Eleanor Finch
The United States Constitution was signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia. Of the 74 individuals selected, 55 delegates attended the convention, with 13 dropping out. The signatories included famous figures such as George Washington, James Madison, and Alexander Hamilton, who were influential in shaping the document and the country's future. The signing of the Constitution was a significant event in American history, and it continues to be commemorated through stamps and coins.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of states represented at the Constitutional Convention | 12 |
| Number of delegates chosen | 70 or 74 |
| Number of delegates who attended the convention | 55 |
| Number of delegates who signed the constitution | 39 or 38 |
| Number of delegates who refused to sign the constitution | 3 or 4 |
| Youngest signer | Jonathan Dayton (26) |
| Oldest signer | Benjamin Franklin (81) |
| Date of signing | September 17, 1787 |
| Number of articles in the first draft of the constitution | 23 |
| Number of amendments made by hand to the final document | 4 |
| Number of amendments proposed by Congress but not ratified by the required number of states | 6 |
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What You'll Learn
39 delegates signed the US Constitution
The US Constitution was signed by 39 delegates, representing 12 states, on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The signing occurred six years after the ratification of the Articles of Confederation, which established the first national government. However, the Articles failed to empower the central government to carry out essential functions, leading to calls for significant revisions.
The 39 delegates who signed the Constitution included Jonathan Dayton, the youngest at age 26, and Benjamin Franklin, the oldest at 81. Franklin, who was infirm and had to be carried to the sessions in a sedan chair, summed up the sentiments of those who signed, despite their potential disagreements with certain parts of the document:
> "There are several parts of this Constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them."
The delegates who signed the Constitution represented a cross-section of 18th-century American leadership, with experience in local, colonial, and state governments. Virtually all of them had taken part in the American Revolution, with seven having signed the Declaration of Independence and around 30 serving in active military duty.
The signing of the Constitution was preceded by intense debates and revisions. The delegates debated competing proposals, such as the "New Jersey Plan," before turning over plans to a Grand Committee, whose report, dubbed the Great Compromise, resolved many contentious points. The final document, the Constitution, expanded the power of the central government while protecting the prerogatives of the states.
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George Washington signed first
The US Constitution was signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. George Washington, as president of the Constitutional Convention, signed first.
George Washington was a crucial force in the process leading up to the signing of the US Constitution. He spent the spring and summer of 1787 presiding over and providing guidance to 55 state delegates who gathered in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, to fiercely debate the future of the United States. Washington helped facilitate an atmosphere that allowed for the compromises necessary to create the new government. He stayed relatively quiet, allowing the delegates to debate the foundation of the Constitution amongst themselves. While Washington believed that America should have a strong central government and a single executive leader, he did not allow his bias to sway the other delegates. He mainly participated to keep order and provide a deciding vote on a variety of proposals.
Washington's support for the Constitution was crucial. He signed a letter supporting the Constitution, and his image was used to advocate for its ratification. As the most famous figure in US history, a revolutionary war general, and the first president, Washington's backing made it much harder for those who wanted to minimise the federal government's power to argue against it. In his letters, he expressed a desire to see the Constitution adopted, even though he acknowledged that it had some imperfections. He praised the amendment provision that provided a viable method of correcting problems that might become apparent after the Constitution was implemented.
After George Washington, James Madison and Alexander Hamilton were two of the most important people to approve of and sign the Constitution. James Madison contributed so many ideas that he is known as the "Father of the Constitution".
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Benjamin Franklin was the oldest signer at 81
The US Constitution was signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787. Benjamin Franklin, at 81, was the oldest signer of the document. He was more than five decades older than the younger people at the convention, including 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton, the youngest signer.
Franklin, born in 1706 in England, was the son of a tallow chandler, soaper, and candlemaker. He was the eighth child of his mother, Abiah, and the fifteenth child of his father, Josiah, who had seventeen children in total. Franklin was a writer, inventor, statesman, and political philosopher. He is also known for his famous experiment that showed that lightning was electricity and similar to fire.
Franklin played a crucial role in the Constitutional Convention. Despite his advanced age, he actively participated in the proceedings, acting as a host, calming passions, and proposing compromises. He was instrumental in convincing people to adopt the Constitution, even though it was flawed, and two of his major proposals—having an executive committee and a common treasury—were accepted. Franklin summed up the sentiments of those who signed the Constitution, acknowledging its imperfections but accepting it as the best option at the time.
Franklin's influence extended beyond the Convention. He was among those who signed the Declaration of Independence, and he greatly admired the Scottish philosopher David Hume, whose works he studied extensively. Franklin's ideas and contributions laid the foundation for the American political system and continue to shape the nation's democracy.
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Two refused to sign, despite being present
The US Constitution was signed by 39 delegates, with 13 of the 55 delegates who participated in the convention dropping out, either for personal reasons or in protest over decisions made during the deliberations.
Two men from Massachusetts who were present at the convention, Elbridge Gerry, who later served as James Madison's vice president, and George Mason, refused to sign. Gerry did not provide a reason for his refusal, but Mason, the framer of the Virginia Declaration of Rights, believed that a Bill of Rights was an essential component and would not sign without it.
Edmund Randolph, a fourth Virginian delegate, was also present but refused to sign, arguing that the Constitution was flawed and gave too much power to the executive office. John Ten Eyck Lansing, Jr. was another delegate who did not sign the Constitution.
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The signing occurred on September 17, 1787
The signing of the United States Constitution occurred on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. This signing concluded a four-month-long convention that began on May 25, 1787, and was attended by 55 delegates, though only 39 endorsed the Constitution. The signing ceremony was the culmination of a process to create a new form of government, as the original purpose of the convention had been to amend the Articles of Confederation.
The 39 signatories to the Constitution represented 12 states, with Rhode Island being the lone state that declined to send delegates. The signatories included several notable figures, such as George Washington, who was the first to sign as president of the convention, and Benjamin Franklin, who, at 81, was the oldest signer. Other prominent signatories included James Madison, often referred to as the "Father of the Constitution," and Alexander Hamilton, who led the call for the convention.
The signing of the Constitution was a significant event in American history, as it laid the foundation for the nation's federal government and outlined the functions of its three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The document was tailored to meet the needs of the newly formed nation, which was made up of states acting like independent, sovereign countries. The signing ceremony was preceded by an address from Benjamin Franklin, who endorsed the Constitution despite its imperfections and proposed that the delegates endorse it as individual witnesses of the unanimous consent of the states present.
Within three days of its signing, the Constitution was submitted to the Congress of the Confederation, which was then sitting in the nation's temporary capital of New York City. The process of ratifying the Constitution by the states began shortly thereafter, with Delaware becoming the first state to do so on December 7, 1787. The Constitution was not fully ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document. The signing of the Constitution and its subsequent ratification marked a pivotal moment in the formation of the United States of America and the establishment of its federal government.
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Frequently asked questions
39 delegates signed the US Constitution.
Three of the 42 delegates who remained at the convention refused to sign. Four delegates from Virginia did not sign, and two delegates from New York also refused.
74 individuals were selected to attend the Constitutional Convention.
Only 55 individuals attended the Constitutional Convention, and it is believed that there were never more than 46 of them in attendance at any one time.
