Massachusetts Ratifies the Constitution
On February 6, 1788, Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution, marking a significant moment in the early history of American governance. The ratification followed intense debates in the state, reflecting a climate of political compromise and persuasion among supporters of the new government framework, known as Federalists. This period was characterized by dissatisfaction with the Articles of Confederation, which many Massachusetts leaders, including Governor James Bowdoin, deemed insufficient for addressing the state’s challenges, particularly its reliance on trade and the need for a stronger centralized government.
Notably, the ratification convention convened in January 1788, gathering 364 delegates, although not all regions of the state were represented. Key figures such as Elbridge Gerry and Rufus King emerged as pivotal supporters of the Constitution. The Federalist camp utilized essays and public discourse to rally support, ultimately swaying influential figures, including Governor John Hancock, to their cause. When the vote took place, the outcome was narrow, with coastal areas favoring ratification while more agrarian regions expressed opposition. This event underscored the complexities of American political life in the post-Revolution era and set the stage for the evolving governance of the newly formed nation.
Massachusetts Ratifies the Constitution
Massachusetts Ratifies the Constitution
On February 6, 1788, Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the United States Constitution. Of the earlier five, only Pennsylvania was a major state, so the addition of Massachusetts to the list of affirmative votes was an important victory for the supporters of the new form of government. The debate over the Constitution in the Bay State was intense, and the Federalists had to use all of their powers of persuasiveness and sense of political compromise to achieve their goal.
In the years immediately after the American Revolution, Massachusetts found the Articles of Confederation increasingly inadequate. As early as 1785, Governor James Bowdoin in his inaugural address called for a convention to amend the articles. Massachusetts was heavily dependent on trade, and its shipowners were being squeezed by the often discriminatory and excessive trade regulations imposed by other states. Domestic matters, such as the passage of inflationary paper money legislation and an insurrection of poor farmers led by Captain Daniel Shays in the western part of Massachusetts, also produced calls for a stronger government.
When the Continental Congress on February 21, 1787, asked the states to appoint delegates to a Constitutional Convention, Massachusetts dispatched Francis Dana, Elbridge Gerry, Nathaniel Gorham, Rufus King, and Caleb Strong. Dana never attended the gathering, and Strong returned home in August, but Gerry, Gorham, and King remained in Philadelphia until the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention on September 17, 1787. Gerry served as chairman of the Grand Committee of the convention, composed of one delegate from each state, which worked out several important compromises between the large and small states. King was a member of the Committee of Style and Arrangement, which prepared the final draft of the proposed Constitution. Gerry, however, refused to support the final draft of the Constitution, objecting to the extensive powers to be granted to the national Congress.
Having completed its task, the Continental Congress submitted the Constitution to the states for ratification. On October 18, 1787, the Massachusetts General Court issued a call for a ratifying convention to meet in January 1788. On the appointed day, 364 delegates from 318 towns met; 46 communities, mostly in the Maine district, which was then part of Massachusetts, sent no representatives. Gorham, King, and Strong won election to the ratification meeting. They eagerly supported the proposed Constitution, as did such other notables as former governor James Bowdoin. The Antifederalist opposition lacked such an elite leadership group.
Supporters of the Constitution worked vigorously to persuade the public. Federalist essays in favor of the Constitution flooded the newspapers and popular periodicals. The Federalists also won over the politically powerful governor, John Hancock, to their side. On January 31, 1788, Hancock announced his support for the Constitution. After some additional debate, on February 6, 1788, the Massachusetts convention voted 187 to 168 to ratify the Constitution. Counties near the coast, including the commercial seats in Suffolk and Essex counties, gave the strongest support to ratification. Agrarian interior areas, such as Worcester, provided the bulk of negative votes.