The Adoption of the Constitution. Froehlich, John H. (December 31, 1935) State Museum of Pennsylvania,
Timeline of the Constitution
From the beginning of the Revolution to the adoption of the Bill of Rights, trace the timeline of the American Constitution.
Events in 1776
| May 15 | Second Continental Congress: Address to the Colonies |
| June 12 | Virginia Bill of Rights adopted |
| June 29 | Virginia Constitution adopted |
| July 3 | New Jersey Constitution adopted |
| July 4 | Declaration of Independence signed |
| September 21 | Delaware Constitution adopted |
| September 28 | Pennsylvania Constitution and Bill of Rights adopted |
| November 11 | Maryland Constitution adopted |
| December 18 | North Carolina Constitution and Bill of Rights adopted |
Events in 1777
| February 5 | Georgia Constitution adopted |
| April 20 | New York Constitution adopted |
Events in 1778
| March 19 | South Carolina Constitution adopted |
Events in 1780
| March 2 | Massachusetts Constitution and Bill of Rights adopted |
Events in 1781
| March 1 | Articles of Confederation adopted |
Events in 1784
| June 2 | New Hampshire Constitution and Bill of Rights adopted |
Events in 1786
| September 14 | Annapolis Convention: Call for a Grand Convention |
| October 16 | Virginia selects seven delegates |
| November 23 | New Jersey selects five delegates |
| December 30 | Pennsylvania selects eight delegates |
Events in 1787
| January 6 | North Carolina selects five delegates |
| January 17 | New Hampshire selects four delegates |
| February 3 | Delaware selects five delegates |
| February 4 | Shays Rebellion ends |
| February 10 | Georgia selects four delegates |
| February 21 | Congress approves Constitutional Convention |
| February 28 | New York selects three delegates |
| March 8 | South Carolina selects four delegates |
| March 10 | Massachusetts selects four delegates |
| March 14 | Rhode Island declines to send delegates |
| May 5 | Rhode Island again declines to send delegates |
| May 14 | Constitutional Convention lacks necessary quorum |
| May 21 | Connecticut selects three delegates |
| May 25 | Constitutional Convention meets quorum requirement |
| May 29 | Virginia Plan introduced |
| June 13 | Virginia Plan amended |
| June 15 | New Jersey Plan introduced |
| June 16 | Rhode Island again declines to send delegates |
| June 19 | New Jersey Plan rejected |
| July 13 | Northwest Ordinance adopted |
| July 16 | Connecticut Compromise accepted |
| July 26 | Constitutional Convention adjourns |
| August 6 | Constitutional Convention reconvenes: Committee of Detail Report |
| September 12 | Committee of Style Report: final draft of Constitution |
| September 17 | Constitution signed |
| September 20 | Confederation Congress reads Constitution |
| September 26-28 | Confederation Congress debates Constitution |
| September 28 | Call for state ratifying conventions by Confederation Congress |
| September 28 | Pennsylvania calls for state convention |
| October 17 | Connecticut calls for state convention |
| October 25 | Massachusetts calls for state convention |
| October 26 | Georgia calls for state convention |
| October 31 | Virginia calls for state convention |
| November 1 | New Jersey calls for state convention |
| November 3 | Rhode Island Rejects Call for a State Ratifying Convention |
| November 6 | Pennsylvania elects 69 delegates |
| November 10 | Delaware calls for state convention |
| November 12 | Connecticut elects 168 delegates |
| November 19-January 7 | Massachusetts elects 355 delegates |
| November 20-December 2 | Pennsylvania ratifying convention meets |
| November 26 | Delaware elects 30 delegates |
| November 27 | Maryland calls for state convention |
| November 27-December 1 | New Jersey elects 38 delegates |
| December 3-7 | Delaware ratifying convention meets |
| December 4-5 | Georgia elects 26 delegates |
| December 6 | North Carolina calls for state convention |
| December 7 | Delaware ratifies 30-0 |
| December 11-20 | New Jersey ratifying convention meets |
| December 12 | Pennsylvania ratifies 46-23 |
| December 14 | New Hampshire calls for state convention |
| December 18 | New Jersey ratifies 38-0 |
| December 25-January 5 | Georgia ratifying convention meets |
| December 31 | Georgia ratifies 26-0 |
| December 31 | New Hampshire elects 110 delegates |
Events in 1788
| January 3-9 | Connecticut ratifying convention meets |
| January 9 | Connecticut ratifies 128-40 |
| January 9-February 7 | Massachusetts ratifying convention meets |
| January 19 | South Carolina calls for state convention |
| January 30 | Massachusetts Compromise proposed |
| February 1 | New York calls for state convention (Assembly)(Senate) |
| February 6 | Massachusetts ratifies 187-168 with 9 proposed amendments (Elliot) |
| February 13-22 | New Hampshire ratifying convention votes 56-51 for adjournment until June 18 |
| March 3-31 | Virginia elects 168 delegates |
| March 24 | Rhode Island rejects call for a state ratifying convention |
| March 28-29 | North Carolina elects 268 delegates |
| April 7 | Maryland elects 76 delegates |
| April 11-12 | South Carolina elects 222 delegates |
| April 21-29 | Maryland ratifying convention meets |
| April 26 | Maryland ratifies 63-11 |
| April 29-May 3 | New York elects 67 delegates |
| May 12-24 | South Carolina ratifying convention meets |
| May 23 | South Carolina ratifies 149-73 |
| June 2-27 | Virginia ratifying convention meets |
| June 17-July 26 | New York ratifying convention meets |
| June 18-21 | New Hampshire ratifying convention: second session |
| June 21 | New Hampshire ratifies 57-47 with 12 proposed amendments (Tansill) |
| June 25 | Virginia ratifies 89-79 with 20 proposed amendments |
| July 2 | Congress accepts ratification of Constitution |
| July 21-August 4 | North Carolina ratifying convention meets |
| July 25 | New York rejects conditional ratification |
| July 26 | New York ratifies 30-27 with 31 proposed amendments |
| August 2 | North Carolina votes 184-84 against ratification |
| Sept. 13 | Congress prepares for a new government |
| November 30 | North Carolina calls for a second state convention |
Events in 1789
| January 7 | Presidential electors chosen |
| February 4 | Election of Senators, Representatives, and President |
| March 4 | First Congress meets |
| April 1 | House organized |
| April 6 | Senate organized |
| April 30 | First Inaugural Address of George Washington |
| June 8 | Madison argues for a Bill of Rights |
| July 28 | Report of House Select Committee on Madisons Proposals |
| August 13-24 | House debates Select Committee Report |
| August 21-22 | North Carolina elects 271 delegates to second state convention |
| August 24 | House passes 17 Amendments to the Constitution |
| September 9 | Senate passes 12 Amendments to the Constitution |
| September 24 | Judiciary Act passed by Congress |
| September 25 | Congress sends 12 Amendments to the state legislatures for ratification |
| October 10 | Last business under Articles of Confederation |
| November 16-23 | North Carolina ratifiying convention: second session |
| November 20 | New Jersey adopts the Bill of Rights |
| November 21 | North Carolina ratifies the Constitution 194-77 |
| December 19 | Maryland adopts the Bill of Rights |
| December 22 | North Carolina adopts the Bill of Rights |
| December 23 | Maryland cedes ten square miles for a federal city |
Events in 1790
| January 17 | Rhode Island calls for state convention to ratify Constitution |
| January 19 | South Carolina adopts the Bill of Rights |
| January 25 | New Hampshire adopts the Bill of Rights |
| January 26 | Delaware adopts the Bill of Rights |
| February 8 | Rhode Island elects delegates to ratifying convention |
| March 1-6 | Rhode Island ratifying convention: first session |
| March 10 | Pennsylvania adopts the Bill of Rights |
| March 27 | New York adopts the Bill of Rights |
| May 26-29 | Rhode Island ratifying convention: second session |
| May 29 | Rhode Island ratifies the Constitution 34-32 |
| June 11 | Rhode Island adopts the Bill of Rights |
Events in 1791
| March 3 | Vermont admitted to the United States |
| November 3 | Vermont adopts the Bill of Rights |
| December 15 | Virginia ratifies the Bill of Rights |
| December 15 | Bill of Rights added to the Constitution in the form of Ten Amendments |