of all the states. Instead, Article VII called for approval by just nine of the 13 states. a two-thirds majority. Two factions soon emerged, one supporting the Constitution, the Federalists, and the other opposing it, the so-called Anti-Federalists. Over the ensuing months, the proposal was debated, criticized, and expounded upon clause by clause. In the state of New York, at the time a hotbed of anti-Federalism, three delegates from the Philadelphia Convention who were also members of the Congress—Hamilton, Madison, and Jay—published a series of commentaries, now known as The Federalist Papers, in support of ratification. Before the year's end, two state legislatures voted in favor of ratification. Delaware was first with a unanimous 30-0 vote and Pennsylvania second, approving the measure 46-23. As 1788 began, New Jersey and Georgia followed Delaware's lead with unanimous votes, but the outcome became less certain as leaders in key states such as Virginia, New York, and Massachusetts expressed concerns over the lack of protections for people's rights. Fearing the prospect of defeat, the Federalists relented, promising that if the Constitution was adopted, amendments would be added to secure individual liberties. With that, the anti-Federalists' position collapsed. On June 21, 1788, New Hampshire became the ninth state to ratify. Three months later, on September 17, Congress adopted the Constitution as the law of the land. It then passed resolutions setting dates for choosing the first senators and representatives, the first Wednesday of January (January 7, 1789); electing the first president, the first Wednesday of February (February 4); and officially starting the new government, the first Wednesday of March (March 4), when the first Congress would convene. As its final act, the Congress of Confederation agreed to purchase 10 square miles from Maryland and Virginia for establishing a permanent capital. Influences Enlightenment and Rule of law John LockeTwo Treatises of Governmentlife, liberty and property Several ideas in the constitution were new. These were associated with the combination of consolidated government along with federal relationships with constituent states. The Due Process Clause of the constitution was partly based on common law and on Magna Carta (1215), which had become a foundation of English liberty against arbitrary power wielded by a ruler. Among the most prominent political theorists of the late eighteenth century were William Blackstone, John Locke, and Montesquieu. Both the influence of Edward Coke and William Blackstone were evident at the convention. In his Institutes