DOCUMENTARY HISTORY

OF THE

CONSTITUTION

OF THE

UNITED STATES OF AMERICA

1787-1870

DERIVED FROM THE RECORDS, MANUSCRIPTS, AND ROLLS DEPOS-
ITED IN THE BUREAU OF ROLLS AND LIBRARY OF

US 221.1(2)

B

HARVARD
UNIVERSITY
LIBRARY

JUL 201803

53-00

19

CONTENTS.

PAGE.

LETTER OF THE PRESIDENT OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION TO THE PRESIDENT

OF CONGRESS, TRANSMITTING THE CONSTITUTION

THE CONSTITUTION

I

3

RESOLUTION OF THE FEDERAL CONVENTION SUBMITTING THE CONSTITUTION TO

CONGRESS

20

RESOLUTION OF CONGRESS SUBMITTING THE CONSTITUTION TO THE SEVERAL

STATES

22

CIRCULAR Letter of the SECRETARY OF CONGRESS TRANSMITTING COPY OF THE

CONSTITUTION TO THE SEVERAL GOVERNORS

23

(Ratifications of the Constitution: Delaware, 24-Pennsylvania, 27-New Jersey,

46-Georgia, 65-Connecticut, 86-Massachusetts, 90-Maryland, 97—South

Carolina, 123-New Hampshire, 141-Virginia, 145-New York, 174-North
Carolina, 266-Rhode Island, 291-Vermont, 371.)

PROCEEDINGS OF CONGRESS

RESOLUTION OF CONGRESS PROPOSING AMENDATORY ARTICLES TO THE SEVERAL

STATES

161, 204

321

(Ratifications: New Jersey, 325-—Maryland, 330—North Carolina, 335—South

Carolina, 340--New Hampshire, 345-Delaware, 347-Pennsylvania, 352,

367-New York, 357—Rhode Island, 363-Vermont, 374-Virginia, 385.)

RECOMMENDATION OF "SUBSEQUENT AMENDMENTS" BY VIRGINIA

RESOLUTION OF CONGRESS PROPOSING ELEVENTH AMENDMENT

377

391

(Ratifications: Virginia, 392-Kentucky, 394-Maryland, 397-Connecticut,

401-North Carolina, 402-South Carolina, 405.)

RESOLUTION OF CONGRESS PROPOSING TWELFTH AMENDMENT

408

53×2

(Ratifications: Maryland, 411-Virginia, 414—Ohio, 417-Pennsylvania, 423—

Vermont, 427-Rhode Island, 430-New Jersey, 433-Georgia, 440-Ten-

nessee, 447.)

(Rejection by Connecticut, 437-)

ACKNOWLEDGMENT BY KENTUCKY OF THE OFFICIAL NOTIFICATION OF THE

ADOPTION OF THE TWELFTH AMENDMENT

451

RESOLUTION OF CONGRESS PROPOSING THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT, RESPECTING

TITLES OF NOBILITY

(Ratifications: Maryland, 454-Kentucky, 460—Ohio, 463-Delaware, 466—

Pennsylvania, 469-New Jersey, 474-Vermont, 478-Tennessee, 481—Geor-

gia, 486-North Carolina, 493-New Hampshire, 497.)

(Rejections: New York, 500-Connecticut, 502-South Carolina, 508-Rhode

Island, 514.)

452

III

RESOLUTION OF CONGRESS PROPOSING THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT, RESPECTING

NONINTERFERENCE WITH DOMESTIC AFFAIRS OF THE STATES

(Ratification by Illinois, 518.)

RESOLUTION OF CONGRESS PROPOSING THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT

(Ratifications: Rhode Island, 522-Illinois, 523-Michigan, 525-Maryland,

528-New York, 533-West Virginia, 535—Massachusetts, 538-Pennsylvania,

547-Maine, 549-Kansas, 552—Ohio, 556-Minnesota, 559-Virginia, 561—

Indiana, 564-Nevada, 570-Louisiana, 573-Wisconsin, 588-Missouri,

593-Tennessee, 595-Vermont, 597-Arkansas, 600-Connecticut, 602-

New Hampshire, 604-South Carolina, 605-North Carolina, 607—Alabama,

609-Georgia, 612-Oregon, 617-California, 619-Florida, 624-New Jer-

sey, 627-Iowa, 630-Texas, 634.)

DECLARATION OF THE ADOPTION OF THE THIRTEENTH AMENDMENT

RESOLUTION OF CONGRESS PROPOSING FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT

(Ratifications: Connecticut 641-New Hampshire, 645-Tennessee, 653-New

Jersey, 657-Oregon, 661-Vermont, 664-New York, 668—Ohio, 675-Illi-

nois, 690-West Virginia, 693-Kansas, 697-Maine, 701-Nevada, 705—

Missouri, 709-Indiana, 713—Minnesota, 717-Rhode Island, 720-Wiscon

sin, 723-Pennsylvania, 727-Michigan, 731-Massachusetts, 735-Nebraska,

739-Iowa, 743-Arkansas, 747-Florida, 751-North Carolina, 754-Lou-

isiana, 758-South Carolina, 761—Alabama, 765—Georgia, 769—Virginia,

772-Mississippi, 776-Texas, 779.)

PAGE.

516

520

636

638

DECLARATION OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE CONDITIONALLY ANNOUNCING THE

ADOPTION OF THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT

783

DECLARATION OF THE SECRETARY OF STATE POSITIVELY ANNOUNCING THE

ADOPTION OF THE FOURTEENTH AMENDMENT

788

RESOLUTION OF CONGRESS PROPOSING FIFTEENTH AMENDMENT

(Ratifications: Nevada, 797-North Carolina, Soo-West Virginia, 803-Louisi-

ana, 806-Illinois, 808-Michigan, 810-Wisconsin, 812-Massachusetts,

814-Maine, 819-South Carolina, 825-Pennsylvania, 828-Arkansas, 831—

New York, 833-Indiana, 836—Connecticut, 839—Florida, 841—New Hamp-

shire, 843-Virginia, 845-Vermont, 848-Alabama, 850-Missouri, 853-

Mississippi, 856-Rhode Island, 863-Kansas, 868—Ohio, 870-Georgia,

875-Iowa, 877-Nebraska, 879-Texas, 888-Minnesota, 891-New Jersey,

896.)

DECLARATION BY THE SECRETARY OF STATE OF THE ADOPTION OF THE FIF-

TEENTH AMENDMENT

795

893

Documentary History of the Constitution

of the United States of America.

1786-1870.

Sir,

In Convention, September 17, 1787.*

We have now the honor to submit to the consideration of the United States in Congress assembled, that Constitution which has appeared to us the most adviseable.

The friends of our country have long seen and desired, that the power of making war, peace, and treaties, that of levying money and regulating commerce, and the correspondent executive and judicial authorities should be fully and effectually vested in the general government of the Union: But the impropriety of delegating such extensive trust to one body of men is evident-Hence results the necessity of a different organization.

It is obviously impracticable in the federal government of these states, to secure all rights of independent sovereignty to each, and yet provide for the interest and safety of all: Individuals entering into society, must give up a share of liberty to preserve the rest. The magnitude of the sacrifice must depend as well on situation and circumstance, as on the object to be obtained. It is at all times difficult to draw

*From Washington's copy of the Journal of Congress (vol. xii, p. 164), the original not having been found among the papers of the Continental Congress up to the time of going to press.