3rd United States Congress
The Eleventh Amendment in the National Archives
Proposal and ratification
The Eleventh Amendment was proposed by the 3rd Congress on March 4, 1794, when it was approved by the House of Representatives by vote of 81–9,[3] having been previously passed by the Senate, 23–2, on January 14, 1794.[4] The amendment was ratified by the state legislatures of the following states:[5]
- New York: March 27, 1794
- Rhode Island: March 31, 1794
- Connecticut: May 8, 1794
- New Hampshire: June 16, 1794
- Massachusetts: June 26, 1794
- Vermont: November 9, 1794
- Virginia: November 18, 1794
- Georgia: November 29, 1794
- Kentucky: December 7, 1794
- Maryland: December 26, 1794
- Delaware: January 23, 1795
- North Carolina: February 7, 1795
There were fifteen states at the time; ratification by twelve added the Eleventh Amendment to the Constitution.[6] (South Carolina ratified it on December 4, 1797.)
Impact
The Eleventh Amendment in the National Archives
Almost exactly three years after its ratification, the U.S. Supreme Court decision in Hollingsworth v. Virginia, 3 U.S. 378 (1798) resulted in every pending action brought under Chisholm being dismissed due to the amendment's adoption.