Signing and ratification are two separate steps in making a Constitution or treaty official. On September 17, 1787, 39 delegates signed the Constitution in Philadelphia—but their signatures didn''t make it law. Signing just showed the delegates approved sending the document to the states. Ratification came next: at least nine of the 13 states had to hold special conventions and vote yes to activate the Constitution. Delaware ratified first on December 7, 1787. New Hampshire became the crucial ninth state on June 21, 1788, making the Constitution official. Virginia and New York followed, but North Carolina waited until November 1789 and Rhode Island held out until May 1790, more than a year after George Washington took office as President. The same pattern applies to treaties today: the President signs them, but the Senate must ratify with a two-thirds vote before they bind the United States. This split gives states or the Senate a chance to reject agreements their representatives negotiated.