December 18
New Jersey Ratifies U.S. Constitution
New Jersey’s swift and unanimous approval made it the third state to endorse the proposed federal Constitution, bolstering the drive toward the nine ratifications needed to launch a stronger national government.
Summary
In the wake of the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, where delegates had drafted a new framework for American government to replace the weak Articles of Confederation, the states began the ratification process. New Jersey's legislature quickly called a state convention, and on December 18, 1787, delegates gathered in Trenton unanimously approved the document after brief deliberations. This made New Jersey the third state to ratify, following Delaware and Pennsylvania, providing crucial momentum toward the required nine states for the Constitution to take effect. Key figures including John Stevens as convention president and delegates from across the counties endorsed the strong federal structure with its separation of powers and checks and balances. The swift action reflected New Jersey's position as a small state benefiting from the proposed equal Senate representation.
Context
By 1787 the Articles of Confederation had proven inadequate for managing national finances, commerce, and defense, prompting calls for reform that culminated in the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. That body, which met from May through September, produced a new framework featuring a stronger Congress, an independent executive, and a federal judiciary, while resolving the contentious issue of state representation by granting equal votes in the Senate to every state regardless of population. Small states such as New Jersey had championed this equal-senate provision during the convention and therefore viewed the finished document favorably once it reached them for consideration.
What Happened
On 29 October 1787 the New Jersey legislature unanimously resolved to submit the Constitution to a specially elected state convention and set elections for the fourth Tuesday in November. Voters in each county chose three delegates, who assembled in Trenton on the second Tuesday in December. After several days of deliberation the convention, presided over by John Stevens of Hunterdon County and attested by secretary Samuel W. Stockton, voted unanimously on 18 December 1787 to ratify the Constitution and every article thereof on behalf of the people of New Jersey.
Aftermath
The Trenton ratification added immediate momentum to the national process; within weeks Georgia and Connecticut followed, and by the summer of 1788 the required nine states had approved the document. New Jersey’s early action helped reassure other small states that their interests would be protected under the new frame of government.
Legacy
New Jersey’s ratification illustrated how the Constitutional Convention’s compromises on representation secured the support of smaller states and contributed to the Constitution’s ultimate adoption. The precedent of popular election of delegates to a state convention for ratification later influenced the amendment procedures outlined in Article V and remains a model for state-level consideration of constitutional changes.
Why It Matters
New Jersey's ratification helped build the coalition of states needed to launch the federal government in 1789, solidifying the shift from a loose confederation to a unified republic. It influenced subsequent ratifications and established precedents for state conventions that remain part of the amendment process today.
Related Questions
Why did New Jersey ratify so quickly?
As a small state, New Jersey strongly favored the Constitution’s equal representation in the Senate and therefore encountered little opposition once the document reached Trenton.
Who presided over New Jersey’s ratifying convention?
John Stevens of Hunterdon County served as president; Samuel W. Stockton acted as secretary.
How many states had ratified before New Jersey?
Two—Delaware on 7 December and Pennsylvania on 12 December 1787—making New Jersey the third.
Where did the New Jersey convention meet?
The delegates gathered in Trenton, the designated site under the legislature’s October resolutions.
What happened after New Jersey’s vote?
The ratification added momentum; Georgia ratified days later, and the required nine states had approved the Constitution by June 1788.
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Sources
- Ratification of the Constitution by the State of New Jersey; December 18, 1787, Avalon Project, Yale Law School. Accessed 2026-07-08.