Isabella Carter
The United States Constitution, signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, was an extraordinary achievement. The document, which established the office of the President of the United States, was signed by 39 delegates representing 12 states and approximately four million people. The signatories were all white men, with an average age of 42, and included future presidents George Washington and James Madison. The Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation, which had no enforcement powers and could not regulate commerce or print money.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date | 17th of September 1787 |
| Location | Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| No. of States represented | 12 (all except Rhode Island) |
| No. of delegates chosen | 74 |
| No. of delegates who attended | 55 |
| No. of delegates who signed | 39 |
| Youngest signer | Jonathan Dayton (age 26) |
| Oldest signer | Benjamin Franklin (age 81) |
| Average age of signers | 42 |
| No. of signers who served as President | 2 (George Washington and James Madison) |
| No. of states needed to enact new government | 9 |
| Population of the 13 states | Approximately 4 million |
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What You'll Learn
The signing of the US Constitution
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The signing of this historic document marked the culmination of a four-month-long Constitutional Convention, which began in May of the same year. The convention, presided over by George Washington, brought together 70 delegates, though only 55 attended the majority of the meetings, with a maximum of 46 present at any one time.
The final document was engrossed by Jacob Shallus and taken up on the convention's last session on Monday, September 17. Despite some delegates expressing disappointment over the numerous compromises in the document, Benjamin Franklin, in his final great speech, strongly endorsed the Constitution. He acknowledged its imperfections but hoped that critics would support it, stating:
> "There are several parts of this Constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them."
In the end, 39 delegates signed the Constitution, representing 12 of the 13 states. Rhode Island was the only state that declined to send delegates. The signatories included six men who had also signed the Declaration of Independence: George Clymer, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris, George Read, Roger Sherman, and James Wilson. The youngest signer was 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey, while Benjamin Franklin, at 81 years old, was the oldest.
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39 delegates signed
The United States Constitution was signed by 39 delegates, all of whom were white men and property owners. They represented 12 of the 13 states, with Rhode Island refusing to send delegates. The signing took place on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and the document was engrossed by Jacob Shallus.
The 39 signatories included George Clymer, Benjamin Franklin, Robert Morris, George Read, Roger Sherman, and James Wilson, who were the only six men to sign both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution. The youngest signer was 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey, and the oldest was 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin, who required assistance to sign.
The Constitution superseded the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution, on March 4, 1789. It established the office of the President of the United States, and of the 39 signers, only two—George Washington and James Madison—would go on to serve as president. The document was the result of a four-month-long convention, during which delegates debated fiercely over congressional representation, slavery, and other issues.
The Constitution consists of four sections: an introductory paragraph titled "Preamble", a list of seven Articles that define the government's framework, an untitled closing endorsement with the signatures of the framers, and 27 amendments that have been adopted under Article V. It lays out the framework for the federal government, including the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, and it embodies the doctrine of the separation of powers.
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12 of 13 states represented
The signing of the United States Constitution occurred on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The final document was engrossed by Jacob Shallus and was taken up on the final day of the Constitutional Convention.
Of the 74 delegates chosen as representatives, only 55 attended the proceedings, and it is believed that there were never more than 46 of them in attendance at any one time. 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, representing 12 of the 13 states, endorsed the Constitution. Rhode Island was the thirteenth state, and it declined to send delegates. The 39 signatories included Jonathan Dayton, the youngest signer at 26, and Benjamin Franklin, the oldest signer at 81.
The Constitution established the office of the President of the United States, and of the 39 signers, only two were or would eventually serve as president: George Washington, who was president at the time of the signing, and James Madison, who would go on to become the fourth president. The document was created to address the exigencies of government and the preservation of the Union, and it introduced a new form of government, establishing the federal government and its three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial.
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Four million people across 13 states
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 70 delegates chosen as representatives, only 55 attended the proceedings, and of those, 39 signed the document. The youngest signer was 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton, and the oldest was Benjamin Franklin at 81.
The signing of the Constitution occurred after the American Revolution, during a period when the population and its distribution across the states were a significant concern. The Constitution itself reflects these concerns, with several compromises related to population. For example, the Constitution provided for a national census every ten years, with reapportionment of the House of Representatives after each census.
Estimates of the total population of the 13 colonies in 1774 placed the number at around four million people. At the time, the population was an important issue in politics and constitution-making, with larger states demanding voting according to population, while smaller states insisted on the independence and equality of the states.
The dispute over population and its political implications continued to be a contentious issue in the years leading up to the signing of the Constitution in 1787. The large and small states fought over whether voting in Congress should be based on equal state representation or apportioned by population. Eventually, a compromise was reached, and the Constitution included provisions for each state to have two US Senators, with representation in the House of Representatives apportioned by population.
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Benjamin Franklin, oldest signer at 81
The United States Constitution was signed by 39 delegates, representing 12 of the 13 states (Rhode Island did not send any delegates). The signing took place on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Benjamin Franklin, at 81, was the oldest signer of the US Constitution. He was one of the Founding Fathers of the United States and a renowned polymath: a writer, scientist, inventor, statesman, diplomat, printer, publisher, and political philosopher. Franklin was born on January 17, 1706, in the Province of Massachusetts Bay. He became a successful newspaper editor and printer in Philadelphia, publishing The Pennsylvania Gazette at age 23. He also wrote under the pseudonym "Richard Saunders".
Franklin was one of only six men who signed both the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and the Constitution 11 years later. He was 81 at the time and needed assistance to sign the Constitution. In the run-up to the signing, Franklin delivered an address strongly endorsing the Constitution, despite its imperfections. He summed up the sentiments of those who did sign, stating:
> "There are several parts of this Constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them."
Franklin was also the first postmaster general of the United States. He was inducted into the US Chess Hall of Fame in 1999, and the Franklin Mercantile Chess Club in Philadelphia is named in his honour. He died on April 17, 1790, at the age of 84.
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Frequently asked questions
39 people signed the Constitution.
The youngest person to sign the Constitution was Jonathan Dayton, aged 26.
The oldest person to sign the Constitution was Benjamin Franklin, aged 81.
The population of the 13 states at the time of the signing of the Constitution was approximately 4 million.
