The Constitutional Convention: Who Was There?

The Constitutional Convention, also known as the Federal Convention, the Philadelphia Convention, or the Grand Convention at Philadelphia, was attended by 55 delegates, appointed by 12 states. The convention took place in the Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall, in Philadelphia. The delegates were tasked with making small changes to their current government, but ultimately created a new one.

Explore related products

The Constitutional Convention: A Narrative History from the Notes of James Madison (Modern Library Classics)

$12.95 $22

Notes of Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787

$35 $34.99

The Constitutional Convention of 1787: Constructing the American Republic (Reacting to the Past™)

$19.99 $32.5

Debates in the Federal Convention of 1787 by James Madison, a Member

$0.99 $99

The Constitution of the United States and The Declaration of Independence

$1.99 $14.95

Constitution of the United States and The Declaration of Independence: Senator Rand Paul, Delegates of The Constitutional Convention

$2.99 $2.99

70 representatives were appointed by 12 states

The Constitutional Convention, also known as the Federal Convention, the Philadelphia Convention, or the Grand Convention at Philadelphia, was held in the Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall, in Philadelphia. The original 13 states, except Rhode Island, which did not send any delegates, collectively appointed 70 representatives to the convention. However, a number of the appointees did not accept or could not attend, leaving 55 who ultimately crafted the document.

The 55 delegates who attended the sessions of the convention are considered the Framers of the Constitution. However, only 39 of them actually signed it. 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.

The convention was not meant to draft a new constitution. Many assumed that the convention's purpose was to discuss and draft improvements to the existing Articles of Confederation. Once the convention began, however, most of the delegates – though not all – came to agree in general terms that the goal would be a new system of government, not simply a revised version of the Articles of Confederation. Several broad outlines were proposed and debated, notably Madison's Virginia Plan and William Paterson's New Jersey Plan.

The delegates who attended the convention were all men of wealth and influence. Almost all of them had taken part in the Revolution, with at least 29 having served in the Continental forces, most in positions of command. All but two or three had served in colonial or state government during their careers. The vast majority (about 75%) of the delegates were or had been members of the Confederation Congress, and many had been members of the Continental Congress during the Revolution. Several had been state governors.

55 delegates attended

The Constitutional Convention, also known as the Federal Convention, the Philadelphia Convention, or the Grand Convention at Philadelphia, was attended by 55 delegates. The original 13 states collectively appointed 70 individuals to the convention, but a number of them did not accept or could not attend. Rhode Island did not send any delegates.

The convention took place in the Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall, in Philadelphia, and lasted four months. The delegates were tasked with revising the Articles of Confederation, but they ended up creating a new system of government. The delegates ranged in age from 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton to 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin, who had to be carried to sessions in a sedan chair due to his infirmity.

Of the 55 delegates, 39 signed the Constitution. The remaining 16 included notable figures such as George Mason, who was concerned about the amount of power given to the federal government and the convention's unwillingness to end the slave trade. Other notable individuals who did not sign include Roger Sherman and Robert Morris, who signed the other two of the nation's founding documents: the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation.

The Constitutional Convention was a fiery and intense affair, with delegates holding strong and varied views on the role of government in the new nation. Ultimately, the final Constitution incorporated parts of each individual's ideas. George Washington, elected unanimously as the president of the convention, played a key role in providing a sense of focus and direction.

39 delegates signed the Constitution

The US Constitution was signed by 39 delegates on 17 September 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 39 delegates represented 12 states, with Rhode Island being the only state that refused to send delegates.

The Constitutional Convention was attended by 55 delegates, with 70 individuals originally appointed by the 13 original states. Several delegates left before the signing ceremony, and three of the 42 who remained refused to sign. The 39 signers subscribed their names as witnesses to what was done in the convention, rather than on behalf of particular states.

The delegates who signed the Constitution ranged in age from Jonathan Dayton, aged 26, to Benjamin Franklin, aged 81. Franklin, who was so infirm that he had to be carried to sessions in a sedan chair, delivered an address endorsing the Constitution, despite any perceived imperfections. He stated:

> "There are several parts of this Constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them. I accept this Constitution [...] because I expect no better and because I am not sure that it is not the best."

The signing of the Constitution was the closing protocol of the convention, which included a declaration that the delegates' work had been completed and a statement pronouncing the document's adoption by the states present. The convention's secretary, William Jackson, added a note verifying four amendments made by hand and signed it to authenticate its validity.

Explore related products

La Constitución de los Estados Unidos (Pocket Constitution, Spanish Translation) (Spanish Edition)

$1.5

The Mississippi Secession Convention: Delegates and Deliberations in Politics and War, 1861-1865

$23.75 $25

Constitution of the United States: US Constitution, Declaration of Independence, Bill of Rights with Amendments. Pocket Size

$8.99 $14.95

The Constitution of the United States and The Declaration of Independence pack of 25 booklets

$36.99 $50

The U.S. Constitution with The Declaration of Independence and The Articles of Confederation

$1.64 $1.99

The Men Who Made the Constitution: Lives of the Delegates to the Constitutional Convention

$69.5 $89.1

25 delegates owned slaves

The original 13 states, excluding Rhode Island, collectively appointed 70 individuals to the Constitutional Convention. However, a number of these delegates did not accept or could not attend, and so 55 delegates attended the Constitutional Convention sessions. Of these 55, 39 signed the Constitution.

The topic of slavery was a contentious issue at the convention. Gouverneur Morris, for instance, proposed two amendments to the clause: changing the wording from "importation of such persons" to "importation of slaves" and explicitly naming Georgia and North and South Carolina as the states importing slaves. Sherman and Clymer did not want to use the word "slave" as it was "not pleasing to some people". Williamson, meanwhile, argued that it was more "in favor of humanity" for the aforementioned states to remain part of the union as slave-trading states than to be excluded on those grounds.

Madison and Sherman opposed the idea of taxing slaves as imports, as it amounted to "acknowledging men to be property". King, Langdon, and C. C. Pinckney, on the other hand, argued that the tax was part of the necessary compromise on the slave trade. Mason and Gorham agreed, encouraging Sherman to consider the importance of using taxes to discourage the slave trade.

Despite the efforts of some delegates to discourage the slave trade, the clause permitting taxation on the "importation of such persons" passed with unanimous support from the state delegations. Congress was, however, unable to ban the slave trade before 1808.

In total, 25 of the delegates at the Constitutional Convention were slave owners.

The convention took place in Philadelphia

The Constitutional Convention, also known as the Federal Convention, the Philadelphia Convention, or the Grand Convention at Philadelphia, took place in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in the Pennsylvania State House, later renamed Independence Hall.

The Constitutional Convention was a gathering of 55 delegates, who came together to make small changes to their current government but ultimately ended up creating a new one. These delegates were considered the Framers of the Constitution, and they had been appointed by the original 13 states, except for Rhode Island, which did not send any delegates. The states had originally appointed 70 representatives, but a number of them did not accept or were unable to attend.

The convention was a fiery and intense gathering that lasted four months, and it resulted in the creation of a new system of government for the United States. 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.

The Constitutional Convention was not its contemporary name; it was known as the Federal Convention, the Philadelphia Convention, or the Grand Convention at Philadelphia at the time. The delegates met to discuss and draft improvements to the existing Articles of Confederation, and most of them agreed that the goal would be to create a new system of government rather than simply revise the existing Articles.

Frequently asked questions