The Constitution's Signing: Unanimous Or Not?

The signing of the US Constitution was not unanimous. Of the 42 delegates who remained until the end of the convention, 39 signed the document. The final draft of the Constitution was presented to the convention on September 12, 1787, and the signing took place on September 17, 1787. The document was tailored to a newly formed nation made of states acting more like independent, sovereign countries. The advocates of the Constitution were anxious to obtain unanimous support from all twelve states represented in the convention.

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The signing of the US Constitution was not unanimous

The US Constitution lays out the framework for the nation's federal government and delineates how its three branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) are to function. The delegates who signed the Constitution represented a cross-section of 18th-century American leadership, with individuals having experience in local or colonial and state government. Many had taken part in the American Revolution; seven had signed the Declaration of Independence, and thirty had served on active military duty.

The signing of the Constitution was the culmination of three months of intense debate and compromise among the delegates. The final draft, presented to the convention on September 12, contained seven articles, a preamble, and a closing statement. Several delegates were disappointed by the numerous compromises contained in the final document, believing that they had impaired its quality. Alexander Hamilton, for example, called the Constitution a "weak and worthless fabric", certain to be superseded. Luther Martin regarded it as a stab in the back of the goddess of liberty.

Despite these criticisms, Benjamin Franklin strongly endorsed the Constitution, delivering an address (read by James Wilson) that appealed for unity behind the document. Franklin proposed that the Constitution be endorsed as the unanimous consent of the states present, and this proposal was agreed to. To create the appearance of unanimity, the formula "Done in convention by the unanimous consent of the states present" was devised.

39 of 42 delegates signed

The signing of the US Constitution was not entirely unanimous. Of the 42 delegates, 39 signed the document. The signing took place on September 17, 1787, and marked the end of the Constitutional Convention, which had begun three months earlier. The purpose of the convention was to revise the Articles of Confederation, but the delegates ultimately proposed and created a new form of government.

The delegates who refused to sign were Roger Sherman, George Mason, and Edmund Randolph. Benjamin Franklin, the oldest signer at 81, summed up the sentiments of many when he said, "There are several parts of this Constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them." He accepted the Constitution, "because I expect no better and because I am not sure that it is not the best".

The advocates of the Constitution were anxious to obtain unanimous support from all twelve states represented at the convention. To create the appearance of unanimity, the formula "Done in convention by the unanimous consent of the states present" was devised. This formula was included in the concluding endorsement of the document, which was intentionally ambiguous to win over dissenting delegates.

The signing of the Constitution was a significant achievement, as the delegates crafted a powerful central government that represented a cross-section of 18th-century American leadership and the diverse interests and views of the time. The Constitution has endured as one of the longest-lived and most emulated constitutions in the world.

12 of 13 states were represented

The signing of the US Constitution was not entirely unanimous. While 39 of the 42 delegates present signed the document, three refused to sign. The 39 signatures included one delegate, George Reed, signing on behalf of John Dickinson of Delaware, who was absent.

The signing took place on September 17, 1787, and marked the end of the Constitutional Convention, which had begun on May 25, 1787. Representatives from all 13 states were invited to the Convention, but Rhode Island refused to send delegates. This meant that only 12 of the 13 states were represented at the signing.

The delegates who refused to sign were Mason, Gerry, and Randolph. Benjamin Franklin, the oldest signer at 81, also expressed some hesitancy about the document, saying, "There are several parts of this Constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them." He ultimately accepted the Constitution, hoping that it would be improved upon in the future.

The Constitution was not ratified by all states until May 29, 1790, when Rhode Island finally approved the document. The Federalists, who supported the Constitution, had to work hard to convince enough states to ratify it, as only six of the 13 states initially reported a pro-Constitution majority. The Anti-Federalists, who opposed the Constitution, fought against it because it created a powerful central government and lacked a bill of rights.

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Rhode Island refused to send delegates

The signing of the United States Constitution was not unanimous. Of the 12 of the 13 states that were represented at the Constitutional Convention, Rhode Island refused to send delegates.

Rhode Island, nicknamed "Rogue Island" and "the Perverse Sister", was the only state that did not participate in the Constitutional Convention's proceedings in 1787. The state had acquired a reputation for opposing a closer union with the other former British colonies that had formed the United States of America. It had also vetoed an act of the Congress of the Confederation, which gave every state a functional veto power over amendments.

Rhode Island's opposition to the new Constitution was due to several reasons. Firstly, the state had strong local doctrines and traditions, including religious freedom, church-state separation, democracy, federalism, and local autonomy, which conflicted with the idea of a strong central government. Secondly, the new Constitution lacked a Bill of Rights and included provisions that assented to slavery, threatened state sovereignty, and specified the use of a convention rather than a popular referendum for ratification. Additionally, Rhode Island had been issuing paper money, or "Rhode Island pounds," since 1786, which was prohibited by Article I, Section 10 of the new Constitution.

Rhode Island's refusal to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention and its opposition to the new Constitution had significant consequences. The state became the last to ratify the Constitution, doing so on May 29, 1790, more than a year after it went into effect. During this period, Rhode Island effectively operated outside the new governmental structure and faced strong federal and internal pressure to comply. The state's legislature authorized a ratifying convention in January 1790, and the Constitution was finally ratified by a narrow vote of 34 to 32.

The document was intentionally ambiguous

The signing of the US Constitution was not entirely unanimous. Of the 42 delegates who remained until the end, 39 signed, with three refusing to do so. The document was intentionally ambiguous, with the concluding endorsement crafted to make the signing seem unanimous. The formula used was "Done in convention by the unanimous consent of the states present". This was done to obtain the support of the dissenting delegates and to make the action of the convention seem unanimous.

The US Constitution lays out the framework for the nation's federal government and outlines how its three branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) should function. The document was signed by 39 delegates, with 55 out of 74 chosen delegates attending the convention. The signing took place on September 17, 1787, and the Constitution was submitted to the Congress of the Confederation within three days.

The delegates who signed the Constitution represented a diverse cross-section of 18th-century American leadership, with experience in local, colonial, and state governments. They also had diverse interests and views, and the final document was a result of numerous compromises. The delegates hoped that this practical, workable constitution would meet the immediate needs of the thirteen states and approximately four million people.

The signing of the Constitution was the culmination of a process that began with the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787. The convention was convened to amend the Articles of Confederation, but ultimately, a new form of government was proposed and created. The delegates appointed committees to put their decisions in writing and shape the final form of the document. The final draft, presented on September 12, contained seven articles, a preamble, and a closing statement.

The delegates who refused to sign the Constitution did so due to their concerns and disagreements with certain provisions. Some delegates, such as Alexander Hamilton, were disappointed by the numerous compromises and believed that they had impaired the quality of the document. Despite these differing opinions, the majority of delegates hoped that the constitution would be practical and workable, meeting the immediate needs of the states.

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