What is Article Seven of the United States Constitution?
{{Wikisource|Constitution of the United States of America#Article VII|Article VII of the United States Constitution}} {{US Constitution article series}} '''Article Seven of the [[United States Constitution]]''' explains what needs to happen for the Constitution to be approved. It says that nine states need to [[ratification|ratify]] the Constitution before it takes effect. To ratify the Constitution, a special group in each state called a [[wikt:convention|Convention]] would have to approve the Constitution. ==Text== {{cquote|The Ratification of the Conventions of nine States, shall be [[wikt:sufficient|sufficient]] for the [[wikt:establishment|Establishment]] of this Constitution between the States so ratifying the Same.<ref>{{cite web|title=The Constitution of the United States: A Transcription|url=https://www.archives.gov/exhibits/charters/constitution_transcript.html|publisher=National Archives and Records Administration|location=Washington D.C. |access-date=March 13, 2016}}</ref>}} In Simple English, this means: The approval of nine states' Conventions will be enough to make this Constitution official in those states. ==Background== Before the United States Constitution was passed, the United States had another [[constitution]] called the [[Articles of Confederation]].<ref name=aoc/> These Articles made the United States into a [[wikt:confederation|confederation]]. The [[legislature]] of the confederation government was called the Congress of the Confederation.<ref name=aoc>{{cite web |url=http://www.law.ou.edu/ushistory/artconf.shtml |title=The Articles of Confederation |author=<!--Staff writer(s); no by-line.--> |website=College of Law: U.S. Historical Documents |publisher=University of Oklahoma |access-date=March 13, 2016 |archive-date=July 25, 2007 |archive-url=https://web.archive.org/web/20070725200756/http://www.law.ou.edu/ushistory/artconf.shtml |url-status=dead }}</ref> After a few years, the [[Founding Fathers of the United States|Founding Fathers]] decided the United States needed a new c