What’s on the Fifth Page of the Constitution?
Each time you step into the Rotunda of the National Archives, you’re guaranteed to see three documents: the Declaration of Independence, the Bill of Rights, and the original four-page U.S. Constitution.
But did you know that the National Archives is also home to the lesser-known fifth page of the U.S. Constitution, the one that follows the state delegations and signatures?
Because visitors to the National Archives Museum in Washington, D.C., can see this rare, one-of-a-kind display of the full Constitution for the next two weeks, we’re delving into the journey of this important document.
Immediately after the Constitution was drafted in Philadelphia in September 1787, the delegates signed it and sent it to Congress, which then forwarded it to the states, where specially appointed ratifying conventions decided whether to adopt it. This was a significant step in the establishment of the fledgling democracy because it set a precedent of consent. Later in our nation’s history, this very process continued playing a key role in the amendment process.
The resolutions outlined the process for adopting the new Constitution and bringing the newly established government to fruition. Rather than seeking approval from Congress and the 13 individual state legislatures, the resolution instructed states to hold special ratifying conventions composed of delegates chosen by the people in each state. Once nine states had ratified it, the new system of government would take effect in those states.
This launched an intense national debate between Federalists, who supported the new Constitution’s ratification, and Anti-Federalists, who opposed it. Federalists such as Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and George Washington argued that a stronger central government was necessary to maintain order, promote commerce, and secure the union. On the other side, Anti-Federalists like Patrick Henry, George Mason, and Samuel Adams feared that the proposed Constitution gave too much power to the federal government at the expense of the states and protections for individual liberties.
Through Founders Online, the National Archives makes the full text of the Federalist Papers, which argued the Federalists' viewpoints, freely available, along with the correspondence and writings that put them in context. Explore how Hamilton, Madison, and Jay defended the new Constitution and see the debates that defined the foundation of American government, all in one searchable resource.
Ultimately, the Anti-Federalists did not succeed in preventing the Constitution’s ratification, but their criticisms had a lasting impact. To address concerns about individual liberties and the balance of power between states and the federal government, the promise of a Bill of Rights became a key compromise during the ratification process. This gave opponents of the Constitution some assurance that personal freedoms would be explicitly protected under the new government. Overall, the approach laid out by the Resolutions of Transmittal was deliberately designed to root the government’s authority in the will of the people. As James Madison observed, without this resolution, the Constitution “was nothing more than the draft of a plan, nothing but a dead letter.”
These ever-significant Transmittal Resolutions have only been on public display once at the National Archives: in 2012 for the 225th anniversary of the Constitution. You can learn more about the conservation efforts in preparation for its 2012 display in this past edition of the Inside the Vaults YouTube series:
