Omar Bennett
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 55 delegates who attended the convention, only 39 endorsed the Constitution. The remaining 16 delegates either dropped out or did not sign the document. The signatures were grouped by state, with the listing of states arranged from north to south. The endorsement included a declaration that the delegates' work had been completed and that those who signed the document agreed with its final form.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | September 17, 1787 |
| Location | Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Number of delegates | 55 |
| Number of delegates who signed | 39 |
| Number of states represented | 12 |
| States not represented | Rhode Island |
| Oldest delegate | Benjamin Franklin, aged 81 |
| Youngest delegate | Jonathan Dayton, aged 26 |
| First to sign | George Washington |
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What You'll Learn
Only 39 of the 55 delegates signed the US Constitution
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 55 delegates in attendance, only 39 endorsed the Constitution. The remaining 13 dropped out, either due to personal reasons or in protest of decisions made during the convention.
The signing of the US Constitution was the culmination of a four-month-long convention, with delegates representing 12 states (all except Rhode Island, which did not send any delegates). The document was crafted to meet the immediate needs of the 13 states and approximately four million people they represented.
Benjamin Franklin, at 81 years old, summed up the sentiments of those who did sign:
> "There are several parts of this Constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them."
He accepted the Constitution, adding:
> "because I expect no better and because I am not sure that it is not the best".
The endorsement of the Constitution included signatures, a declaration of the delegates' completed work, and a statement of the document's adoption by the states present. The signatures were grouped by state, arranged geographically from north to south.
The delegates who signed the Constitution represented a cross-section of 18th-century American leadership, with experience in local, colonial, or state government. Virtually all of them had participated in the American Revolution, with at least 29 serving in the Continental forces, most of them in command positions.
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The signing took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania
The signing of the United States Constitution took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 17, 1787. The location was significant as it was decided that the convention would be held in Philadelphia, with the sole purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation. The signing occurred at Independence Hall, which was then known as the Pennsylvania State House.
Independence Hall in Philadelphia holds great historical importance as the meeting place of Congress. The hall witnessed the creation of the Constitution, a document that laid the framework for the nation's federal government and defined the functioning of its three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial.
Fifty-five delegates participated in the Constitutional Convention, representing twelve of the thirteen original states. Rhode Island was the only state that refused to send delegates. Of the fifty-five attendees, only thirty-nine delegates, representing twelve states, endorsed the Constitution with their signatures.
The signatures were grouped by state, progressing from north to south. The signing began with President George Washington, followed by the delegates from the other states. The youngest signer was Jonathan Dayton, aged 26, while Benjamin Franklin, aged 81, was the oldest.
The signing of the Constitution marked the culmination of a four-month-long convention, intense debates, and revisions. The delegates' endorsement included a declaration of successful completion and a statement of adoption by the states present. The convention's secretary, William Jackson, added a note verifying four hand-written amendments and signed to authenticate the document's validity.
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The signing occurred on September 17, 1787
The signing of the United States Constitution occurred on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This event marked the culmination of a four-month-long Constitutional Convention, which began on May 25, 1787. The Constitution was created to address the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation, which established the first national government but lacked the power to effectively govern and protect the sovereignty of the states.
Of the 70 individuals appointed by the original states to attend the convention, only 55 delegates participated, with 13 dropping out for various reasons. Of those 55 delegates, only 39 actually signed the Constitution. The delegates who signed the document represented 12 states, as Rhode Island declined to send any delegates. The signatures were grouped by state, arranged geographically from north to south.
The signing of the Constitution was a significant moment in American history, as it laid out the framework for the nation's federal government and delineated the functions of its three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The delegates who signed the Constitution represented a diverse cross-section of 18th-century American leadership, with experience in local, colonial, and state governments. Many had also taken part in the American Revolution, with at least 29 having served in the Continental forces.
The youngest delegate to sign the Constitution was Jonathan Dayton, aged 26, while the oldest was Benjamin Franklin, aged 81, who had to be carried to the sessions in a sedan chair due to his infirmity. Franklin summed up the sentiments of those who signed the document, acknowledging its imperfections but accepting it as the best option at the time. The signing of the Constitution set in motion a series of debates and ratifications that ultimately led to the establishment of the new government in March 1789.
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The signatures were grouped by states, from north to south
The signatures on the United States Constitution were grouped by states, from north to south. The signing took place on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, when 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, representing 12 states, endorsed the Constitution. Rhode Island was the only state that did not send any delegates to the convention.
The signatures were arranged geographically, with the listing of states ordered from north to south. The signing of the Constitution was the culmination of a four-month-long convention, and the delegates' endorsement included a declaration that their work had been successfully completed and that they subscribed to the final document.
The signatures were not just a formality but carried significant weight. By signing, the delegates were witnessing their consent to the document as individuals, rather than on behalf of their respective states. This was an important distinction from the Articles of Confederation, where delegates signed on the part of particular states.
The signatures also served as documentation of the Constitution's validity and a statement of agreement. The signing order, from north to south, further emphasised the unity and agreement among the states, presenting a front of unanimous consent.
The signatures were preceded by the formula, "Done in convention by the unanimous consent of the states present," which was devised to ensure the action of the Convention appeared unanimous, even if some delegates had reservations about the final product.
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Some delegates had reservations but signed anyway
The signing of the United States Constitution took place on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Out of the 55 delegates who participated in the convention, only 39 endorsed the Constitution. Some delegates had reservations about the final document but signed anyway, anticipating vigorous debates within their states. Benjamin Franklin, the oldest signer at 81, summed up the sentiments of those who had doubts but still signed, saying, "There are several parts of this Constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them." He accepted the Constitution because he "expected no better" option and was unsure if a better alternative existed.
The signing of the Constitution was the culmination of a four-month-long convention, with delegates working to create a constitution that would meet the immediate needs of the 12 states (all except Rhode Island, which did not send delegates) and their approximately four million inhabitants. The delegates hoped that the Constitution would last at least a generation. The document they produced expanded the power of the central government while protecting the prerogatives of the states.
The delegates who signed despite their reservations did so to present a united front, using the formula, "Done in convention by the unanimous consent of the states present." This was intended to make the action of the convention appear unanimous, even though not all delegates agreed with the final product. Those who had criticisms preferred the decentralised nature of the Articles of Confederation as a check on the power of the central government.
Three delegates, Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, George Mason of Virginia, and Randolph, refused to sign the Constitution. Their critics, dubbed "Anti-Federalists," engaged in a ten-month debate about the benefits of a new Constitution. By June 1788, the requisite nine states had ratified the Constitution as the law of the land, and the Confederation Congress announced that the new government would begin in March 1789.
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Frequently asked questions
No, not all 55 delegates signed the US Constitution. Only 39 delegates signed the Constitution, with 12 of the 13 states being represented. Rhode Island did not send any delegates to the convention.
George Washington, as president of the Convention, was the first to sign the US Constitution.
James Madison was the last signer of the US Constitution to die, in June 1836.
The age of the signers of the US Constitution ranged from 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton to 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin.
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