1/6 On this date in 1789, North Carolina ratified the U.S. Constitution and joined the reconstituted American union as the 12th state. During the ratification debates of 1788, NC was the only state to hold a convention and then decide not to ratify the new constitution. #ncpol

2/6 NC's main objection was the lack of a bill of rights, as many state constitutions had, to protect against the misuse of government power. Pro-constitution delegates argued that the checks, balances, and enumeration of powers in the original document were sufficient. #ncpol

3/6 North Carolinians, an ornery lot with a particular hatred for the abuses of royal governors, didn't buy this argument. Only after the U.S. Bill of Rights was headed towards approval as the first 10 amendments to the federal constitution did NC relent & ratify the doc. #ncpol

4/6 By the way, one of my favorite history questions to ask of students is: Which candidate did North Carolina vote for in the country's first presidential election? They assume the answer must be George Washington. But the correct answer is no one. #ncpol

5/6 North Carolina wasn't in the constitutional union in 1788. Neither was Rhode Island. And New York, while eligible to participate, failed to pick presidential electors for the Electoral College due to a deadlock in its state legislature (yeah, I know, irony abounds). #ncpol

6/6 So George Washington won the 1788 election with 69 electoral votes from nine states. John Adams was elected vice president with 34 electoral votes. I often recount North Carolina’s role in pressing for the Bill of Rights. When it comes to govt power, ornery is good. #ncpol