Maryland Ratifies the Constitution
Maryland ratified the United States Constitution on April 28, 1788, becoming the seventh state to do so. The actual ratification took place on April 26 during a convention attended by a predominantly Federalist delegation, which faced little opposition. Prior to this, Maryland engaged in discussions to address issues related to navigation and commerce, showcasing its early commitment to strengthening government structures. At the Constitutional Convention, Maryland’s delegates had a limited but notable role, with figures like Luther Martin opposing an expansion of federal power, while others, including James McHenry, supported the proposed Constitution.
The ratification process in Maryland was characterized by active participation, as evidenced by the large voter turnout. The convention ultimately approved the Constitution by a significant margin, reflecting the state's desire for a stronger national government to protect its interests, especially among merchants and the tobacco elite. This alignment with Federalist ideals positioned Maryland as a key player in the early formation of the United States, and its ratification has been recognized historically as a pivotal moment in the state's political evolution.
Maryland Ratifies the Constitution
Maryland Ratifies the Constitution
Maryland, on April 28, 1788, officially became the seventh state to ratify the proposed United States Constitution. In actuality, the delegates performed the act of ratification on Saturday, April 26. After the signing, the document was taken to a print shop. The shop was closed until Monday, however, and the paper was redated April 28.
As in Delaware, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut, supporters of the new government faced little opposition in Maryland. Thus, ratification was accomplished quickly and without much bitter argument or political maneuvering. Maryland was among the earlier proponents of strengthening the Articles of Confederation. In March 1785, four commissioners from Maryland met with four counterparts from Virginia at George Washington's Mount Vernon residence to discuss problems relating to the navigation of Chesapeake Bay and the Potomac River. The negotiators quickly reached agreement on jurisdiction over the Potomac and on the apportionment of the expenses for marking the Chesapeake channel. In their report the representatives suggested that their respective legislatures adopt uniform currency, commercial regulations, and customs duties. The Maryland legislature approved the plan and suggested that Delaware and Pennsylvania be included in future discussions of matters of mutual interest.
After Congress called on February 21, 1787, for the assembling of the Constitutional Convention, Maryland agreed to send a five-man delegation. The legislature initially appointed Charles Carroll of Carrollton, Gabriel Duvall, Robert Hanson Harrison, Thomas Sim Lee, and Thomas Stone, but all of them declined to serve. Apparently, domestic political considerations, including opposition to plans to issue large amounts of paper money, seemed more important than the Constitutional Convention to these noted leaders. Two weeks after the date set for the opening of the Philadelphia gathering, the Maryland legislature named another, much less distinguished, five-man contingent.
Luther Martin, then in his early forties, was the most capable member of the delegation. A lawyer and former schoolteacher, Martin had been a member of the Confederation Congress and state attorney general. At the convention he became a prominent foe of plans to strengthen the federal government.
James McHenry, an Irish-born surgeon, served as secretary to George Washington during the American Revolution and became his trusted friend. Only 33, he had served in the Maryland senate and in the Confederation congress. He made little impression at the convention.
Daniel Jenifer of St. Thomas, 64, was the senior member of the Maryland contingent. A man of means, respected in his home state, he had served in Congress and was one of Maryland's commissioners at the Mount Vernon conference. Amiable, but aware of his shortcomings as a politician, Jenifer was not outspoken in Philadelphia.
Daniel Carroll and John Francis Mercer both had experience in the Confederation congress. Affluent and well-connected, these two men were rising Maryland politicians in 1787. Carroll was 56, and Mercer, at 28, was the youngest member of the delegation.
Maryland's contribution to the Constitutional Convention was not noteworthy. Predictably, this small state supported resolutions granting each state an equal vote in the Senate, but the delegation was not able to reach a decision on the preferred system of voting in the House of Representatives. Eventually, however, Maryland gave its assent to the Great Compromise, which provided for equal representation of states in the Senate and proportional representation by population in the House.
Contentious Luther Martin spoke out vociferously against granting excessive power to the central government. On June 27 and June 28, 1787, Martin made a two-day speech to the weary delegates, arguing against congressional representation proportional to population. Although Martin's position that the national government should be formed for the states rather than for individuals was plausible, his rambling harangue only antagonized his fellow convention members.
In September, the Constitutional Convention concluded its business in Philadelphia. Maryland's delegates joined those of the other states in signing the proposed federal Constitution, which they sent to Congress for referral to the states for approval. The framers then returned to their home states to prepare to take part in the process of ratification. After the October 1787 state elections, the Maryland legislature began its consideration of the new Constitution. The delegates to the convention gave their accounts of the Philadelphia proceedings, and their impressions varied. Luther Martin presented an indictment of the new frame of government, which later appeared in print as The Genuine Information, while James McHenry ably refuted Martin's contentions and spoke in favor of the proposed Constitution.
Maryland's state Senate called for a ratifying convention, and proposed that the election of convention delegates take place in January 1788 and that the convention assemble early in March. In the Maryland House, Samuel Chase and other Antifederalist leaders persuaded the members to postpone the election and convention until April, remove the property qualifications for candidates, and omit the statements in favor of ratification from the call for the convention. The Senate, for the sake of quick ratification, agreed to the House's terms. Voters appeared at the polls in unusually large numbers on election day. Approximately 10,000 Marylanders cast ballots, and a large majority of them chose candidates favoring the Constitution; the Federalists elected 65 delegates and the Antifederalists 12. When the convention met, the Federalists simply allowed opposition speakers such as Chase and Martin to express their views and then called for an immediate vote on ratification. Late on Saturday, April 26, 1788, the Maryland convention approved the new Constitution by a vote of 63 to 11.
Various factors led Maryland to strongly favor the new Constitution. A small state, Maryland looked forward to the protection that a powerful national government could provide. Baltimore merchants and manufacturers also found advantages in certain provisions of the new Constitution. Finally, the Maryland Federalists drew much support from the tobacco-planting aristocracy, which hoped that the new government would be able to curb democratic programs, suggested by such men as Samuel Chase, that would undermine their political and economic dominance.
Maryland and the 12 other colonies that separated from England became states at the time of the Declaration of Independence. For purposes of establishing a chronological order of the entry of these 13 states into the Union, however, historians have used the dates of their ratification of the Constitution. Thus Maryland is listed as the seventh state.