state Separation of powers Taxation power Unitary executive theory Display and legacy National Archives Charters of Freedom Rotunda Independence Mall Constitution Day Constitution Gardens National Constitution Center Scene at the Signing of the Constitution ( painting ) A More Perfect Union ( film ) Worldwide influence US Government Portal Law Portal Wikipedia book Retrieved from `` https://en.wikipedia.org/w/index.php?title=Article_Seven_of_the_United_States_Constitution&oldid=798796920 '' Categories : Articles of the United States Constitution Talk Article Talk Contents About Wikipedia Català Español Français 贛 語 Bahasa Melayu Nederlands Simple English 中文 Edit links This page was last edited on 3 September 2017, at 21 : 35. 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Question: what does article vii of the constitution mean
Answer: sets the number of state ratifications necessary in order for the Constitution to take effect and prescribes the method through which the states may ratify it.