In celebration of the gifts of Article V and the Constitution, let's call North Carolina “First in Amendments”! And keep that spirit alive through the COS movement.

Happy Article V Day on September 15th, and Happy Constitution Day on September 17th! These dates signify gifts to us from the framers of our Constitution. Let us celebrate our history like a birthday or other significant milestone. Article V describes how the Constitution is amended by one of two methods: either amendments proposed by Congress, or those proposed by the People through their State Legislatures. Often, the latter catalyze Congress to step up and act, and propose an amendment. In North Carolina, we recognize these gifts as well as our pioneering and catalyzing efforts in freedom, individual liberties and rights, and related amendments. One could argue that in addition to "First in Flight" and "First in Freedom", North Carolina could claim it is “First in Amendments”. ===== First in Amendments and the Bill of Rights ===== The original Constitution that was sent for ratification to the states did not have a Bill of Rights. These later became the first ten amendments which we treasure, admire, and uphold today. James Madison was initially opposed to specifying such rights as redundant to the limited and enumerated federal powers, with all other powers being reserved to the states and to the People. Always learning and taking input, he described state ratification debates as crucial to understanding the nature of the new Constitution and its relationship with the People and states. The lack of specific, delineated rights and liberties to states and the People was very troubling to the citizens of North Carolina. After eleven days of debate during the first ratification meeting at the Hillsborough Convention from July 21 to August 4 of 1788, delegates chose neither to ratify nor reject the document. It became very clear that “the Constitution would not be ratified in North Carolina until a Bill of Rights was added. By a vote of 184 to 83, North Carolina decided not to ratify or reject the Constitution and provided a list of rights and suggested amendments for Americans.” (1) North Carolina was the first state that did not ratify the Constitution in a state convention. It acted as a leader and First in Amendments, impacting what became the First Ten Amendments in the Bill of Rights. Initially, five states ratified without a Bill of Rights. Six more states ratified conditionally that one would be added later, under what became known as the Massachusetts Compromise. One of those was New Hampshire, which became the ninth state to ratify on June 21, 1788. Thus, the Constitution was adopted and the Union formed per Article VII's nine state requirement, without a Bill of Rights, and before the Hillsborough Convention. ===== North Carolina and Rhode Island Stand Alone ===== North Carolina and Rhode Island resisted. Previously, in 1787, Rhode Island was the only state that refused to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention. Rhode Island held a nonbinding, advisory referendum to gauge public sentiment and interest in the Constitution in March of 1788. It failed by a 10-1 margin due to Antifederalist votes. However, Federalists boycotted the referendum. Rhode Island convened its first formal state ratifying convention two years later, in March of 1790, after its state legislature rejected thirteen attempts to call one. North Carolina remained out of the Union because of the absence of a Bill of Rights. Citizens feared the national government might encroach on individual liberties and those of the States. Rhode Island resisted largely due to concerns about centralized power and the Constitution's impact on economic practices (like issuing paper money). A second North Carolina ratifying convention was held in Fayetteville from November 16-21, 1789. George Washington had been elected President. Congress had been catalyzed to act, responding to pressure from North Carolina and six states in the Massachusetts Compromise. They proposed a Bill of Rights to be added to the Constitution as the first amendments and sent those to the states for ratification on September 25, 1789. Initially opposed, James Madison championed this through the First Congress. He had learned and changed his mind due to the state ratifying debates. North Carolina ratified the Constitution on November 21, 1789, only after the Bill of Rights was sent to the states for ratification. North Carolina was the first state to ratify the Constitution with the Bill of Rights connected and in full view, with ratification in progress. It was the twelfth state to join the Union but remained skeptical of federal government power as it had from the beginning. (2) Rhode Island was the last of thirteen to join, finally convening in March of 1790, and ratifying on May 29th. ===== Article V Applications Catalyze Congress ===== Since then, Congress has responded to pressures to propose other amendments, and North Carolina (along with other states) catalyzed many of those as well. The state-initiated Article V process begins when a state legislature listens to the will of the people, and introduces & passes an application to call a Convention of States, for a specific purpose and subject. Setting aside the implicit “application” or plea inherent in the Hillsborough Convention of 1788 mentioned above, North Carolina has made six explicit Applications under Article V:	Application Sequence	Year Passed	Subject		1	1901	Direct election of senators		2	1907	Direct election of senators, plenary		3	1949	World federal government		4	1965	Apportionment		5	1979	Balanced budget		6	2024	Congressional term limits	The Six Applications from North Carolina, of the 451 (as of Sept. 2025) from all States listed in  The Article V Library The first two catalyzed the 17th Amendment which is a cautionary tale. Those and all six applications from North Carolina will be explored in future blog articles describing what was going on at the time, the origin and genesis of the application and proposed amendment, and why people of The Old North State were vocal and in active support. That's too much to take up here and each deserves full focus. ===== Remaining Vocal and Active in Constraining Federal Power ===== North Carolina's history of being vocal and active in constraining federal government power is alive and well today! Note the two most recent applications in the table above. Those align with the Convention of States (COS) movement, which is the largest and growing grassroots movement in North Carolina. We the People seek to pass another application to propose constitutional amendments that constrain and reduce federal power by imposing fiscal restraints on the federal government, limits on its power and jurisdiction, and term limits for its officials and for members of Congress (3). Doing so will restore liberties, rights, and decision-making to all states and to the people who are sovereign in our constitutional republic. North Carolinians know best what we need–not some distant bureaucrat in DC deciding for us of whom we remain skeptical, and for good reason. We should remain skeptical and true to our history. It's extremely unlikely that Congress will ever propose amendments that limit its own power and the federal government's size, scope, and jurisdiction. That's why we must act! ===== Sign the Petition and Get Involved ===== Please sign the petition (click the link) to express your support! And register to volunteer today (click the link) to keep the spirit of First in Amendments alive and well in North Carolina. If you're already a volunteer, be a catalyst for constitutional change by citizens: contact your State Senator and persuade them to act and advance the COS resolution, HJR 379. In liberty and decentralized self-governance, Peter Spung COS NC District Captain for HD 41 and State Content Writer / SCC Team