| Year |
Month |
Day |
Event |
Pro- |
Anti- |
Subject |
Opposes |
| 1781 |
Mar |
1 |
Articles of
Confederation adopted |
|
|
|
|
| 1786 |
Sep. |
14 |
Annapolis Convention |
|
|
|
|
| 1787 |
Feb |
21 |
Congress calls for convention in Philadelphia |
|
|
|
|
| 1787 |
Apr |
16 |
Madison's Virginia Plan |
|
|
|
|
|
May |
25 |
Constitutional
Convention opens |
|
|
|
|
|
May |
29 |
Virginia Plan |
|
|
|
|
|
Jun |
15 |
New Jersey
Plan |
|
|
|
|
|
Jun |
18 |
Hamilton Plan |
|
|
|
|
|
Jul |
16 |
Great
Compromise |
|
|
|
|
|
Aug |
6 |
First Draft |
|
|
|
|
|
Sep |
17 |
Final version
approved, Conv. closes |
|
|
|
|
|
Oct |
5 |
|
|
Centinel #1 |
Responsibility, Checks |
Federalist #10,
51 |
|
Oct |
6 |
|
James Wilson |
|
|
|
|
Oct |
8 |
|
|
Federal Farmer #1 |
Extended republics, taxation |
Federalist #8,
10,
14,
35,
36 |
|
Oct |
9 |
|
|
Federal Farmer #2 |
Extended republics, taxation |
Federalist #8,
10,
15,
35,
36 |
|
Oct |
18 |
|
|
Brutus #1 |
Extent of union, States' Rights, Bill of Rights,
Taxation |
Federalist #10,
32,
33,
35,
36,
39,
45,
84 |
|
Oct |
22 |
|
|
John DeWitt #1 |
Need for stronger union |
Federalist #1-6 |
|
Oct |
27 |
|
Federalist #1 |
John DeWitt #2 |
Need for stronger union |
Federalist #1-6 |
|
Oct |
31 |
|
Federalist #2 |
|
|
|
|
Nov |
5 |
|
|
John DeWitt #2 |
Bill of Rights |
Wilson (Nov. 28),
Federalist #84 |
|
Nov |
14 |
|
Federalist #6 |
|
|
|
|
Nov |
22 |
|
Federalist #10 |
|
|
|
|
Nov |
27 |
|
|
Cato #5 |
Executive powers |
Federalist #67 |
|
Nov |
29 |
|
|
Brutus #4 |
House of Representatives |
Federalist #27,
28,
52-54,
57 |
|
Nov |
30 |
|
Federalist #14 |
|
|
|
|
Dec |
7 |
Delaware ratifies |
|
|
|
|
|
Dec |
12 |
Pennsylvania ratifies |
|
|
|
|
|
Dec |
18 |
New Jersey ratifies |
Federalist #23 |
Penn. Minority |
Extent of union, States' Rights, Bill of Rights,
Taxation |
Federalist #10,
32,
33,
35,
36,
39,
45,
84 |
|
Dec |
27 |
|
|
Brutus #6 |
Broad construction, taxing powers |
Federalist #23,
30-34 |
| 1788 |
Jan |
2 |
Georgia ratifies |
|
|
|
|
|
Jan |
3 |
|
|
Cato #7 |
Regulating election |
Federalist #59 |
|
Jan |
9 |
Connecticut ratifies |
|
|
|
|
|
Jan |
16 |
|
Federalist #39 |
|
|
|
|
Jan |
24 |
|
|
Brutus #10 |
Defense, standing armies |
Federalist #24-29 |
|
Jan |
26 |
|
Federalist #45 |
|
|
|
|
Jan |
31 |
|
|
Brutus #11 |
Judiciary |
Federalist #78-83 |
|
Feb |
6 |
Massachusetts ratifies |
Federalist #51 |
|
|
|
|
Feb |
7 |
Massachusetts proposed amendments |
|
Brutus #12, Pt. 1 |
Judiciary |
Federalist #78-83 |
|
Feb |
14 |
|
|
Brutus #12, Pt. 2 |
Judiciary |
Federalist #78-83 |
|
Feb |
19 |
|
Federalist #57 |
|
|
|
|
Feb |
27 |
|
Federalist #62 |
|
|
|
|
Mar |
15 |
|
Federalist #70 |
|
|
|
|
Mar |
20 |
|
|
Brutus #15 |
Judiciary |
Federalist #78-83 |
|
Apr |
10 |
|
|
Brutus #16 |
Senate |
Federalist #62,
63 |
|
Apr |
26 |
Maryland ratifies |
|
|
|
|
|
May |
23 |
S. Carolina ratifies |
|
|
|
|
|
May |
28 |
|
Federalist #78,
84 |
|
|
|
|
Jun |
5,7 |
|
|
Patrick Henry |
Nature and powers of Union |
Federalist #1,
14,
15 |
|
Jun |
21 |
New Hampshire ratifies; the 9th state |
|
|
|
|
|
Jun |
20-27 |
|
|
Melancton Smith |
Representation in Congress |
Federalist #52-57,
62-63 |
|
Jun |
25 |
Virginia ratifies |
|
|
|
|
|
Jun |
27 |
Virginia proposed amendments |
|
|
|
|
|
Jul |
26 |
New York ratifies |
|
|
|
|
|
Aug |
4 |
N. Carolina rejects |
|
|
|
|
| 1789 |
Mar |
4 |
Constitution takes effect |
|
|
|
|
|
Jun |
8 |
Madison introduces Bill of Rights amendments |
|
|
|
|
|
Nov |
21 |
N. Carolina ratifies |
|
|
|
|
| 1790 |
May |
29 |
Rhode Island ratifies |
|
|
|
|
| 1791 |
Nov |
3 |
Bill of Rights amendments take effect |
|
|
|
|