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Congress sends the Constitution to state legislatures for their approval

The United States Constitution has served as the supreme law of the United States since taking effect in 1789.

The United States Constitution has served as the supreme law of the United States since taking effect in 1789. The document was written at the 1787 Philadelphia Convention and was ratified through a series of state conventions held in 1787 and 1788. Since 1789, the Constitution has been amended twenty-seven times; particularly important amendments include the ten amendments of the United States Bill of Rights, the three Reconstruction Amendments, and the Nineteenth Amendment.

The Constitution grew out of efforts to reform the Articles of Confederation, an earlier constitution which provided for a loose alliance of states with a weak central government.

Historical Significance

The United States Constitution has served as the supreme law of the United States since taking effect in 1789.

Events Before

  1. Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart's opera "The Marriage of Figaro" premieres in Vienna with Mozart himself conducting

    The Marriage of Figaro, K. 492, is a commedia per musica (opera buffa) in four acts composed in 1786 by Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart, with an Italian libretto written by Lorenzo Da Ponte.

  2. A landslide dam on the Dadu River, caused by an earthquake ten days earlier, collapses and kills 100,000 in Sichuan prov

    A landslide dam on the Dadu River, caused by an earthquake ten days earlier, collapses and kills 100,000 in Sichuan province, China

  3. US Congress unanimously chooses the dollar as the monetary unit for the United States of America

    US Congress unanimously chooses the dollar as the monetary unit for the United States of America

  4. The oldest performing musical organization in the United States is founded in Stoughton, Massachusetts, as the Stoughton

    The oldest performing musical organization in the United States is founded in Stoughton, Massachusetts, as the Stoughton Musical Society

  5. Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II promulgates a penal reform, making Tuscany the first state to abolish the death penalty

    Grand Duke of Tuscany Leopold II promulgates a penal reform, making Tuscany the first state to abolish the death penalty; November 30 is now commemorated as Cities for Life Day

Events After

  1. Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect

    Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect

  2. First elements of the First Fleet, carrying 736 convicts from England to Australia, arrive at Botany Bay to establish a

    First elements of the First Fleet, carrying 736 convicts from England to Australia, arrive at Botany Bay to establish a penal colony

  3. Captain Arthur Phillip and British colonists hoist the Union Flag at Sydney Cove, New South Wales, now celebrated as Aus

    Captain Arthur Phillip and British colonists hoist the Union Flag at Sydney Cove, New South Wales, now celebrated as Australia Day; referred to as Invasion Day by First Nations people

  4. US Constitution comes into effect when New Hampshire is the 9th state to ratify it

    The United States Constitution has served as the supreme law of the United States since taking effect in 1789.

  5. Prussia joins the Anglo-Dutch alliance to form the Triple Alliance to prevent the spread of the Russo-Swedish War of 178

    Prussia joins the Anglo-Dutch alliance to form the Triple Alliance to prevent the spread of the Russo-Swedish War of 1788-90

More from the 1780s

John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of L

John Walter publishes the first issue of his newspaper "The Daily Universal Register," which is renamed "The Times" of London in 1788

Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect

Emperor Joseph II's order for the Jews of Galicia, Austria, to adopt family names comes into effect

Future US Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall (27) weds Mary Willis Ambler (16) at his cousin's home in Han

Future US Chief Justice of the Supreme Court John Marshall (27) weds Mary Willis Ambler (16) at his cousin's home in Hanover County, Virginia, until her death in 1831

British naval expedition led by Benedict Arnold burns Richmond, Virginia

The military career of Benedict Arnold in 1781 consisted of service in the British Army.

Frequently Asked Questions

What happened on September 28, 1787?
The United States Constitution has served as the supreme law of the United States since taking effect in 1789. The document was written at the 1787 Philadelphia Convention and was ratified through a series of state conventions held in 1787 and 1788. Since 1789, the Constitution has been amended twenty-seven times; particularly important amendments include the ten amendments of the United States Bill of Rights, the three Reconstruction Amendments, and the Nineteenth Amendment.
Why is Congress sends the Constitution to state legislatures for their approval significant?
The United States Constitution has served as the supreme law of the United States since taking effect in 1789.

Explore More

September 28 in HistoryYear 1787