Under Article V of the Constitution, there are two ways to propose and ratify amendments to the Constitution. To propose amendments, two-thirds of both houses of Congress can vote to propose an amendment, or two-thirds of the state legislatures can ask Congress to call a national convention to propose amendments. To ratify amendments, three-fourths of the state legislatures must approve them, or ratifying conventions in three-fourths of the states must approve them.

The Supreme Court has said that ratification must be within "some reasonable time after the proposal." Beginning with the 18th amendment, Congress traditionally set a definite period for ratification. In the case of the 18th, 20th, 21st, and 22nd amendments, the period set was seven years, but there has been no determination as to just how long a "reasonable time" might be.

A convention of delegates from all the states (except Rhode Island) met in Philadelphia, PA, in May of 1787. Known as the Constitutional Convention, during this meeting it was decided that the best solution to the young country's problems was to set aside the Articles of Confederation and create a new system. George Washington presided over the Constitutional Convention.

The delegates, or representatives for the states, debated for months over what would be included in the Constitution. Some states were in favor of a strong central government, while other states were opposed. Large states felt that they should have more representation in Congress, while small states wanted equal representation with larger ones.

Roger Sherman, a delegate from Connecticut, proposed a legislature with two parts. This created a bicameral legislative branch, which gave equal representation to each state in the Senate, and representation based on population in the House of Representatives. Small states feared they would be ignored if representation was based on population, while large states believed that their larger populations deserved more of a voice. Under the bicameral system, each party would be represented in a balance of power. Each state would be equally represented in the Senate, with two Senators, while representation in the House of Representatives would be based upon population. The delegates finally agreed to this "Great Compromise," which is also called the Connecticut Compromise.

The Constitution also created an executive branch and a judicial branch, which set up a system of checks and balances. All three branches would have a distribution of power so that no one branch could become more powerful than another. Early on, Governor Edmund Randolph of Virginia presented the Virginia Plan, which provided for a National Government with three branches. The legislative branch would make laws, the executive branch would provide leadership and enforce laws, and the judicial branch would explain and interpret laws.

Like the issue of political representation, commerce and slavery were also issues that divided the Northern and Southern states. Southern states exported goods and raw materials and feared that the Northern states would take unfair advantage. The South finally agreed not to require two-thirds passage in both houses to regulate commerce. The North agreed that the slave trade could continue until 1808, but slaves would be counted as three-fifths of a person for representation in the House of Representatives; this was known as the “Three-Fifths Compromise.”

Nationality requirements and ways to amend and ratify the Constitution were also addressed. To be eligible to hold office, Senators would have to be citizens for nine years and Representatives for seven years, and the President must be native-born. In order to make changes or amendments to the Constitution, nine of the 13 states would have to vote to ratify before an amendment could become law.

On September 17, 1787, the Constitution of the United States was finally accepted by the delegates. It did not contain any sort of Bill of Rights, even though that question had been heavily debated. Of the 42 delegates still present at the convention when it was finished, 39 signed the Constitution. Only Governor Edmund Randolph (Virginia), George Mason (Virginia), and Elbridge Gerry (Massachusetts) declined to sign.

The Founding Fathers now had to get the states to agree to the document and to vote in favor of it. Nine states needed to vote for the Constitution for it to be accepted. Each state was given six months to meet and vote on the proposed Constitution. On December 7, 1787, Delaware was the first state to vote in favor of, or ratify, it. New Hampshire became the ninth state to accept the Constitution on June 21, 1788, which officially ended government under the Articles of Confederation. It was not until May 29, 1790, that the last state, Rhode Island, finally ratified the Constitution.

The states and the dates of ratification are listed here, in order of ratification:

• Delaware: December 7, 1787
• Pennsylvania: December 12, 1787
• New Jersey: December 18, 1787
• Georgia: January 2, 1788
• Connecticut: January 9, 1788
• Massachusetts: February 6, 1788
• Maryland: April 28, 1788
• South Carolina: May 23, 1788
• New Hampshire: June 21, 1788 (With this state’s ratification, the Constitution became legal.)
• Virginia: June 25, 1788
• New York: July 26, 1788
• North Carolina: November 21, 1789
• Rhode Island: May 29, 1790 (Rhode Island did not hold a Constitutional Convention.)

For thousands of years, North America was populated mainly by Native Americans and was mostly unknown to Europe. In the 1500s, Europeans began arriving in North America; they found a land with many natural resources and began to claim parts of it. While the French moved into the north and the Spanish settled in the south and west, the British founded colonies on the east coast.

The British settlers came to these new lands for many reasons. Some wanted to make money or set up trade with their home country while others wanted religious freedom. In the early 1600s, the British king began establishing colonies in America. By the 1700s, most of the settlements had formed into 13 British colonies: Connecticut, Delaware, Georgia, Maryland, Massachusetts, New Hampshire, New York, New Jersey, Virginia, North Carolina, Pennsylvania, Rhode Island, and South Carolina.

The colonists, or people living in the colonies, were unhappy about paying taxes without having any say in their government. This unhappiness would eventually lead to a clash between the Americans and the British and lead to the American Revolutionary War (1775-1783). When the British were defeated at the end of the war, America was free to take the first steps toward creating a new system of government.

Before the American Revolutionary War, each state had its own constitution, which gave people certain rights, such as freedom of speech, religion, and the press. During the war, the 13 colonies united to free themselves from British rule. The states were very different from each other, but they realized that in order to grow and prosper, they needed to form a union.

The states joined together to set up a central government. Delegates from each state met at the Second Continental Congress on July 12, 1776. After much debate, on November 15, 1777, the states finally established a "firm league of friendship" that became known as the Articles of Confederation. The Articles, however, did not go into effect until March 1, 1781.

Under the Articles of Confederation, each state remained independent, with a single vote, and there was no real power behind the Federal Government. Within two years, it became obvious that the Articles of Confederation were weak. Many people were in debt, and states were printing money that was worthless.