Isabella Carter
Oliver Ellsworth (1745-1807) was a Founding Father of the United States, attorney, jurist, politician, and diplomat. He played a significant role in shaping the US Constitution, serving as a delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention and helping to draft the document. Ellsworth also authored the Connecticut Compromise, which addressed representation in Congress. Despite his involvement in the Constitution's creation, Ellsworth did not sign the final document. He left the Convention early, returning to his state to attend to judicial duties, but he actively supported the Constitution's ratification and was elected as one of Connecticut's first senators.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Did Oliver Ellsworth sign the Constitution? | No, he left the convention before the final document was signed. |
| Role in the Constitution | Helped draft the Constitution, played a role in the Connecticut Compromise, and served on the Committee of Detail. |
| Political Affiliation | Federalist Party |
| Profession | Founding Father, Attorney, Jurist, Politician, and Diplomat |
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What You'll Learn
Oliver Ellsworth's role in the Committee of Detail
Oliver Ellsworth was a Founding Father of the United States, attorney, jurist, politician, and diplomat. He was born in 1745 in Windsor, Connecticut, and attended the College of New Jersey (now Princeton) before becoming an attorney.
Ellsworth played a significant role in the creation of the US Constitution. Notably, he served on the Committee of Detail, which was responsible for drafting the first version of the Constitution. This committee, which included James Wilson, John Rutledge, Edmund Randolph, and Nathaniel Gorham, worked from July 26 to August 6, 1787, to prepare the initial draft based on resolutions passed by the Convention. Although Ellsworth did not remain until the end of the Convention and did not sign the final document, he actively promoted its ratification. He also played a crucial role in ensuring Connecticut's ratification of the Constitution and was later elected as one of the state's first senators.
As a member of the Committee of Detail, Ellsworth's influence can be seen in the Connecticut Compromise, which he proposed along with Roger Sherman. This compromise addressed the representation of states in the federal legislature, with the upper house having equal representation from each state and the lower house representation based on population. This agreement was pivotal in reconciling the interests of more and less populous states and became a cornerstone of the US federal system.
In addition to his work on the Committee of Detail, Ellsworth left a lasting impact on the US judiciary. He was the chief author of the Judiciary Act of 1789, which established the structure of the federal court system and empowered the Supreme Court to overturn state supreme court decisions contrary to the US Constitution. Ellsworth's role in shaping the judiciary extended to his defence of the Constitution's prohibition of religious tests for federal offices, ensuring religious liberty.
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Ellsworth's absence during the signing of the Constitution
Oliver Ellsworth (1745–1807) was a Founding Father of the United States, an attorney, jurist, politician, and diplomat. He was a framer of the United States Constitution, a delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, and a U.S. Senator from Connecticut.
Although Ellsworth played a significant role in shaping the Constitution, he was notably absent during the final signing of the document. Ellsworth left the Convention near the end of August 1787, before the delegates signed the Constitution. He returned to his state to attend to his judicial duties, but he remained supportive of the document.
Ellsworth's contributions to the Constitution were significant. He served on the Committee of Detail, which prepared the first draft of the Constitution based on resolutions passed by the Convention. The Committee of Detail, which included Ellsworth and four other members, completed its task during a break in the Convention deliberations from July 26 to August 6, 1787.
In addition to his work on the Committee of Detail, Ellsworth was also involved in crafting the Connecticut Compromise. This compromise resolved a critical debate between the large and small states over representation in Congress, providing for equal state representation in the U.S. Senate and representation in the U.S. House of Representatives based on population. Ellsworth's influence was crucial in ensuring that Connecticut ratified the Constitution.
Despite his absence during the final signing, Ellsworth actively promoted the Constitution's ratification. He wrote the "Letters of a Landholder" to encourage support for the document and played a dominant role in Connecticut's 1788 ratification convention. Ellsworth's efforts helped secure the adoption of the Constitution and established him as a key figure in the founding of the United States.
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Ellsworth's support for the document during ratification debates
Oliver Ellsworth did not sign the US Constitution, as he left the 1787 Philadelphia Convention near the end of August before the document was finalised. However, Ellsworth was a framer of the Constitution and played a role in the document's drafting process. He was a member of the Committee of Detail, which prepared the first draft of the Constitution, and he helped fashion the Connecticut Compromise, which resolved a critical debate between more and less populous states over representation in Congress. Ellsworth also served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and worked on many of its committees.
During the ratification debates, Ellsworth supported the document and was a leader among the Federalist Party members in the Senate. He wrote the "Letters of a Landholder" to promote its ratification and played a dominant role in Connecticut's 1788 ratification convention, emphasising that judicial review guaranteed federal sovereignty. Ellsworth also played a role in the adoption of the First Amendment and other provisions within the Bill of Rights. He argued that a bill of rights was unnecessary because the Constitution had not granted Congress any powers that would threaten the people's liberties.
Ellsworth was a strong advocate for the federal judiciary and the Supreme Court's power to overturn state supreme court decisions that were contrary to the Constitution. He was the chief author of the Judiciary Act of 1789, which provided a blueprint for the federal courts system that remains in modified form today. This act effectively supplemented Article III in the Constitution by establishing a hierarchical arrangement among state and federal courts.
In addition to his role in shaping the judiciary, Ellsworth defended the constitution's prohibition of religious tests for federal offices as a way to ensure religious liberty. He argued for freedom of conscience while still believing that governments had the power to prohibit "immoralities, impieties, profane swearing, blasphemy, and professed atheism". Ellsworth's influence was key in ensuring that Connecticut ratified the Constitution, and he was elected as one of the state's inaugural senators, serving from 1789 to 1796.
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His role in Connecticut's 1788 ratification convention
Oliver Ellsworth was a Founding Father of the United States, an attorney, jurist, politician, and diplomat. He played a significant role in Connecticut's 1788 ratification convention, which took place on January 4, 1788, in Hartford.
In his address to the convention, Ellsworth emphasised the importance of judicial review in guaranteeing federal sovereignty. He argued that the Union was necessary for mutual defence against external threats and for maintaining peace and favourable economic conditions among the states. Ellsworth's influence at the convention helped ensure that Connecticut ratified the Constitution, making it the fifth state to do so.
Ellsworth also served on the Committee of Detail, which was responsible for drafting the first version of the Constitution. However, he left the convention before its conclusion and did not sign the final document. Instead, he wrote the "Letters of a Landholder" to encourage its ratification.
Ellsworth's role in the ratification convention was consistent with his broader support for federal sovereignty and his alignment with the Federalist Party. He played a key part in shaping the Connecticut Compromise, which aimed to balance the interests of more and less populous states. This compromise resulted in the two-house legislative system that remains in place today.
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Ellsworth's defence of the constitution's prohibition of religious tests
Oliver Ellsworth, a Founding Father of the United States, attorney, jurist, politician, and diplomat, played a significant role in shaping the US Constitution. He served on the Committee of Detail, which prepared the first draft of the Constitution, and was a leader among the Federalist Party members in the Senate. Notably, Ellsworth defended the Constitution's prohibition of religious tests for federal offices, which was a controversial stance at the time.
In his writings, including the widely circulated "Letters of a Landholder," Ellsworth strongly advocated for the ban on religious tests, arguing that it was necessary to prevent religious persecution and secure religious liberty. He believed that requiring religious tests for public office would lead to discrimination and persecution, as had been seen in Europe during the Enlightenment. Ellsworth asserted that the civil power had a responsibility to interfere in matters of religion to prohibit and punish "gross immoralities and impieties." However, he also recognised the importance of freedom of conscience and argued against religious persecution.
During the Connecticut ratifying convention, Ellsworth and "Landholder" challenged William Williams, a Connecticut merchant and signer of the Declaration of Independence, who lamented the absence of a direct acknowledgment of God in the Constitution. Williams accused supporters of the Article VI prohibition of religious tests of engaging in a straw man fallacy, assuming that any American religious test would be as abusive as English religious tests. In response, Ellsworth and "Landholder" attacked Williams for his apparent support for religious tests and for invoking God's name in the Constitution.
While Ellsworth did not sign the final document, his influence was significant. He played a crucial role in Connecticut's ratification of the Constitution and was later elected as one of the state's inaugural senators. Ellsworth's contributions to the Connecticut Compromise and the Judiciary Act of 1789 also shaped the federal judiciary of the United States and established the Supreme Court's power to overturn state supreme court decisions contrary to the Constitution.
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Frequently asked questions
No, he did not.
Ellsworth left the convention near the end of August to return to his state and attend to his judicial duties.
Yes, Ellsworth was a framer of the US Constitution and served on the Committee of Detail, which prepared the first draft of the Constitution.
Along with four other members, Ellsworth helped prepare the first draft of the Constitution based on resolutions that had already been passed by the Convention.
Ellsworth supported the document during ratification debates and was a leader among the Federalist Party members in the Senate. He also wrote the Letters of a Landholder to promote its ratification.
