The Debates in the State Ratifying Conventions, 1787-88
The states argue over the Constitution, day by day, 1787–1788
Jonathan Elliot's compilation of the debates in the state conventions that ratified — or nearly refused — the federal Constitution: Massachusetts, Pennsylvania, New York, Virginia, the Carolinas and more, recorded day by day as delegates argued over standing armies, taxation, slavery, and a bill of rights. Ask about the sessions themselves; every answer cites the day it draws on.
For questions it can compute, the answer is calculated from this shelf's records rather than inferred from a sample of passages. Other questions are answered from the passages themselves, quoted and cited.
- Records organized: not yet available
- Names and dates reviewed: not yet available
- Counts and comparisons: not yet available
- Checked against the records: not yet available
Questions that count, rank or group the days are declined here rather than estimated from a search.
What these marks mean
A check means ready on this shelf; a cross means not available yet.
Records organized. Each day separated out with its date and the people in it, so the collection could be counted and filtered rather than only searched.
Names and dates reviewed. A scholar has checked the names, places and dates the computed answers use, and those decisions are on the record.
Counts and comparisons. The desk counts, ranks and combines, and says so when a question asks for more than these records can support.
Checked against the records. Every computation is checked automatically against results taken straight from the collection.
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For researchers
“The Debates in the State Ratifying Conventions, 1787-88”, from the Online Library of Liberty. Ask the Records (Kevin Hegg, publisher), build 885, accessed 2026-09-14, https://asktherecords.fly.dev/shelves/elliots-debates. Reviewers’ flags are welcome — “Something look wrong?” under any answer — and each travels with the exact answer it concerns.