George Brown
By George Brown

Last week we celebrated the 238th anniversary of the Declaration of Independence. It is fitting that we do so, but I sometimes wonder whether several other dates in the early history of our Nation should also be remembered and commemorated with as much fervor. Notably, these are October 17, 1881; September 3, 1783; September 17, 1787; and July 26, 1788. If the events that occurred on these dates don’t readily come to mind, read on.

When our forefathers declared independence from Great Britain they viewed the colonies they represented as 13 independent sovereign states, loosely held together by Articles of Confederation. The concept of a national federal government with a constitution that called for the establishment of two houses of congress, a “supreme” court, and an elected president had not yet been conceived (except, as history buffs might argue, in the mind of Alexander Hamilton.) Twelve long years of fighting, negotiating, and debating would pass before our forefathers would transform their confederation of states into a united national government.

Doing so would require a multitude of miracles. The first of these is the amazing story of a rag-tag army of farmers and shopkeepers following a reluctant Commander-in-Chief through 5 years of depravation and near starvation to defeat a nation that possessed the most powerful well equipped army and naval force of the day. George Washington and his troops were constantly on the run. They lost more battles than they won. Yet, miraculously, they won the war. And so we come to the first historic date, October 17, 1781, which marks Washington’s improbable victory over Cornwallis at Yorktown.

This victory would not have occurred had it not been for the arguably miraculous diplomatic efforts of two extraordinary Americans – the elite, articulate, sophisticated country gentleman, Thomas Jefferson, and his counterpart, the bespectacled, witty, suave, coonskin cap wearing Benjamin Franklin. Each man in his own unique way played a role in swaying the French government to side with the American patriots, making possible Washington’s victory at Yorktown. But this victory only ended the fighting. It did not end the war. Two more years would pass before Great Britain would officially acknowledge America’s independence by signing the Treaty of Paris on September 3, 1783. On this second forgotten date the 13 colonies officially gained their independence but there was still much work to be done.

By the spring of 1787 most of the governors and legislators of the various states had come to realize some form of centralized governance was needed. Without elaboration, there was a recognizable need to better regulate foreign trade and commerce between the states. Some also saw a need for a well-regulated militia to defend against all enemies, whether foreign or domestic.

So it was that a convention to discuss these and possibly other matters was convened in late May, 1787. We are inclined to picture our forefathers arriving in Philadelphia that summer as congenial friends prepared to hammer out a new constitution within two or three weeks. Nothing could be further from the truth. It was only by considerable (miraculous) maneuvering by those who saw the need for a strong central government that a convention was held at all. Mistrust (i.e., a fear of centralized power) ran so high among the states that Rhode Island refused to send delegates, and several state legislatures gave their delegates instructions to only discuss modifications to the Articles of Confederation, and explicitly forbade them from participating in debate about a constitution to form a central government.

It was an especially hot summer in Philadelphia which seemed appropriate to the occasion as debate raged and tempers flared in the sequestered (windows sealed for secrecy) meeting hall from early June until mid-September. Then, on September 17, 1787 another miracle occurred, as delegates from 12 states (Rhode Island was absent) took quill in hand and signed a draft Constitution of the United States. This accomplishment was indeed a miracle, but one more miracle was needed. This Constitution would not become law unless ratified by at least 11 of the 13 states.

On December 7, 1787 Delaware, by unanimous vote, became the first to ratify the Constitution. By early January four more states, Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut, had followed Delaware’s lead, voting unanimously or by large margins in favor of ratification. But this smooth sailing ended in Massachusetts. The delegates voted for ratification, but with only 187 (53%) voting yea, and 168 (47%) voting nay. Similarly close votes occurred in Virginia, New Hampshire and New York.

Delegates to the various state legislatures were influenced by persuasive patriot orators like Patrick Henry, Samuel Adams, and Thomas Paine, all of whom spoke forcefully against ratification; but on July 26, 1788 the final miracle occurred when New York became the 11th state to ratify the Constitution, albeit by a margin of only 3 votes. In November North Carolina voted for ratification, leaving Rhode Island as the lone holdout until, more by embarrassment than good intent, the state legislature voted for ratification by a 2 vote margin in May 1789.

On July 4, 1788, Doctor Benjamin Rush (a signer of the Declaration of Independence 12 years earlier) anticipated New York’s upcoming vote as he declared to a friend, “Tis done, we have become a nation.”

Twelve years of fighting, negotiating, and debating had come to an end. With this time of miracles behind them, the newly established congress acted quickly to implement the Constitution, and on April 30, 1789 George Washington took the oath of office as the first President of these United States.

No, I don’t expect you to remember these other important dates in our Nation’s history, but I hope you’ll agree it is good to reflect upon them from time to time.

George Brown is a freelance writer. He lives in Jackson Township with his wife Yvonne.