Omar Bennett
The US Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, established the office of the President of the United States. Of the 70 delegates chosen as representatives to the Constitutional Convention, only 39 signed the document. Interestingly, only two of the 39 signatories would go on to serve as president: George Washington, who was president at the time of the signing, and James Madison, who would become the fourth president.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of delegates chosen | 70 |
| Number of delegates who attended | 55 |
| Number of delegates who signed | 39 |
| Number of delegates who refused to sign | 3 |
| Youngest signer | Jonathan Dayton (26) |
| Oldest signer | Benjamin Franklin (81) |
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What You'll Learn
39 delegates signed the US Constitution
The US Constitution, the most famous legal document in the world, was signed by 39 delegates. The signing took place on September 17, 1787, at the conclusion of the Constitutional Convention, which had begun in May of that year.
Seventy-four individuals were selected to attend the convention, but only 55 delegates participated, with 13 dropping out for personal reasons or in protest of decisions made during the proceedings. Of the 42 delegates who remained at the convention until its completion, 39 endorsed the constitution. The other three refused to sign, citing objections that would become central tenets of the Anti-Federalists.
The 39 signatories were all white men and property owners. They represented 12 of the 13 states that were present at the convention, with Rhode Island being the only state not to send any delegates. Pennsylvania had the most delegates sign the Constitution, with eight, or 20% of the total number of signatories. Interestingly, the small state of Delaware had the second most, with five delegates signing the document.
Of the 39 signatories, only two would go on to serve as President of the United States, which was established by the Constitution. George Washington, who was president of the convention and the first to sign the document, was president at the time of the signing. James Madison, considered the Father of the US Constitution, was the only delegate to attend every meeting and would go on to serve as the fourth president.
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70 individuals were selected to attend
The US Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, established the office of the President of the United States. Of the 70 individuals selected to attend the Constitutional Convention, only 55 delegates attended the majority of the meetings. There were never more than 46 delegates present at any one time.
Of the 42 delegates who remained until the end, 39 signed the Constitution. The signatories included John Dickinson, who was unwell and so authorised George Read to sign on his behalf. The convention's secretary, William Jackson, also signed the document to authenticate some corrections. George Washington, as president of the Convention, signed first, followed by the other delegates, grouped by states from north to south. Benjamin Franklin, at 81 years old, was the oldest signer, and Jonathan Dayton, at 26 years old, was the youngest.
James Madison was the only delegate to attend every meeting. His journal from the Constitutional Convention was kept secret until after his death and was finally published in 1840.
Three delegates, Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, George Mason of Virginia, and Edmund Randolph, did not sign the Constitution at all. Critics who shared the views of these delegates, dubbed "Anti-Federalists", preferred the decentralised nature of the Articles of Confederation as a check on the power of the central government.
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55 delegates attended the convention
The US Constitution is a document that established the office of the President of the United States and outlined how the government of the United States should operate. The signing of the US Constitution occurred on September 17, 1787, when 39 delegates endorsed the constitution. However, 55 delegates attended the convention.
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 was held in Philadelphia, with 70 delegates chosen as representatives. Of these, 55 attended the proceedings, and there were never more than 46 present at any one time. The convention culminated with the signing of the document, with 39 signatures.
The convention was convened to revise the Articles of Confederation, which established the first national government. However, it was recognised that the Articles needed significant revisions, as they failed to empower the central government to carry out essential functions. The Articles protected the sovereignty of the states, but the central government lacked the power to raise revenue or conduct diplomatic relations, and it could not effectively manage the western territories.
The delegates to the convention provided for the ratification of the Constitution by popularly elected ratifying conventions in each state. Due to suspicions that Rhode Island might not ratify, it was decided that the Constitution would come into effect as soon as nine states ratified. The remaining four states could then join the newly formed union by ratifying.
The convention's secretary, William Jackson, added a note to verify four amendments made by hand to the final document and signed it to authenticate its validity. Benjamin Franklin, at 81 the oldest delegate, delivered an address endorsing the Constitution and proposed that it be endorsed by the delegates as individual witnesses of the unanimous consent of the states present.
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12 of the 13 states were represented
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, by 39 delegates, all of whom were white men and property owners. The signing took place in Philadelphia, and 38 of the 41 delegates present became signatories. The remaining three, George Mason, Edmund Randolph, and Elbridge Gerry, refused to sign, anticipating vigorous debates within their states.
The Constitution was the culmination of the Constitutional Convention of 1787, which was convened to revise the Articles of Confederation. The Articles had established the first national government, but they failed to empower the central government to carry out essential functions, such as raising revenue or conducting diplomatic relations. The convention was attended by 70 delegates, chosen by their states, though only 55 attended the majority of the meetings, and there were never more than 46 present at any one time.
The convention began on May 25, 1787, with 12 of the 13 states represented. Rhode Island refused to participate, and only the Virginia and Pennsylvania delegations were present at the opening meeting. A quorum of seven states was met on May 25, and the convention's deliberations began. The delegates debated competing proposals from May to July 1787, with the large and small states disagreeing over the issue of representation in the first chamber of the legislature. The large states argued for proportional representation, while the small states wanted to preserve the equal vote they had under the Articles of Confederation.
The convention appointed a "Grand Committee" to resolve the disagreements, and this committee's report, known as the "Great Compromise" or the "Connecticut Compromise," proposed a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House and equal state representation in the Senate. This compromise resolved many contentious points and led to numerous other compromises. The delegates produced the document we now know as the Constitution, which expanded the power of the central government while protecting the prerogatives of the states.
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Three delegates refused to sign
The US Constitution was signed by 39 delegates, all of whom were white men and property owners. However, three delegates refused to sign the document. These were George Mason of Virginia, Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts, and Edmund Randolph. They withheld their signatures due to objections that would later become central tenets of the Anti-Federalists.
The Federal Convention of 1787, also known as the Constitutional Convention, was convened to revise the Articles of Confederation, which established the first national government. The Articles were deemed insufficient due to their failure to empower the central government to carry out essential functions, such as raising revenue or conducting diplomatic relations. Despite the importance of the Convention, several individuals did not accept or could not attend, including Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock.
Of the 70 delegates chosen as representatives, only 55 attended the proceedings in Philadelphia, and there were never more than 46 present at any one time. On September 17, 1787, the signing of the US Constitution took place, with 39 delegates endorsing the document. The youngest signer was Jonathan Dayton, at 26 years old, while the oldest was Benjamin Franklin, at 81, who had to be carried to sessions in a sedan chair due to infirmity.
The three delegates who refused to sign the Constitution did so based on their preference for the decentralised nature of the Articles of Confederation, which they saw as a necessary check on the power of the central government. Their stance aligned with the Anti-Federalists, who advocated for a more decentralised form of government. The refusal of these delegates to sign the document highlights the contentious nature of the Convention and the debates surrounding the role and powers of the central government.
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Frequently asked questions
39 people signed the US Constitution.
Yes, George Mason, Edmund Randolph, and Elbridge Gerry refused to sign.
The US Constitution was signed in 1787.
Pennsylvania, with 8 signatories.
