Nine of the thirteen states had to ratify the U.S. Constitution for it to go into effect.

Quick Scoop

  • The framers decided that the Constitution would become binding once nine states approved it, not all thirteen.
  • This rule is written directly into Article VII of the Constitution, which says that ratification by nine state conventions would be “sufficient” to establish it among those states.
  • At the time, there were 13 states, so nine represented a strong majority but avoided letting just one or two holdouts block the new government.
  • In June 1788, New Hampshire became the crucial ninth state to ratify, officially putting the Constitution into operation.

In short: out of 13 states, 9 had to say “yes” before the Constitution could become the law of the land.

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