Founding1787
Congress Sends Constitution to States
The Confederation Congress voted to transmit the newly drafted Constitution to the state legislatures for ratification by specially elected conventions. The resolution did not endorse or oppose the document, leaving the decision to the people through their state conventions.
Why It Matters
By sending the Constitution to the people through ratifying conventions rather than state legislatures, Congress honored the principle that legitimate government derives its authority from the consent of the governed.