ion of the Assembly,
leaving that body two short of the necessary quorum for the transaction
of business. The excitement and indignation in the city were so great
that early the next morning a crowd gathered, dragged two of the
absentees from their lodgings to the State House, and held them firmly
in their places until the roll was called and a quorum counted, when the
House proceeded to order a State convention. As soon as the news of this
vote got out, the city gave itself up to celebrating the event by
the suspension of business, the ringing of church bells, and other
demonstrations. The elections were hotly contested, but the Federalists
were generally successful. The convention met towards the end of
November and, after three weeks of futile discussion, mainly upon
trivial matters and the meaning of words, ratified the Constitution on
the 12th of December, by a vote of forty-six to twenty-three. Again the
city of Philadelphia celebrated.

Pennsylvania was the first State to call a convention, but its final
action was anticipated by Delaware, where the State convention met and
ratified the Constitution by unanimous vote on the 7th of December. The
New Jersey convention spent only a week in discussion and then voted,
also unanimously, for ratification on the 18th of December. The next
State to ratify was Georgia, where the Constitution was approved without
a dissenting vote on January 2, 1788. Connecticut followed immediately
and, after a session of only five days, declared itself in favor of the
Constitution, on the 9th of January, by a vote of over three to one.

The results of the campaign for ratification thus far were most
gratifying to the Federalists, but the issue was not decided. With the
exception of Pennsylvania, the States which had acted were of lesser
importance, and, until Massachusetts, New York, and Virginia should
declare themselves, the outcome would be in doubt. The convention
of Massachusetts met on the same day that the Connecticut convention
adjourned. The sentiment of Boston, like that of Philadelphia, was
strongly Federalist; but the outlying districts, and in particular the
western part of the State, where Shays' Rebellion had broken out, were
to be counted in the opposition. There were 355 delegates who took part
in the Massachusetts convention, a larger number than was chosen in
any of the other States, and the majority seemed to be opposed to
ratification. The division was close, however