Article 7 of the Constitution Summary

Introduction

What the Founding Fathers created in the Constitution is the most magnificent government on the face of the Earth, and the reason is this: because it was intended to preserve the American society and the American spirit, not to transform it or destroy it.- Mark Levin

Article VII of the United States Constitution is the final article in the document and could only be described as short and sweet. It addressed a concern that all our Founding Fathers had since all 55 state delegates gathered together at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 17th, 1787, and the United States Constitution was formatted and penned by James Madison himself. Lots of time and effort went into constructing this document that would stand as the standard for American justice and liberty for hopefully the rest of time, but there was one small issue. Would enough states agree to abide by this Constitution and agree to make it the supreme law of the land? So, Article VII was created to make it so that only nine out of the original thirteen state’s adherence to the Constitution was necessary to make the document valid in the entire United States of America.

Freedom to Decide

The implementation of Article Seven in the Constitution further showed how much our forefathers truly envisioned having a libertarian nation. When over fifty state delegates met in secret at the Constitutional Convention and 39 of them signed off on the final draft of the United States Constitution, they could have forced it upon the American populace then and there in theory. They would never do that, though, because the great men who supported the Constitution all believed in having a free republic where all citizens could have a voice in deciding how their nation would be ran. Thus, they took a risk and left the future of American democracy on ordinary people who comprised this great nation. In essence, this was the very first election that was ever held in America, just prior to conducting the first Presidential election of George Washington on January 10, 1789. As such, Article VII of the United States Constitution set a precedence for what kind of nation America would always be: free. Ram Nath Kovind once said “Our Constitution gave us rights as citizens of a free democratic nation, but also placed on us the responsibility to always adhere to the central tenets of our democracy – justice, liberty, equality and fraternity.”

Fight for Change

Go anywhere in America and ask one hundred people what they believe about any given subject, and you will hear one hundred different philosophies with each individual thinking theirs is correct. The majority of Americans are very passionate about what they believe in topics of faith and politics, and it has been that way from the very beginning of our great nation’s formation. Just as we have Democrats and Republicans, back in the year 1787, there was Federalists and Non-Federalists. Federalists of that time felt that a large government that encompassed the entire nation was necessary to unify everyone and keep all citizens on the same page regarding the government and laws therein. On the other hand, you had the Non-Federalists who believed that government would work best when scaled down to a local level and national authority be limited to better preserve individual liberties. In a compilation of letters and thoughts called the Anti-Federalist Papers, George Clinton, Robert Yates, Samuel Bryan collectively expressed the following sentiment of concern: “Compulsive or treacherous measures to establish any government whatever, will always excite jealousy among a free people: better remain single and alone, than blindly adopt whatever a few individuals shall demand, be they ever so wise. I had rather be a free citizen of the small republic of Massachusetts, than an oppressed subject of the great American empire.” All throughout America then, much as they are now, people were divided. It makes one wonder how discouraged our Founding Fathers must have been in hearing complaints and comments such as the one mentioned above. Still, they kept their faith that they could begin building a better, responsible, free nation that is the America we know today.

Final Ratification

Finally, on June 21, 1788, the state of New Hampshire became the ninth state to accept the Constitution as the ultimate authority of governance to maintain justice and reinforce God given liberties. From that point it would forever be regarded as the supreme law of the land. It is safe to say that our ancestors had no idea what a monumental time they were living in and how much they had truly changed the course of history for the better. It took some time, but once President George Washington began his term on March 4, 1789 and began carrying out his duties in establishing people to serve in the House and Senate as well as Judiciary positions, a new republic was forming that was stronger than any previous attempts at a free nation had ever been before.

Conclusion

Article 7 of the United States Constitution was the culmination of our forefathers’ great efforts in the incredibly long road to independence. Change is never easy but necessary for progress. Sure enough, before long they could see their vision of a democracy coming to fruition. A government of the people, by the people, and for the people was built upon the backs of men who were brave enough to stand up for what they knew was right. May we not forget these words spoken by Abraham Lincoln: “Don’t interfere with anything in the Constitution. That must be maintained, for it is the only safeguard of our liberties.” It is imperative that we as Americans remember how far it took to get to where we are now and think twice before attempting to change this text that is the Constitution to fit our own whims and ideals. For if we forsake our past, we are destined for disaster.