We the People: Celebrating Constitution Day

On September 17, 1787, the final draft of the Constitution was signed by 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention. The Convention started on May 25, 1787, with vigorous debate about what a new constitution should contain, what powers should remain with the states, and what a federal government would like in a republic. Most delegates did not arrive intending to draft a new constitution. Once the convention began, however, most of the delegates—though not all—came to agree in general terms that the goal would be a new system of government, not simply a revised version of the failed Articles of Confederation.

The debate between what became known as the Federalists vs. the Antifederalists were heated.

The differences between the Federalists and the Antifederalists are vast and at times complex. Federalists’ beliefs could be better described as nationalist. The Federalists were instrumental in 1787 in shaping the new US Constitution, which strengthened the national government at the expense, according to the Antifederalists, of the states and the people. The Antifederalists opposed the ratification of the US Constitution, but they never organized efficiently across all thirteen states, and so had to fight the ratification at every state convention. Their great success was in forcing the first Congress under the new Constitution to establish a bill of rights to ensure the liberties that the Antifederalists felt the Constitution violated (Gilder Lehrman Institute of American History).

As we celebrate Constitution Day in 2026, amid the 250th anniversary of the founding of the United States, check out these titles that discuss the difficult conversations and debates that made the Constitution the law of the land in 1788.

While we continue celebrating the 250th Anniversary of the founding of the United States, check out your Toledo Library for programs, book lists, film screenings, and more!