September 17, 2020: On September 17, 1787,—233 years ago today—the Constitution of the United States was signed by delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia.[1]

“From the outset, delegates clashed over issues of state sovereignty while small and large states battled over the distribution of power.”[1] The Library of Congress reports that “Fears of creating a too powerful central authority ran high. The Convention tackled basic issues including the essential structure of the government, the basis of representation, and the regulation of interstate trade.”[1]

The discussion continued long after the document was signed. It took nine months before the document was ratified by the states. And, less than two years after the initial document was completed, 10 major amendments were added to the initial document. These became known as the Bill of Rights.[1] ​​​​

Each weekday, Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day explores interesting and newsworthy topics at the intersection of culture, politics, and technology. Columns published on Ballotpedia reflect the views of the author.

Was this email forwarded to you? Click here to subscribe to Scott Rasmussen’s Number of the Day.