Omar Bennett
The United States Constitution was signed by 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, representing 12 states (all except Rhode Island, which did not send any delegates). Of these 39, all but seven were native to the thirteen colonies. One signer, Robert Morris, was born in England, making him the only signer born in Britain.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of signers of the US Constitution | 39 |
| Youngest signer | Jonathan Dayton, aged 26 |
| Oldest signer | Benjamin Franklin, aged 81 |
| First signer to die | Benjamin Franklin, in April 1790 |
| Last signer to die | James Madison, in June 1836 |
| Number of signers born outside the thirteen colonies | 7 |
| Signers born in the British Isles | Robert Morris (England), James Wilson (Scotland), Alexander Hamilton (West Indies, but of Scottish descent) |
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What You'll Learn
- Only 39 of the 55 delegates signed the US Constitution
- The signers were grouped by state, with states listed geographically
- The signers included both Catholic and non-Catholic members
- Many signers were loyal to the British crown during the Revolution
- The signers included both the youngest and oldest members of the convention
Only 39 of the 55 delegates signed the US Constitution
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, representing 12 states, endorsed the Constitution created during the four-month-long convention. The remaining state, Rhode Island, did not send any delegates to the convention.
In total, 55 delegates attended the sessions, but only 39 actually 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. Franklin delivered an address strongly endorsing the Constitution, hoping to gain the support of critics and create a sense of common accord.
The signing of the Constitution was the final step in a process that began in May 1787, when the delegates first met to discuss improvements to the Articles of Confederation. The delegates ultimately decided to create a new system of government, making decisions and compromises on issues such as how to elect a president, how the people could be fairly represented in Congress, and how slaves would factor into the population. This was accomplished in just over 100 days.
The Constitution was then sent to the states for ratification. The delegates' endorsement included a brief declaration that their work had been successfully completed and that those whose signatures appeared on it subscribed to the final document. The convention's secretary, William Jackson, added a note verifying four amendments made by hand to the final document and signed it.
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The signers were grouped by state, with states listed geographically
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 70 individuals appointed to the Constitutional Convention, 55 attended, but only 39 signed the Constitution. The signers' names are grouped by the 12 states they represented, listed geographically from north to south.
The states, along with the names of the delegates who signed the Constitution, are as follows:
- New Hampshire: John Langdon and Nicholas Gilman
- Massachusetts: Nathaniel Gorham, Rufus King, and Caleb Strong
- Connecticut: William Samuel Johnson and Roger Sherman
- New York: Alexander Hamilton, John Lansing Jr., and Robert Yates
- New Jersey: David Brearley, Jonathan Dayton, William Livingston, William Paterson, and William Churchill Houston
- Pennsylvania: Benjamin Franklin, George Clymer, Thomas FitzSimons, Jared Ingersoll, Thomas Mifflin, Gouverneur Morris, and Robert Morris
- Delaware: Richard Bassett, Gunning Bedford Jr., Jacob Broom, and John Dickinson
- Maryland: Daniel Carroll, Luther Martin, James McHenry, and Charles Carroll
- Virginia: John Blair, James Madison Jr., George Mason, James McClurg, and Edmund Randolph
- North Carolina: William Blount, William Richardson Davie, Alexander Martin, and Richard Dobbs Spaight
- South Carolina: Pierce Butler, Charles Cotesworth Pinckney, Charles Pinckney, and John Rutledge
- Georgia: Abraham Baldwin, William Few
It is worth noting that, while most of the signers were native to the 13 colonies, some were born in other parts of the world. Pierce Butler, Thomas Fitzsimons, James McHenry, and William Paterson were born in Ireland, Robert Morris in England, James Wilson in Scotland, and Alexander Hamilton in the West Indies.
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The signers included both Catholic and non-Catholic members
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 55 delegates from 12 states who met at the Constitutional Convention, 39 endorsed the Constitution.
The signers of the US Constitution included both Catholic and non-Catholic members. Daniel Carroll and Thomas FitzSimons were the only two Catholic signers of the Constitution. Carroll was a cousin to America's first bishop, John Carroll of Baltimore. Carroll was a key player in various efforts to bring about the revolution and helped secure Maryland's support for the Declaration of Independence. FitzSimons, a native of Ireland, was a Philadelphia merchant who later served in the US House from 1789 to 1795.
Many of the signers of the Constitution had British roots. For example, Pierce Butler was a former British Army officer who married into South Carolina wealth and had extensive plantations in Georgia and South Carolina. William Paterson, who introduced the concept of a unicameral legislature, was born in Ireland and immigrated to America as a child. Robert Morris was born in England, James Wilson in Scotland, and Alexander Hamilton in the West Indies.
It is important to note that while some signers had British backgrounds, they were not necessarily loyal to the British crown during the American Revolution. Virtually every signer took part in the Revolution, and at least 29 served in the Continental forces, most of them in positions of command.
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Many signers were loyal to the British crown during the Revolution
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, by 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention. These delegates represented 12 states, excluding Rhode Island, which declined to send representatives. Of the 39 signatories, all but seven were native to the thirteen colonies.
Many of the signers of the Constitution had taken part in the Revolution. At least 29 of them had served in the Continental forces, most of them in positions of command. However, it is important to note that some signers of the Constitution were loyal to the British crown during the Revolution.
One notable example was Pierce Butler (1744-1822), a former British Army officer. Butler had extensive plantations in Georgia and South Carolina, which he represented at the Federal Convention and later in the Senate (1789-1796). He was born in Ireland and was one of only two Catholic signers of the Constitution.
Another signer with British loyalties was Robert Morris, who was born in England. Morris had strong ties to the British Empire and was a prominent merchant in Philadelphia. He was known for his wealth and business acumen, and he played a significant role in financing the American Revolution.
William Paterson, born in Ireland, also had loyalties to Britain. He immigrated to America as a child and later served in various legal positions during the American Revolution, including Attorney General for New Jersey. He was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention and proposed the Paterson Plan, which advocated for a unicameral legislature with equal representation for each state.
Alexander Hamilton, born in the British West Indies, had a complex relationship with the British crown. While he served as General Washington's aide-de-camp during the Revolutionary War, he was critical of the Continental Congress and advocated for a stronger central government, which some may have viewed as more aligned with British colonial rule.
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The signers included both the youngest and oldest members of the convention
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 signed the Constitution.
The delegates were selected by the original states, except for Rhode Island, which declined to send any delegates. The signers' names are grouped by state, with the listing of states arranged geographically, from north to south. The signatures were witnessed by the delegates as individual witnesses of the unanimous consent of the states present.
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Frequently asked questions
39 delegates signed the US Constitution.
It is unclear how many signers were British. However, it is known that Robert Morris was born in England, and Pierce Butler was a former British Army officer.
Yes, Thomas Fitzsimons, Pierce Butler, James McHenry, and William Paterson were born in Ireland, Robert Morris in England, James Wilson in Scotland, and Alexander Hamilton in the West Indies.
