This post is by Lee Ann Potter, director of Professional Learning and Outreach Initiatives at the Library of Congress.
In the September 2024 issue of Social Education, the journal of the National Council for the Social Studies, our “Sources and Strategies” article featured three woodcut illustrations, originally published in The Massachusetts Centinel between January and August 1788.
We suggested that analyzing these eighteenth-century images might encourage students to recall what a metaphor is, challenge them to explain what a visual metaphor might be, and ultimately, explain the ratification of the U.S. Constitution.
We shared information about how ratification happened. After it was signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787, the Constitution was sent to Congress in New York for consideration. Eleven days later, on September 28, Congress unanimously resolved to transmit it to the states for ratification as prescribed in Article VII.
Ratifying conventions in the states began as early as November 20, in Pennsylvania and December 3, in Delaware, with Delaware becoming the first state to ratify the Constitution just four days later, on December 7. Pennsylvania soon followed, ratifying on December 12. Next was New Jersey, ratifying on December 18. Fourth was Georgia on January 2, 1788, and fifth was Connecticut on January 9. That same day, the ratifying convention began in Massachusetts.
A week later, on January 16, The Massachusetts Centinel published the first of the three woodcut illustrations. As predicted by the rising pillar representing Massachusetts in the illustration, Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the Constitution, on February 6. Maryland became the seventh on April 28 and South Carolina became the eighth to ratify on May 23.
On June 11, The Massachusetts Centinel published the second of the illustrations. It suggested that the pillar representing Virginia would be the next to rise, followed by New Hampshire. In fact, New Hampshire was the next to ratify the Constitution, not Virginia, on June 21. As New Hampshire was the ninth state to ratify, the Constitution was to go into effect.
On June 25, Virginia did become the tenth state to ratify; and on July 26, New York became the eleventh. On August 2, 1788, The Massachusetts Centinel published the third woodcut illustration. It was correct in predicting that North Carolina would ratify next, which it did, but not until November 21, 1789—more than a year and three months later. And finally, on May 29, 1790, Rhode Island became the last of the thirteen states to ratify the Constitution.
Also in the article, we encouraged a class discussion about why pillars were used as metaphors for each state’s ratification in the illustrations, and we suggested inviting students to conduct additional research on the Constitution’s ratification, as well as The Massachusetts Centinel with its printer Benjamin Russell.
Finally, we shared a recently updated “Constitution of the United States: Primary Documents in American History” Library of Congress research guide that directs to the Library’s digital collections, external websites, and print materials related to the Constitution of the United States.
If the woodcuts did help your students better understand the ratification of the U.S. Constitution, we would love to hear about it!
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