Jonah Patel
The United States Constitution, the Declaration of Independence, and the Articles of Confederation are the three founding papers that have defined the rights of the American people for over two and a half centuries. The 55 delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787 are referred to as framers, but only 39 of them actually signed the Constitution. The Founding Fathers, who were not unified on the issue of slavery, included those who wrote and signed these papers, military personnel who fought in the American Revolutionary War, and others who played a significant role in the country's formation.
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What You'll Learn
55 delegates attended the convention, 39 signed
The United States Constitution, the country's second constitution, was drafted and signed by 39 delegates to the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. The Constitutional Convention was attended by 55 delegates, but only 39 signed the document. The delegates represented the original 13 states, except for Rhode Island, which did not send any delegates.
The 55 delegates to the convention included prominent figures such as George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton. The delegates ranged in age from 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton to 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin, who had to be carried to the sessions in a sedan chair due to his infirmity. Most of the delegates were landowners and comfortably wealthy, with more than half having trained as lawyers, although only about a quarter practised law as their main career.
The delegates who signed the Constitution are generally considered the Founding Fathers of the United States, along with those who signed the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. The Founding Fathers were not unified on issues such as slavery and religious liberties, and some of them, like Thomas Jefferson, were wary of centralised power and loyal to their individual states.
The creation of the Constitution was driven by concerns about the Articles of Confederation, which gave the Confederation Congress rule-making and funding powers but lacked enforcement powers and the ability to regulate commerce or print money. The Constitution established a powerful central government, with the Federalists arguing that a strong central government was necessary to address the nation's challenges. The Anti-Federalists, however, opposed the Constitution due to its resemblance to the centralised power they had recently overthrown and its lack of a bill of rights.
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The youngest was 26, the oldest 81
The United States Constitution is one of three documents that make up the Charters of Freedom, the others being the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. The Founding Fathers, the men who wrote and signed these documents, are considered the framers of the Constitution. The original states, except Rhode Island, collectively appointed 70 individuals to the Constitutional Convention, but only 55 delegates attended the sessions. Of these, only 39 actually signed the Constitution.
The framers of the Constitution came from a range of professions and educational backgrounds. More than half of the delegates had trained as lawyers, and about half had attended or graduated from college. Other professions included merchants, manufacturers, shippers, land speculators, bankers or financiers, physicians, a minister, and several small farmers. Most of the framers were landowners with substantial holdings, and most were comfortably wealthy. George Washington and Governor Morris were among the wealthiest men in the country.
The delegates ranged in age from 26 to 81. Jonathan Dayton, at 26, was the youngest signer of the Constitution. Benjamin Franklin, at 81, was the oldest. Franklin was so infirm that he had to be carried to the sessions in a sedan chair.
The Founding Fathers were not unified on the issue of slavery, and many of them were wealthy slave-owners. Some were morally opposed to slavery, and some attempted to end it in several colonies, but nationally, slavery remained protected.
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Federalists vs Anti-Federalists
The US Constitution, crafted in 1787, was signed by 39 framers. The delegates ranged in age from 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton to 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin. The Federalists and Anti-Federalists had differing views on the US Constitution.
The Federalists believed that a strong central government was necessary to face the nation's challenges. They were nationalists and played a crucial role in shaping the new US Constitution. They wanted to strengthen the national government, which the Anti-Federalists opposed, arguing that it would come at the expense of the states and the people.
The Anti-Federalists fought against the Constitution because it created a powerful central government that reminded them of the one they had overthrown during the Revolutionary War. They were concerned about centralized power and loyal to their individual states. The Anti-Federalists were against the ratification of the US Constitution and fought it at every state convention, as they lacked efficient organization across all thirteen states. However, they successfully forced the first Congress to establish a bill of rights to protect the liberties they felt were violated by the Constitution.
The Federalists, on the other hand, wanted to revise the existing government and ended up creating a new one. They included those who wrote and signed the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the US Constitution. They were also involved in the American Revolutionary War and played a significant role in the nation's formation. The Federalists needed to convert at least three states to their cause, and they achieved this, with the compromise of "vote now, amend later" playing a crucial role in their victory.
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The Articles of Confederation
The final draft of the Articles of Confederation was completed on November 15, 1777, and achieved consensus by guaranteeing that each state retained its sovereignty, leaving the matter of western land claims to individual states, and establishing a unicameral legislature with limited and clearly delineated powers. The document was submitted to the states for ratification in late November 1777, with Virginia becoming the first state to ratify on December 16, 1777. By February 1779, 12 states had ratified the Articles, with Maryland being the lone holdout, refusing to go along until other states ceded their claims to lands west of the Ohio River. Maryland finally ratified the Articles on February 2, 1781, and Congress was informed of its assent on March 1, officially proclaiming the Articles of Confederation to be the law of the land.
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The Founding Fathers
The single person most identified as a "Founding Father" is George Washington, a general in the American Revolution and the nation's first president. Other prominent Founding Fathers include John Adams, Benjamin Franklin, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, James Madison, and Thomas Jefferson.
In total, 55 delegates attended the Constitutional Convention sessions, but only 39 signed the Constitution. The delegates ranged in age from Jonathan Dayton, aged 26, to Benjamin Franklin, aged 81, who was so infirm that he had to be carried to sessions in a sedan chair.
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Frequently asked questions
39 framers signed the Constitution.
There were 55 framers in total.
The framers were delegates appointed by the original states to the Constitutional Convention.
The framers ranged in age from 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton to 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin.
More than half of the framers were trained lawyers. Other professions included merchants, manufacturers, shippers, bankers, physicians, and small farmers.
