WI: Rhode Island and/or Virginia, North Carolina, New York Refuse to Ratify the US Constitution?

[CELTICEMPIRE]

Once 9 states ratified the Constitution, it went into affect. That occurred OTL in 1788 when New Hampshire ratified the Constitution. However, several states held out, including Rhode Island, which refused to ratify the Constitution until nearly two years later. In addition, there was significant opposition to the Constitution in Virginia. Could Virginia's rejection of the Constitution cause North Carolina and New York to reject it as well?

If these states refuse to ratify the Constitution, do they become independent? I'm particularly interested in the idea of Rhode Island becoming independent and staying independent.

 

[Don Corleone]

I would assume the non ratifying states remain under the Articles of Confederation.

RI would be less of a logistical problem. They have access to the ocean so they could (if they were the last holdout) be a small country surrounded on three sides by the US.

NY would split the US in half if it didn't ratify. VA and NC would cut off SC and GA from everyone else.

 

[CELTICEMPIRE]

I would assume the non ratifying states remain under the Articles of Confederation.

RI would be less of a logistical problem. They have access to the ocean so they could (if they were the last holdout) be a small country surrounded on three sides by the US.

NY would split the US in half if it didn't ratify. VA and NC would cut off SC and GA from everyone else.

I'm more wondering if Rhode Island can maintain it's independence from the US long term, especially if it's the only state not to ratify.

 

[Chris S]

I would assume the non ratifying states remain under the Articles of Confederation.

RI would be less of a logistical problem. They have access to the ocean so they could (if they were the last holdout) be a small country surrounded on three sides by the US.

NY would split the US in half if it didn't ratify. VA and NC would cut off SC and GA from everyone else.

Which would in essence give two countries called the United States of America I guess

 

[Daylight Savings]

Which would in essence give two countries called the United States of America I guess

Or a single non-contiguous country that would likely be far more militarized than OTL as they might need the need to contest those states' claims in the west, or prioritize the conquest of modern Ontario to provide a connection around New York. If it's just Rhode Island though it likely lives under separate laws for some period of time until eventually signing and joining after seeing the system by and large working and dealing with the anxiety and missed opportunities of being excluded from the federal system.