Appendix
Table 2.  The Possibility of Federalist Minority Amendment:
Amendment by Amendment

11th Amdt	12th Amdt	13th Amdt	14th Amdt	15th Amdt	16th Amdt
17th Amdt	18th Amdt	19th Amdt	20th Amdt	21st Amdt	22nd Amdt
23rd Amdt	24th Amdt	25th Amdt	26th Amdt	ERA

This table shows exactly which states comprised the adopting supermajority for each of the adopted constitutional amendments, and which states comprised the unavailing supermajority for the Equal Rights Amendment. I have determined the population of the "ratifying set" of states, and its percentage of the national population.

The sign "(rec)" after a state, indicates that the state voted to rescind its ratification. The sign "(rec)(rec)" indicates that it voted to rescind its rescission. Because rescissions have not traditionally been recognized, I have not subtracted rescinding states from the set of ratifying states. They are noted for readers who wish to calculate the effect of granting validity to rescissions or who merely wish to see the frequency of rescission.

The words "3/4 attained" after a state indicate which state's vote sufficed to put the amendment over the threshold of three-fourths of the states. The reader may thus see which states comprised the "first 3/4" of the states to ratify. Typically, states continued to vote for (rarely against) ratification after the requisite three-fourths supermajority was attained. Moreover, the Secretary of State or the Administrator of General Services commonly delayed the announcement of an amendmente's validity as law, most likely to verify recent votes. The proclamation was usually not given immediately upon the attainment of the "first 3/4," but only after a few other states had ratified.

The states listed under the rubric "no action" neither ratified nor rejected the amendment in question. They are listed here in descending order by population.

There are three ways to measure the "ratifying set" of states. Rather than favor one and exclude the others, I have included each:

• Population 1:  the states comprising the "first 3/4," or the smallest number of states needed for ratification, counting consecutively from the first state to ratify;
• Population 2:  the states that had ratified by the time of the proclamation of validity;
• Population 3:  all the states that eventually ratified.

I have compared each of the population figures calculated is compared to the total population of the states then eligible to vote on amendments. This comparison tells us whether any amendment received only the ratifying votes of states representing a minority of the national population. Calculating such "totals" requires selecting a census year. I have usually selected the first prior census year; although when an amendment was ratified late in a decade, I have given the figures for both the first prior and the first succeeding census years. When the first prior census year is used, one must add to it the populations of the states admitted to the union between that census year and the year of ratification. (The year of proposal is not used, because newly admitted states are eligible to vote on amendments pending at the time of their admission.) As in Table 1, all population figures are expressed in thousands.

A summary of the data precedes the table. More complete summaries appear in the main text.

The sequences of ratifying states used here are taken from the United States Constitution (proposals and ratifications) of the United States Code (1982). The interested reader may also find there the exact dates of each state's votes of ratification. Note that different authorities list the sequence of ratifying states, and even the dates of ratification, differently. Apparently, the discrepancies are due to disagreement on what precise act constitutes ratification. For this reason I have preferred the "official" data in the U.S. Code, knowing that in law the official and the real do not necessarily coincide.

Summary of Table 2

Although the potential for a minority to amend the constitution has existed in sixteen of the twenty decades of the existence of the United States (see Table 1), that potential has never actualized. No amendment has been adopted by states representing only a minority of the national population, regardless which of the three methods is used to calculate the size of the ratifying set of states. In fact, each amendment has been adopted by states representing a significant supermajority of the national population. The amendments receiving the smallest and largest percentages of popular consent, measured by the populations of the ratifying states, are as follows. (The averages refer only to amendments adopted after the Bill of Rights.)

• Population 1 (states in the first 3/4)
  • Smallest:  eighteenth amendment (1920 data) = 62.51%
  • Largest:  twentieth amendment = 88.68%
  • Average:  79.56%
• Population 2 (states ratifying at proclamation)
  • Smallest:  eighteenth amendment (1910 data) = 67.76%
  • Largest:  twentieth amendment = 97.47%
  • Average:  82.62%
• Population 3 (all states eventually ratifying)
  • Smallest:  twenty-fourth amendment = 80.42%
  • Largest:  fourteenth and twentieth amendments = 100%
  • Average:  89.12%

Eleventh Amendment

The following states voted to ratify the Eleventh Amendment, in this order:

1. NY
2. RI
3. CT
4. NH
5. MA
6. VT
7. VA
8. GA
9. KY
10. MD
11. DE
12. NC  3/4 attained
13. SC
    Proclamation

Rejected:  none

No Action:  PA, NJ, [TN]*

Accounted for:  15 states (complete)

The Eleventh Amendment was proposed in 1794 and ratified in 1798 (exact dates in Table 1). Using the 1790 census data, the total population of the states eligible to vote on amendments in 1794 (the 1790 total from Table 1 plus the 1790 populations of Rhode Island, Vermont, and Kentucky) was 3,742.

• Population 1 = 2,875 = 76.83 %
• Population 2 = 3,124 = 83.48 %
• Population 3 = Population 2

*Note. Tennessee was admitted to the Union before the ratification year, 1798, but was not listed in the United States Code as among the states acting on the Eleventh Amendment.

Twelfth Amendment

The following states voted to ratify the Twelfth Amendment, in this order:

1. NC
2. MD
3. KY
4. OH
5. PA
6. VT
7. VA
8. NY
9. NJ
10. RI
11. SC
12. GA
13. NH  3/4 attained
14. TN
    Proclamation

Rejected:  DE, MA, CT

No Action:  none

Accounted for: 17 states (complete)

The Twelfth Amendment was proposed in 1803 and ratified in 1804 (exact dates in Table 1). Using 1800 census data, the total population of the states eligible to vote on amendments in 1803 (the 1800 total from Table 1 plus the 1800 population of Ohio) was 31,154.

• Population 1 = 4,212 = 82.81 %
• Population 2 = 4,318 = 84.90 %
• Population 3 = Population 2

Thirteenth Amendment

The following states voted to ratify the Thirteenth Amendment, in this order:

1. IL
2. RI
3. MI
4. MD
5. NY
6. PA
7. WV
8. MO
9. ME
10. KS
11. MA
12. VA
13. OH
14. IN
15. NV
16. LA
17. MN
18. WI
19. VT
20. TN
21. AR
22. CT
23. NH
24. SC
25. AL
26. NC
27. GA  3/4 attained
28. OR
    Proclamation
29. CA
30. FL
31. IA
32. NJ
33. TX
34. DE
35. KY

Rejected:  MS

No Action:  none

Accounted for: 36 states (complete)

The Thirteenth Amendment was proposed in 1865 and ratified in 1865 (exact dates in Table 1). Using 1860 census data, the total population of the states eligible to vote on amendments in 1865 (the 1860 total from Table 1 plus the 1860 populations of Kansas, West Virginia, and Nevada) was 31,154.

• Population 1 = 27,363 = 87.83 %
• Population 2 = 27.415 = 88.00 %
• Population 3 = 30,363 = 97.46 %

Fourteenth Amendment

The following states voted to ratify the Fourteenth Amendment, in this order:

1. CT
2. NH
3. TN
4. NJ  (rec)
5. OR  (rec)
6. VT
7. OH  (rec)
8. NY
9. KS
10. IL
11. WV
12. MI
13. MN
14. ME
15. NV
16. IN
17. MO
18. RI
19. WI
20. PA
21. MA
22. NE
23. IA
24. AR
25. FL
26. NC
27. LA
28. SC  3/4 attained
29. AL
30. GA
    Proclamation
31. VA
32. MS
33. TX
34. DE
35. MD
36. CA
37. KY

Rejected:  none

No Action:  none

Accounted for: 37 states (complete)

The Fourteenth Amendment was proposed in 1866 and ratified in 1868 (exact dates in Table 1). Using 1860 census data, the total population of the states eligible to vote on amendments in 1868 (the 1860 total from Table 1 plus the 1860 populations of Kansas, West Virginia, Nevada, and Nebraska) was 31,183.

• Population 1 = 24,212 = 77.64 %
• Population 2 = 26,233 = 84.13 %
• Population 3 = 31,183 = 100 %

Fifteenth Amendment

The following states voted to ratify the Fifteenth Amendment, in this order:

1. NV
2. WV
3. IL
4. LA
5. NC
6. MI
7. WI
8. ME
9. MA
10. AR
11. SC
12. PA
13. NY  (rec)(rec)
14. IN
15. CT
16. FL
17. NH
18. VA
19. VT
20. MO
21. MN
22. MS
23. RI
24. KS
25. OH
26. GA
27. IA  3/4 attained
28. NE
29. TX
    Proclamation
30. NJ
31. DE
32. OR
33. CA
34. KY

Rejected:  TN, MD

No Action:  AL

Accounted for:  37 states (complete)

The Fifteenth Amendment was proposed in 1869 and ratified in 1870 (exact dates in Table 1). Using 1870 census data, the total population of the states eligible to vote on amendments in 1870 (the 1870 total from Table 1) was 38,115.

• Population 1 = 31,133 = 81.68 %
• Population 2 = 32,075 = 84.15 %
• Population 3 = 35,078 = 92.03 %

Sixteenth Amendment

The following states voted to ratify the Sixteenth Amendment, in this order:

1. AL
2. KY
3. SC
4. IL
5. MS
6. OK
7. MD
8. GA
9. TX
10. OH
11. ID
12. OR
13. WA
14. MT
15. IN
16. CA
17. NV
18. SD
19. NE
20. NC
21. CO
22. ND
23. KS
24. MI
25. IA
26. MO
27. ME
28. TN
29. AR
30. WI
31. NY
32. AZ
33. MN
34. LA
35. WV
36. NM  3/4 attained
37. MA
38. NH
    Proclamation

Rejected:  CT, RI, UT

No Action:  PA, NJ, VA, FL, VT, DE, WY

Accounted for:  48 states (complete)

The Sixteenth Amendment was proposed in 1909 and ratified in 1913 (exact dates in Table 1). Using 1910 census data, the total population of the states eligible to vote on amendments in 1913 (the 1910 total from Table 1 plus the 1910 populations of New Mexico and Arizona) was 91,941.

• Population 1 = 72,310 = 78.65 %
• Population 2 = 76,107 = 82.78 %
• Population 3 = Population 2

Seventeenth Amendment

The following states voted to ratify the Seventeenth Amendment, in this order:

1. MA
2. AZ
3. MN
4. NY
5. KS
6. OR
7. NC
8. CA
9. MI
10. IA
11. MT
12. ID
13. WV
14. CO
15. NV
16. TX
17. WA
18. WY
19. AR
20. ME
21. IL
22. ND
23. WI
24. IN
25. NH
26. VT
27. SD
28. OK
29. OH
30. MO
31. NM
32. NE
33. NJ
34. TN
35. PA
36. CT  3/4 attained
    Proclamation
37. LA

Rejected:  UT

No Action:  GA, KY, AL, VA, MS, SC, MD, FL, RI, DE

Accounted for:  48 states (complete)

The Seventeenth Amendment was proposed in 1912 and ratified in 1913 (exact dates in Table 1). Using 1910 census data, the total population of the states eligible to vote on amendments in 1913 (the l910 total from Table 1 plus the 1910 populations of New Mexico and Arizona) was 91,941.

• Population 1 = 74,708 = 81.26 %
• Population 2 = Population 1
• Population 3 = 76,364 = 83.06 %

Eighteenth Amendment

The following states voted to ratify the Eighteenth Amendment, in this order:

1. MS
2. VA
3. KY
4. ND
5. SC
6. MD
7. MT
8. TX
9. DE
10. SD
11. MA
12. AZ
13. GA
14. LA
15. FL
16. MI
17. OH
18. OK
19. ID
20. ME
21. WV
22. CA
23. TN
24. WA
25. AR
26. KS
27. AL
28. CO
29. IA
30. NH
31. OR
32. NE
33. NC
34. UT
35. MO
36. WY  3/4 attained
37. MN
38. WI
39. NM
40. NV
41. NY
    Proclamation
42. VT
43. PA
44. CT
45. NJ

Rejected:  RI

No Action:  IL, IN

Accounted for:  48 states (complete)

The Eighteenth Amendment was proposed in 1917 and ratified in 1919 (exact dates in Table 1). Using l910 census data, the total population of the states eligible to vote on amendments in 1919 (the 1910 total from Table 1 plus the 1910 populations of New Mexico and Arizona) was 91,941.

• Population 1 = 57,479 = 62.52 %
• Population 2 = 62,298 = 67.76 %
• Population 3 = 74,271 = 80.78 %

Using 1920 census data, the total population of the same set of states was 105,270.

• Population 1 = 65,801 = 62.51 %
• Population 2 = 81,642 = 77.55 %
• Population 3 = 95,251 = 90.48 %

Nineteenth Amendment

The following states voted to ratify the Nineteenth Amendment, in this order:

1. IL
2. MI
3. WI
4. KS
5. NY
6. OH
7. PA
8. MA
9. TX
10. IA
11. MO
12. AR
13. MT
14. NE
15. MN
16. NH
17. UT
18. CA
19. ME
20. ND
21. SD
22. CO
23. KY
24. RI
25. OR
26. IN
27. WY
28. NV
29. NJ
30. ID
31. AZ
32. NM
33. OK
34. WV
35. WA
36. TN  3/4 attained
    Proclamation
37. CT
38. VT
39. MD
40. VA
41. AL
42. FL
43. SC
44. GA
45. LA
46. NC

Rejected:  MS, DE

No Action:  none

Accounted for:  48 states (complete)

The Nineteenth Amendment was proposed in 1919 and ratified in 1920 (exact dates in Table 1). Using 1920 census data, the total population of the states eligible to vote on amendments in 1920 (the 1920 total from Table 1) was 105,270.

• Population 1 = 85,510 = 81.23 %
• Population 2 = Population 1
• Population 3 = 103,256 = 98.09 %

Twentieth Amendment

The following states voted to ratify the Twentieth Amendment, in this order:

1. VA
2. NY
3. MS
4. AR
5. KY
6. NJ
7. SC
8. MI
9. ME
10. RI
11. IL
12. LA
13. WV
14. PA
15. IN
16. TX
17. AL
18. CA
19. NC
20. ND
21. MN
22. AZ
23. MT
24. NE
25. OK
26. KS
27. OR
28. DE
29. WA
30. WY
31. IA
32. SD
33. TN
34. ID
35. NM
36. GA
37. MO
38. OH
39. UT  3/4 attained
40. MA
41. WI
42. CO
43. NV
44. CT
45. NH
46. VT
    Proclamation
47. MD
48. FL

Rejected:  none

No Action:  none

Accounted for: 48 states (complete)

The Twentieth Amendment was proposed in 1932 and ratified in 1933 (exact dates in Table 1). Using 1930 census data, the total population of the states eligible to vote on amendments in 1933 (the 1930 total from Table 1) was 122,290.

• Population 1 = 108,442 = 88.68 %
• Population 2 = 119,190 = 97.47 %
• Population 3 = 122,290 = 100 %

Twenty-First Amendment

The following states voted to ratify the Twenty-First Amendment, in this order:

1. MI
2. WI
3. RI
4. WY
5. NJ
6. DE
7. IN
8. MA
9. NY
10. IL
11. IA
12. CT
13. NH
14. CA
15. WV
16. AR
17. OR
18. AL
19. TN
20. MO
21. AZ
22. NV
23. VT
24. CO
25. WA
26. MN
27. ID
28. MD
29. VA
30. NM
31. FL
32. TX
33. KY
34. OH
35. PA
36. UT  3/4 attained
    Proclamation
37. ME
38. MT

Rejected:  SC

No Action:  NC, GA, OK, LA, MS, KS, NE, SD, ND

Accounted for:  48 states (complete)

The Twenty-First Amendment was proposed in 1932 and ratified in 1933 (exact dates in Table 1). Using 1930 census data, the total population of the states eligible to vote on amendments in 1933 (the 1930 total from Table 1) was 122,290.

• Population 1 = 101,996 = 83.41 %
• Population 2 = Population 1
• Population 3 = 103,331 = 84.50 %

Twenty-Second Amendment

The following states voted to ratify the Twenty-Second Amendment, in this order:

1. ME
2. MI
3. IA
4. KS
5. NH
6. DE
7. IL
8. OR
9. CO
10. CA
11. NJ
12. VT
13. OH
14. WI
15. PA
16. CT
17. MO
18. NE
19. VA
20. MS
21. NY
22. SD
23. ND
24. LA
25. MT
26. IN
27. ID
28. NM
29. WY
30. AR
31. GA
32. TN
33. TX
34. NV
35. UT
36. MN  3/4 attained
37. NC
    Proclamation
38. SC
39. MD
40. FL
41. AL

Rejected:  OK, MA

No Action:  KY, WA, WV, RI, AZ

Accounted for: 48 states (complete)

The Twenty-Second Amendment was proposed in 1947 and ratified in 1951 (exact dates in Table 1). Using 1950 census data, the total poplation of the states eligible to vote on amendments in 1951 (the 1950 total from Table 1) was 149,899.

• Population 1 = 119,748 = 79.89 %
• Population 2 = 123,810 = 82.60 %
• Population 3 = 134,103 = 89.46 %

Twenty-Third Amendment

The following states voted to ratify the Twenty-Third Amendment, in this order.

1. HA
2. MA
3. NJ
4. NY
5. CA
6. OR
7. MD
8. ID
9. ME
10. MN
11. NM
12. NV
13. MT
14. SD
15. CO
16. WA
17. WV
18. AK
19. WY
20. DE
21. UT
22. WI
23. PA
24. IN
25. ND
26. TN
27. MI
28. CT
29. AZ
30. IL
31. NE
32. VT
33. IA
34. MO
35. OK
36. RI
37. KS
38. OH  3/4 attained
39. NH  (rec)(rec)*
    Proclamation

Rejected:  AR

No Action:  TX, FL, NC, VA, GA, AL, LA, KY, SC, MS

Accounted for:  50 states (complete)

The Twenty-Third Amendment was proposed in 1960 and ratified in 1961 (exact dates in Table 1). Using 1960 census data, the total population of the states eligible to vote on amendments in 1961 (the 1960 total from Table 1) was 178,612.

• Population 1 = 135,705 = 75.98 %
• Population 2 = Population 1
• Population 3 = Population 1

*Note. Technically, New Hampshire did not rescind its prior rescission, but merely voted to ratify after voting to rescind an earlier ratification.

Twenty-Fourth Amendment

The following states voted to ratify the Twenty-Fourth Amendment, in this order:

1. IL
2. NJ
3. OR
4. MT
5. WV
6. NY
7. MD
8. CA
9. AK
10. RI
11. IN
12. UT
13. MI
14. CO
15. OH
16. MN
17. NM
18. HA
19. ND
20. ID
21. WA
22. VT
23. NV
24. CT
25. TN
26. PA
27. WI
28. KS
29. MA
30. NE
31. FL
32. IA
33. DE
34. MO
35. NH
36. KY
37. ME
38. SD  3/4 attained
39. VA
    Proclamation

Rejected:  MS

No Action:  TX, NC, GA, AL, LA, SC, OK, AR, AZ, WY

Accounted for:  50 states (complete)

The Twenty-Fourth Amendment was proposed in 1962 and ratified in 1964 (exact dates in Table 1). Using 1960 census data, the total population of the states eligible to vote on amendments in 1964 (the 1960 total from Table 1) was 178,612.

• Population 1 = 139,681 = 78.20 %
• Population 2 = 143,648 = 80.42 %
• Population 3 = Population 2

Twenty-Fifth Amendment

The following states voted to ratify the Twenty-Fifth Amendment, in this order:

1. NE
2. WI
3. OK
4. MA
5. PA
6. KY
7. AZ
8. MI
9. IN
10. CA
11. AR
12. NJ
13. DE
14. UT
15. WV
16. ME
17. RI
18. CO
19. NM
20. KS
21. VT
22. AK
23. ID
24. HA
25. VA
26. MS
27. NY
28. MD
29. MO
30. NH
31. LA
32. TN
33. WY
34. WA
35. IA
36. OR
37. MN
38. NV  3/4 attained
39. CT
40. MT
    Proclamation
41. SD
42. OH
43. AL
44. NC
45. IL
46. TX
47. FL

Rejected:  none

No Action:  GA, SC, ND

Accounted for:  50 states (complete)

The Twenty-Fifth Amendment was proposed in 1965 and ratified in 1967 (exact dates in Table 1). Using 1960 census data, the total population of the states eligible to vote on amendments in 1967 (the 1960 total from Table 1) was 178,612.

• Population 1 = 125,621 = 70.33 %
• Population 2 = 128,831 = 72.13 %
• Population 3 = 171,654 = 96.10 %

Using 1970 census data, the total population of the same set of states was 202,455.

• Population 1 = 141,986 = 70.13 %
• Population 2 = 145,712 = 71.97 %
• Population 3 = 194,656 = 96.15 %

Twenty-Sixth Amendment

The following states voted to ratify the Twenty-Sixth Amendment, in this order:

1. CT
2. DE
3. MN
4. TN
5. WA
6. HA
7. MA
8. MT
9. AR
10. ID
11. IA
12. NE
13. NJ
14. KS
15. MI
16. AK
17. MD
18. IN
19. ME
20. VT
21. LA
22. CA
23. CO
24. PA
25. TX
26. SC
27. WV
28. NH
29. AZ
30. RI
31. NY
32. OR
33. MO
34. WI
35. IL
36. AL
37. OH
38. NC  3/4 attained
39. OK
    Proclamation
40. VA
41. WY
42. GA

Rejected:  none

No Action:  FL, KY, MS, UT, NM, SD, ND, NV

Accounted for:  50 states (complete)

The Twenty-Sixth Amendment was proposed in 1971 and ratified in 1971 (exact dates in Table 1). Using 1970 census data, the total population of the states eligible to vote on amendments in 1971 (the 1970 total from Table 1) was 202,455.

• Population 1 = 174,253 = 86.07 %
• Population 2 = 176,812 = 87.33 %
• Population 3 = 186,382 = 92.06 %

Equal Rights Amendment

Although I have not treated the other defeated amendment proposals in this table, I make an exception for the ERA. Because the ERA has been proposed in Congress regularly since its expiration, though not yet sent back to the states for ratification, the data on its first trial by the states may interest its proponents and opponents. The following states voted to ratify the Equal Rights Amendment, in this order:

1. HA
2. DE
3. NH
4. ID  (rec)
5. IA
6. KS
7. NE  (rec)
8. TX
9. TN  (rec)
10. AK
11. RI
12. NJ
13. CO
14. WV
15. WI
16. NY
17. MI
18. MD
19. MA
20. KY
21. PA
22. CA
23. WY
24. SD
25. OR
26. MN
27. NM
28. VT
29. CT
30. WA
31. ME
32. MT
33. OH
34. ND
35. IN
36. x
37. x
38. x  needed to attain 3/4

The Equal Rights Amendment was proposed in 1972 (exact date in Table 1) and expired after a three year renewal on June 30, l982. Using 1980 census data, the total population of the states eligible to vote on amendments on l982 (the 1980 total from Table 1) was 225,870.

The population of the states that had ratified by the time of expiration was:

• not counting rescissions = 158,401 = 70.13 %
• counting rescissions = 151,295 = 69.02 %

Using 1970 census data the same populations were:

• not counting rescissions = 145,861 = 72.05 %
• counting rescissions = 139,741 = 69.02 %

Return to the article of which this is an appendix. Or go to Table 1, Table 3, or Table 4 of the appendix.

Peter Suber, Department of Philosophy, Earlham College, Richmond, Indiana, 47374, U.S.A.
peters@earlham.edu. Copyright © 1987, Peter Suber.