Documents Illustrative of the Formation of the Union of the American States

Ratification of the Constitution by the State of Georgia

Selected, Arranged, and Indexed by Charles C. Tansill

In Convention; Wednesday, January the second, one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight:

To all to whom these Presents shall come, Greeting.

Whereas the form of a Constitution for the Government of the Untied States of America, was, on the seventeenth day of September, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, agreed upon and reported to Congress by the Deputies of the said United States convened in Philiadelphia; which said Constitution is written in the words following, to wit;…

[SEAL APPENDANT.] And Whereas the United States in Congress assembled did, on the twenty-eighth day of September, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, Resolve, unanimously, That the said Report, with the resolutions and letter accompanying the same, be transmitted to the several Legislatures, in order to be submitted to a Convention of Delegates chosen in each State by the People thereof, in conformity to the Resolves of the Convention made and provided in that case.

And Whereas the Legislature of the State of Georgia did, on the twenty-sixth day of October, one thousand seven hundred and eighty-seven, in pursuance of the above recited resolution of Congress,

Resolve, That a convention be elected on the day of the next General Election, and in the same manner as representatives are elected; and that the said Convention consist of not more than three members from each County. And that the said Convention should meet at Augusta, on the fourth Tuesday in December then next, and as soon thereafter as convenient, proceed to consider the said Report, letter and resolutions, and to adopt or reject any part or the whole thereof.

Now Know Ye, That We, the Delegates of the People of the State of Georgia in Convention met, pursuant to the Resolutions of the Legislature aforesaid, having taken into our serious consideration the said Constitution, Have assented to, ratified and adopted, and by these presents DO, in virtue of the powers and authority to Us given by the People of the said State for that purpose, for, and in behalf of ourselves and our Constituents, fully and entirely assent to, ratify and adopt the said Constitution.

Done i9n Convention, at Augusta in the said State, on the second day of January, in the year of our Lord one thousand seven hundred and eighty eight, and of the Independence of the United States the twelfth. In Witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names.

JOHN WEREAT. President

and Delegate for the County of Richmond.

Delegate County
W: STEPHENS
JOSEPH HABERSHAM
Chatham
JENKINS DAVIS
N BROWNSON
Effingham
EDWD TELFAIR
H. TODD
Burke
WILLIAM FEW
JAMES MCNEIL
Richmond
GEO MATHEWS
FLORCE SULLIVAN
JOHN KING
Wilkes
JAMES POWELL
JOHN ELLIOTT
JAMES MAXWELL
Liberty
GEO: HANDLEY.
CHRISTOPHER HILLARY
J: MASON.
Glynn
HENRY OSBORNE
JAMES SEAGROVE
JACOB WEED
Camden
JARED IRWIN
JOHN RUTHERFORD
Washington
ROBT CHRISTMAS
THOMAS DANIELL
R MIDDLETON
Greene

Attest. ISAAC BRIGGS, Secretary.


Reprinted from Documentary History of the Constitution, Vol. II (1894), pp. 65, 66, 82-84.

Back to Table of Contents

Contents

General Overview

In 1787 and 1788, following the Constitutional Convention, a great debate took place throughout America over the Constitution that had been proposed.

In-Doors Debate

View Gordon Lloyd’s in-depth studies of of the Massachusetts, Virginia, and New York state ratifying conventions.

The Federal Pillars

View the Massachusetts Centinel’sdrawings of the federal pillars rising during the ratification debate.

View Feature

State-by-State Ratification Table

View the six stages of the ratification of the Constitution with links to many other features on this site.

View Feature

Interactive Ratification Map

View the Federalist-Antifederalist breakdown of each state during the ratification debate.

View Interactive

50 Documents That Tell America’s Story

Required reading for students, teachers, and citizens.

Access Now

Live Online Graduate Courses in American History

 

 

Earn graduate credits toward a Master’s
degree for each Live Online Graduate
Course in American History &
Government from Ashbrook Center at
Ashland University. Learn More

TeachingAmericanHistory.org is a project of the Ashbrook Center at Ashland University

401 College Avenue | Ashland, Ohio 44805 (419) 289-5411 | (877) 289-5411 (Toll Free)

info@TeachingAmericanHistory.org