On this day in New York · July 26, 1788
New York Ratifies the Constitution, Barely
By three votes, at a convention where the opponents held the majority, New York became the eleventh state to join a union it could not afford to sit out.
The facts
- Date
- July 26, 1788
- Place
- The ratifying convention in Poughkeepsie
- Vote
- 30 to 27, the narrowest margin of any large state
- Result
- New York became the eleventh state to ratify
On July 26, 1788, at the state convention in Poughkeepsie, New York voted 30 to 27 to ratify the United States Constitution and became the eleventh state to join the union. It was the closest call among the large states. Antifederalists led by Governor George Clinton had arrived with a clear majority and deep distrust of a strong central government. Alexander Hamilton and John Jay argued the other way, and word that Virginia and New Hampshire had already ratified, along with a blunt threat that New York City might leave the state and join the union on its own, turned just enough votes. New York also sent out a circular letter calling for a second convention to add amendments.
In their words
The day in the words of the people who were there. Every quote is verbatim, and every source links out so you can check it.
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That all Power is originally vested in and consequently derived from the People, and that Government is instituted by them for their common Interest Protection and Security.
Ratification of the Constitution by the State of New York, adopted at Poughkeepsie, July 26, 1788
Source: Ratification of the Constitution by the State of New York, July 26, 1788 (Avalon Project, Yale Law School)
Why it still matters
Had New York refused, the new government would have been split around its most important port and its temporary capital. The state's demand for amendments fed into the Bill of Rights, and New York City served as the first capital under the Constitution the following spring.
Sources
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