Simone Lawson
The United States Constitution, which was signed on September 17, 1787, is a document that outlines how the government of the United States should operate and delineates the functions of its three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. Interestingly, despite a total of 70 attendees at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, only 39 individuals ended up signing the document. This paragraph introduces the topic of how many people wouldn't sign the Constitution, highlighting the discrepancy between the number of attendees and signatories, and providing a brief overview of the Constitution's purpose and significance.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of people who refused to sign | 3 |
| Names of people who refused to sign | George Mason, Edmund Randolph, and Elbridge Gerry |
| Reason for refusal to sign | Objections that would become cornerstones for the Anti-Federalists |
| Number of people who couldn't attend the signing | 1 |
| Names of people who couldn't attend the signing | John Dickinson |
| Number of people who signed by proxy | 1 |
| Names of people who signed by proxy | John Dickinson (by George Read) |
| Total number of people who signed the Constitution | 39 |
| Number of people who attended the Constitutional Convention | 55 |
| Number of people chosen to attend the Constitutional Convention | 70-74 |
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What You'll Learn
George Mason, Edmund Randolph, and Elbridge Gerry refused to sign
The US Constitution is a written document that outlines how the government of the United States should function. It was signed by 39 men, all of whom were white and property owners. Interestingly, despite 70 men attending the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, only 55 delegates attended most of the meetings, and there were never more than 46 present at any one time.
Three of the men who refused to sign the Constitution were George Mason, Edmund Randolph, and Elbridge Gerry. George Mason, a plantation owner and neighbour of George Washington, was a delegate to the Constitutional Convention. He refused to sign because he believed the document gave too much power to a central government and lacked a bill of rights to guarantee individual liberty. Mason also disagreed with the Convention's reluctance to take a harsher stance against slavery, despite being a slave owner himself. His refusal to sign cost him the friendship of Washington and others, and he is sometimes referred to as the "Forgotten Founder," uncredited for his contributions to the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.
Edmund Randolph, a Founding Father of the United States, attorney, and Governor of Virginia, also refused to sign the Constitution. He wanted increased protections for individuals and did not agree with all the revisions made to the original Virginia Plan, which he had proposed as a delegate from Virginia. However, Randolph later reversed his position at the Virginia Ratifying Convention in 1788, where he chaired the nearly equally divided convention.
Elbridge Gerry, another Founding Father, is best known today for inspiring the term "gerrymandering." He believed, like Mason and Randolph, that the Constitution was not perfect and that the government created under it would need to be carefully watched. Gerry was concerned about his legacy and the fame that would be attached to the leaders of the Revolutionary generation. Unfortunately, his efforts have largely been forgotten, and most Americans have never heard of him.
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Benjamin Franklin's closing endorsement
On the final day of the Constitutional Convention, Benjamin Franklin delivered a closing endorsement of the Constitution, despite its perceived imperfections. Franklin, who was 81 years old at the time, was in poor health and unable to read his speech himself, so he delegated the task to James Wilson.
Franklin's address was intended to convince the three delegates who had announced their refusal to sign the Constitution—Gerry, Randolph, and Mason—to abandon their opposition. He began on a note of humility, acknowledging that there were parts of the Constitution that he did not currently approve of, but that he might change his mind in the future:
> "I confess that there are several parts of this Constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them. For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged by better information, or fuller consideration, to change opinions even on important subjects, which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise."
Franklin went on to say that he would accept the Constitution, "because I expect no better and because I am not sure that it is not the best". He proposed that the Constitution be endorsed by the delegates as individual witnesses of the unanimous consent of the states present, rather than on behalf of particular states. This motion passed by a vote of 10-1, and the delegates then proceeded to sign the Constitution.
In a letter to French scientist Jean-Baptiste Le Roy, Franklin later reflected on the Constitution's ratification and the start of a new government under it, writing:
> "Our new Constitution is now established, everything seems to promise it will be durable; but, in this world, nothing is certain except death and taxes."
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Signatures as witnesses, not on behalf of states
The US Constitution is a written document that outlines how the government of the United States should operate and delineates how its three branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) are to function. The signing of the United States Constitution occurred on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The signatures on the US Constitution serve as an authentication function, providing essential documentation of the validity of the document. The signatures act as a statement of "This is what was agreed to". The convention's secretary, William Jackson, added a note to verify four amendments made by hand to the final document and signed to authenticate its validity.
The signers subscribed their names as witnesses to what was done in the convention, rather than on behalf of particular states. This was proposed by Benjamin Franklin, who hoped to gain the support of critics and create a sense of common accord. The signers' names are grouped by state, with the listing of states arranged geographically, from north to south.
In total, there were 39 signers of the US Constitution, all of whom were white men and property owners. This included George Washington, who was the Convention President, and Benjamin Franklin, who was the oldest signer at 81 years old.
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Delaware: the first state
Delaware, a small state surrounded by much larger states, became the first state to ratify the United States Constitution on December 7, 1787. This day is celebrated as Delaware Day, honouring the state's forefathers and their wise decision to ratify the Constitution. The Continental Congress had adopted the Constitution of the United States on September 17, 1787, and it was sent to the states for ratification. The Constitution would become binding once nine of the former 13 colonies had ratified it.
On November 26, 1787, Delaware elected thirty delegates to a state convention to consider ratification. The delegates, meeting in Dover at Battell's Tavern (also known as the Golden Fleece Tavern), unanimously ratified the Constitution, making Delaware the first state in the New Nation. This was significant as Delaware's initiative was seen as "the first signal of a revolution in the general government of the United States," setting a positive example for other state conventions.
Delaware's quick ratification of the Constitution was a strategic move. Many in the state feared that the larger surrounding states would take advantage of them, and they believed that their survival lay in joining a union with those larger states. This proved to be a wise decision, as Delaware earned the nickname "The First State" and set the stage for federal democracy in the United States.
It is worth noting that while Delaware was the first state to ratify the Constitution, only 39 men signed the document, and they were all white and property owners. Additionally, Pennsylvania had the most delegates sign the Constitution, with eight of the 39 signers hailing from that state. Delaware came in second, with five delegates signing the Constitution.
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Rhode Island refused to send delegates
The US Constitution is a document that outlines how the government of the United States should operate and delineates how its three branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) are to function. The Constitutional Convention was held in Philadelphia in 1787, and 70 individuals were selected to attend. However, Rhode Island refused to send any delegates to the convention.
Rhode Island was the only state that did not participate in the convention proceedings. This decision was due to the state's opposition to amendments that might harm its interests, particularly regarding its veto power and the issue of state-issued paper currency. The state had a reputation for opposing a closer union with the other former British colonies, earning it nicknames like "Rogue Island" and "the Perverse Sister." Rhode Island's legislature rejected 11 attempts to ratify the Constitution between September 1787 and January 1790.
The state's resistance to ratifying the Constitution continued even after the new Constitution took effect on March 4, 1789. The First United States Congress proposed 12 amendments on September 25, but Rhode Island still had not ratified the Constitution. The state's opposition was due to several factors, including the concern that the Constitution gave too much power to the central government at the expense of the states, and the fact that the Constitution would have made the state's practice of printing paper money illegal.
Eventually, in 1790, Rhode Island became the last state to ratify the Constitution, more than a year after it went into effect. The decision came after threats of a trade embargo from the United States and secession from other cities within the state. Rhode Island's ratification included a lengthy list of caveats and proposed amendments, such as the abolition of the slave trade.
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Frequently asked questions
39 people signed the U.S. Constitution.
George Mason, Edmund Randolph, and Elbridge Gerry refused to sign the U.S. Constitution. John Dickinson was not present at the signing but authorized George Read to sign on his behalf.
Some refused to sign due to a lack of specific statements of rights protected and upheld through the Constitution. They wanted freedom of speech, freedom of religion, freedom of the press, freedom to assemble, and the right to petition, among other freedoms, to be explicitly outlined and protected.
Those who did not sign the U.S. Constitution did not abandon or ignore it. Instead, many became strong advocates for a Bill of Rights, which would strengthen the protection and power of "We the People."
