Malcolm Rivera
The United States Constitution, which outlines the framework of the nation's federal government and its three branches, was not unanimously approved. Of the 74 delegates chosen to attend the Constitutional Convention, 55 participated, and only 39 signed the document. Three delegates who remained at the convention until the end refused to sign, including George Mason, who believed that the document gave too much power to a central government and required a bill of rights to guarantee individual liberty.
How many refused to sign the US Constitution?
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Total number of individuals selected to attend the Constitutional Convention | 74 |
| Number of delegates who participated in the convention | 55 |
| Number of delegates who dropped out | 13 |
| Number of delegates who remained | 42 |
| Number of delegates who refused to sign | 3 |
| Names of delegates who refused to sign | George Mason |
| Reason for refusal to sign | The document as drafted gave too much power to a central government and was incomplete absent a bill of rights to guarantee individual liberty |
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What You'll Learn
George Mason refused to sign the US Constitution
The US Constitution, which outlines the framework of the nation's federal government and its three branches, was signed by 39 of the 55 attendees of the 1787 Constitutional Convention. Three of the 42 delegates who remained at the convention until the end refused to sign the document. One of those three was George Mason, a prominent figure in his home state of Virginia and the main author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Constitution of Virginia.
Mason refused to sign the Constitution because he believed that it gave too much power to a central government and was incomplete without a bill of rights to guarantee individual liberty. He also believed that the Convention was reluctant to deal more harshly with the institution of slavery. After the convention, Mason retreated to his home at Gunston Hall, where he remained a vocal critic of the new government and the policies initiated by the Federalist Party, including Alexander Hamilton's financial plan.
Mason's refusal to sign the Constitution cost him greatly, as he lost the friendship of George Washington and others over his refusal to endorse the document. He has been referred to as the "Forgotten Founder," as he is largely ignored by history books and is often uncredited for originating many of the core concepts and much of the language later incorporated into the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights. However, Mason's efforts to ensure the protection of individual rights ultimately came to fruition with the passage of the federal Bill of Rights on December 15, 1791, providing the first ten amendments to the Constitution.
In addition to Mason, two other delegates who refused to sign the Constitution were from New York. Luther Martin, who regarded the Constitution as a "stab in the back of the goddess of liberty," and another delegate, whose name is unknown, also refused to sign.
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Rhode Island didn't send delegates
The US Constitution, which outlines the framework of the nation's federal government and how its three branches are to function, did not receive everyone's approval. Seventy-four individuals were selected to attend the Constitutional Convention, but only 55 delegates participated, with 12 of the 13 states being represented. Notably, Rhode Island refused to send delegates, becoming the only state that did not participate in the proceedings.
Rhode Island's absence at the Constitutional Convention was not an isolated incident. The state had a history of opposing amendments that might harm its interests. In particular, Rhode Island vetoed an act passed by Congress under the Articles of Confederation, leading to a press war that lasted nearly ten years. The state also had a reputation for opposing a closer union with the other former British colonies that formed the United States.
Rhode Island's refusal to engage in the Constitutional Convention was driven by several factors. One of the main concerns was the fear that the Constitution would grant too much power to the central government at the expense of the states. Additionally, the Constitution would have made the state's practice of printing paper money illegal, as it banned state-issued paper currency. Rhode Island was the only state issuing paper money, and the resulting rampant inflation had become a symbol of what ailed the Confederation for many Americans.
Rhode Island's resistance to ratifying the Constitution continued even after the Constitutional Convention. Nearly a dozen conventions were called in the state to ratify the Constitution, but they failed, often by wide margins. It was only when faced with the threat of a trade embargo and secession from the other 12 ratifying states that Rhode Island finally capitulated and ratified the Constitution in 1790, becoming the last state to do so.
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12 of 13 states were represented
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 13 states, 12 were represented at the signing, with Rhode Island being the only state not in attendance.
Seventy-four individuals were selected as delegates to the Constitutional Convention, but only 55 participated. Of those 55, 13 dropped out, either for personal reasons or in protest of decisions made during the convention. Three individuals remained engaged in the work of the convention until its completion but then refused to sign the final draft.
The final document was signed by 39 delegates, including John Dickinson, who was ill and authorised George Read to sign on his behalf. The convention's secretary, William Jackson, also signed the document to authenticate some corrections.
The signing of the US Constitution was the culmination of a four-month-long convention that began on May 25, 1787, with the goal of amending the Articles of Confederation. However, the convention ultimately resulted in the proposal and creation of a new form of government for the newly formed nation. The document was tailored to a nation made up of states acting more like independent, sovereign countries, and it was recognised that a stronger, more centralised government was needed for future stability.
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39 of 42 remaining delegates signed
The US Constitution, which outlines the framework of the nation's federal government and its three branches, did not receive everyone's approval. Of the 74 delegates chosen to attend the Constitutional Convention, only 55 attended, and 39 signed. This means that 13 delegates dropped out, and three of the 42 remaining refused to sign the document. The three delegates who refused to sign the Constitution were George Mason and two others.
Mason, a plantation owner and prominent figure in his home state, believed that the document, as drafted, gave too much power to a central government. He also believed that it was incomplete without a bill of rights to guarantee individual liberty. His refusal to sign the document cost him his friendship with Washington and others, and he is sometimes referred to as the "Forgotten Founder," uncredited for his contributions to the core concepts and language of the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.
Benjamin Franklin, the oldest signer at 81, summed up the sentiments of those who did sign, stating that while he did not approve of several parts of the Constitution, he accepted it because he did not expect better and was unsure if there would be a better option. The closing endorsement of the US Constitution serves an authentication function, providing essential documentation of its validity.
The signers' names are grouped by state, with the listing of states arranged geographically from north to south. The youngest signer was Jonathan Dayton, aged 26. The Syng inkstand, used for the signing of the Constitution, was also used for the signing of the Declaration of Independence 11 years earlier.
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Benjamin Franklin's closing endorsement
Benjamin Franklin, at 81 years old, was the oldest person to sign the United States Constitution. He was also the first signer to die, in April 1790. Franklin's closing endorsement of the Constitution was conceived by Gouverneur Morris and presented to the convention by Franklin himself. It was intentionally ambiguous, with the hopes of winning over the votes of dissenting delegates.
Franklin began his closing endorsement with a note of humility, stating:
> "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."
He further added that he would accept the Constitution, "because I expect no better and because I am not sure that it is not the best".
Franklin's closing endorsement of the Constitution served an authentication function only. It neither assigned powers to the federal government nor provided specific limitations on government action. However, it provided essential documentation of the Constitution's validity, a statement of "This is what was agreed to".
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Frequently asked questions
Three of the 42 remaining delegates refused to sign the Constitution.
George Mason was one of the three delegates who refused to sign the Constitution.
Some people refused to sign the Constitution because they believed it gave too much power to a central government and that it was incomplete without a bill of rights to guarantee individual liberty.
