The Convention Timeline

This timeline is a companion to the Main Timeline on this site. While that timeline attempts to put world and national events into some chronological perspective, this timeline intends to get into the details of the Constitutional Convention and the ratification process. A list of members of various committees is also available as are Madison's Notes.

Dates are of format YYYY/MM/DD DDD (year, month, day, day of the week).

1786/08/29 Tue - Shays' Rebellion begins
1786/09/11 Mon - Annapolis Convention convenes
1786/09/14 Thu - Annapolis Convention adjourns, calling for a convention to take place the following May 2nd
1787/02/03 Sat - Shays' Rebellion ends
1787/02/21 Wed - Congress approves a convention to amend the Articles
1787/05/03 Thu - James Madison arrives early for Convention
1787/05/13 Sun - George Washington arrives for Convention
1787/05/14 Mon - Convention scheduled to open - postponed

1787/05/25 Fri - Constitutional Convention opens
1787/05/29 Tue - Edmund Randolph presents the Virginia Plan
1787/05/29 Tue - Charles Pinckney presents his plan
1787/05/31 Thu - Representation debated
1787/06/01 Fri - Executive power debated
1787/06/02 Sat - Debate on executive salaries
1787/06/04 Mon - Unitary v. Committee Executive debated
1787/06/06 Wed - Method for selection of representatives debated
1787/06/07 Thu - Method for selection of senators debated
1787/06/11 Mon - Roger Sherman proposes the Great Compromise
1787/06/15 Fri - William Paterson proposes the New Jersey Plan
1787/06/18 Mon - Alexander Hamilton proposes the British Plan
1787/06/21 Thu - Federalism debated
1787/06/26 Tue - Senatorial terms debated
1787/06/28 Thu - Debate on state suffrage in the Senate starts
1787/07/17 Tue - Debate on term of executive
1787/07/21 Sat - Debate on appointment of judges
1787/07/23 Mon - Method of ratification discussed
1787/07/23 Mon - Committee of Detail established
1787/07/26 Thu - Committee of Detail begins to meet
1787/08/06 Mon - Committee of Detail submits rough draft of Constitution
1787/08/07 Tue - Suffrage qualifications discussed
1787/08/09 Thu - Citizenship for immigrants debated
1787/08/15 Wed - Executive Veto Power debated
1787/08/21 Tue - Slavery in the Constitution debated
1787/08/31 Fri - Issues referred to Committee of Eleven
1787/09/04 Tue - Committee of Eleven begins to submit changes
1787/09/04 Tue - Powers of the President debated
1787/09/07 Fri - Committee of Eleven submits final changes
1787/09/10 Mon - Amendment procedure debated
1787/09/08 Sat - Committee of Style established
1787/09/12 Wed - Committee of Style submits draft
1787/09/12 Wed - Inclusion of a Bill of Rights debated
1787/09/15 Sat - Final draft ordered engrossed (written)
1787/09/17 Mon - Final draft of the Constitution signed

1787/09/19 Wed - Constitution is published in the Pennsylvania Packet
1787/09/28 Fri - Congress approves the Constitution and sends it to the states
1787/10/05 Fri - First Centinel Anti-Federalist letter published
1787/10/27 Sat - First Federalist Paper is published
1787/12/07 Fri - Delaware ratifies
1787/12/12 Wed - Pennsylvania ratifies
1787/12/18 Tue - New Jersey ratifies
1788/01/02 Wed - Georgia ratifies
1788/01/09 Wed - Connecticut ratifies
1788/02/06 Wed - Massachusetts ratifies
1788/03/24 Mon - Rhode Island referendum rejects Constitution
1788/04/28 Mon - Maryland ratifies
1788/05/23 Fri - South Carolina ratifies
1788/05/28 Wed - The Federalist published (Federalist Papers 1-85)
1788/06/21 Sat - New Hampshire ratifies
1788/06/21 Sat - Constitution Ratified
1788/06/25 Wed - Virginia ratifies
1788/07/02 Wed - Congress is informed the Constitution has been ratified
1788/07/26 Sat - New York ratifies
1788/09/13 Sat - Congress votes to begin a new government on the following March 4
1789/03/04 Wed - The Constitution goes into effect
1789/11/21 Sat - North Carolina ratifies
1790/05/29 Sat - Rhode Island ratifies