Omar Bennett
The Framers of the US Constitution, also known as the Founding Fathers, were a group of 18th-century American revolutionary leaders who united the Thirteen Colonies, declared independence from Great Britain, established the United States of America, and crafted a framework of government for the new nation. Several of these Founding Fathers were from Connecticut, including Roger Sherman, who served in the First and Second Continental Congresses, the Connecticut House of Representatives, and as Justice of the Peace before attending the Constitutional Convention as a delegate.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | Roger Sherman |
| State | Connecticut |
| Proposal | Four-year terms |
| Argument | Frequent elections would "preserve the good behavior of rulers" |
| Vote | 7 to 4 in favour of six-year terms |
| Position | Delegate to the First and Second Continental Congresses, Connecticut House of Representatives, Justice of the Peace, and the Constitutional Convention |
| Signature | Signed the Continental Association, Declaration of Independence, Articles of Confederation, and the U.S. Constitution |
| Compromise | The Connecticut Compromise, an agreement between states with different populations on how congressional representation would be assigned |
Explore related products
$15.99 $16.99
What You'll Learn
Roger Sherman was from Connecticut
Roger Sherman, born in Newton, Massachusetts, on April 19, 1721, was an American politician, lawyer, and Founding Father of the United States. He moved to Connecticut in 1743, settling in New Milford, and later moved to New Haven, Connecticut, in 1760.
Sherman is the only person to have signed all four of the most significant documents in early U.S. history: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution. He was also a delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, which produced the United States Constitution. After the ratification of the Constitution, he represented Connecticut in the United States House of Representatives from 1789 to 1791 and served in the United States Senate from 1791 until his death in 1793.
Sherman's political career in Connecticut began with his appointment as surveyor of New Haven County in 1745, and later Litchfield County, a post he held until 1758. He studied law and was admitted to the bar in Litchfield, Connecticut, in 1754. From 1755 to 1766, he served several terms in the Connecticut legislature. In 1755, he became a justice of the peace in Litchfield County, and he later rose to become a judge of the Superior Court of Connecticut, serving from 1766 to the 1780s.
In 1784, Sherman was elected the first mayor of New Haven, Connecticut. That same year, he also served as a judge of the Connecticut Supreme Court of Errors. As a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, Sherman played a crucial role in shaping the country's new constitution. He is credited with fathering the Connecticut Compromise, which provided for a bicameral legislature using a dual system of representation based on state population. His plan helped prevent a deadlock at the convention and established the basis of the present federal government system.
The town of Sherman, Connecticut, was named after Roger Sherman, honouring his significant contributions to the state and the nation as a whole.
Fugitive Slave Clause: Is It Still in the Constitution?
You may want to see also
Sherman proposed the Connecticut Compromise
The Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise of 1787 or the Sherman Compromise, was proposed by Roger Sherman of Connecticut. It was an agreement reached during the Constitutional Convention of 1787 that defined the legislative structure and representation each state would have under the United States Constitution.
The Compromise retained the bicameral legislature, with proportional representation of the states in the lower house or House of Representatives, and equal representation for each state in the upper house or Senate. Each state would have two members in the Senate. This proposal was a middle ground between the larger states' desire for congressional representation based on population and the smaller states' demand for equal representation.
The Connecticut Compromise was a modification of Edmund Randolph's proposal, known as the Virginia or Randolph Plan, presented on May 29, 1787. Randolph proposed a bicameral legislature with membership in both houses allocated to each state proportional to its population.
Benjamin Franklin modified Sherman's proposal to make it more acceptable to the larger states by adding the requirement that revenue bills originate in the House. The final version of the Connecticut Compromise included in the Constitution was a modified form of Sherman's proposal, partly because the larger states disliked it.
The Connecticut Compromise allowed for the continuation of deliberations, leading to the Three-fifths Compromise, which further complicated the issue of popular representation in the House. The Compromise has had long-lasting political effects, with states with smaller populations having a disproportionately bigger voice in the nation's Congress.
The Constitution: Guarding Against Tyranny
You may want to see also
Sherman served in the First and Second Continental Congresses
Roger Sherman, a founding father of the United States, was a representative from Connecticut who served in the First and Second Continental Congresses. Born in Newton, Massachusetts, Sherman established a legal career in Litchfield County, Connecticut, despite lacking a formal education. He served in the Connecticut House of Representatives and as a justice of the Superior Court of Connecticut from 1766 to 1789.
Sherman was a member of the First Continental Congress, which was formed in the fall of 1774 to seek redress for colonial grievances. He signed the Continental Association to impose an economic boycott on all British trade. In the Second Continental Congress, Sherman was appointed to the Committee of Five, which drafted the Declaration of Independence. This committee was comprised of true American visionaries, including John and Samuel Adams, Thomas Jefferson, Benjamin Franklin, and John Hancock.
Sherman was also a member of the committee of 13 that was responsible for preparing a draft constitution for the new nation. During the debates, he proposed a bicameral national legislature where states would be represented equally. However, his proposal was rejected, and a unicameral legislature, known as the Articles of Confederation, was adopted. Despite initially opposing efforts to replace the Articles of Confederation with a new constitution, Sherman became a key delegate at the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, which produced the United States Constitution.
Sherman is notably the only founding father to have signed all four principal founding documents: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution. He remained a member of the Continental Congress throughout the Revolutionary War and signed the Treaty of Paris, which ended the conflict and secured America's independence. Sherman's contributions to the formation of the United States were significant, and he played a crucial role in shaping the country's early history.
Mercy Otis's Constitutional Demands: A Woman's Vision
You may want to see also
Explore related products
Sherman was the only Founder to sign all four major founding documents
Several individuals from Connecticut were involved in framing the US Constitution. Roger Sherman, in particular, was the only person to sign all four of America's major founding documents. The other three documents, in addition to the US Constitution, are The Continental Association, The Articles of Confederation, and The Declaration of Independence.
Sherman's role in the founding of the nation has often been downplayed due to his awkward demeanour and lack of charisma as a speaker. However, his skills as an "idea guy" and his political experience were valuable contributions to the founding of the nation. He was a self-taught former lawyer who served as treasurer of Yale and as a congressman and senator for Connecticut. He was also a state assemblyman and served as a delegate to the First Continental Congress.
Sherman's political career continued after the signing of the founding documents. He served as a judge in the Delaware Court of Common Pleas and as governor of Delaware before becoming a Federal Circuit Court judge. He was also an abolitionist and a successful author, writing influential documents during the Revolutionary War, including "Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania," which helped develop support for the revolution.
Sherman's philosophy centred around states' rights and believed that the national government should focus on defence against foreign danger, regulating foreign commerce, and drawing revenue from it. He also advocated for treaties with foreign nations and preventing internal disputes from escalating into violence. Despite his significant contributions, Sherman's name is often overlooked in favour of more well-known figures such as Washington, Adams, and Madison.
Music Streaming Charges: iHeart and Your Data Plan
You may want to see also
Oliver Ellsworth was a delegate from Connecticut
Oliver Ellsworth, born on April 29, 1745, in Windsor, Connecticut, was a delegate from Connecticut to the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. He was born to Capt. David and Jemima Ellsworth, and his ancestors had lived in Windsor since the middle of the 17th century. Ellsworth studied theology at Yale, but later turned to the law and was admitted to the bar in 1771.
Ellsworth played a major role in the adoption of the Connecticut Compromise. The Convention was deadlocked over the question of representation in Congress, with large states wanting proportional representation and small states demanding equal representation. Ellsworth proposed a bicameral Congress in which two members of the Senate would be elected by each state legislature, while membership in the House of Representatives would be apportioned among the states based on population. This compromise was adopted by the Convention on July 16, 1787. Ellsworth also voted for the Three-Fifths Compromise, which counted enslaved Africans as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of determining representation in Congress.
In addition to his role as a delegate, Ellsworth was active in Connecticut's efforts during the Revolution. He served on the Committee of the Pay Table, which supervised Connecticut's war expenditures, and on the Council of Safety, which controlled all military measures for the state. Ellsworth also served as Connecticut's state attorney for Hartford County and represented Connecticut in the Continental Congress from 1777 to 1783. After the Constitutional Convention, Ellsworth was elected as one of Connecticut's first two senators in the new federal government, serving from 1789 to 1796. He was also the chief author of the Judiciary Act of 1789, which established the Supreme Court's power to overturn state supreme court decisions contrary to the Constitution.
Overall, Oliver Ellsworth played a significant role as a delegate from Connecticut to the Constitutional Convention and made important contributions to the formation of the United States government.
Artificial Heart: An Ongoing Treatment Option?
You may want to see also
Frequently asked questions
Yes, Roger Sherman was from Connecticut and served in the First and Second Continental Congresses, the Connecticut House of Representatives, and as Justice of the Peace before attending the Constitutional Convention as a delegate.
Roger Sherman introduced what became known as the Connecticut (or Great) Compromise. This compromise called for a House of Representatives elected proportionally and a Senate where all states would have the same number of seats.
After the US Constitution was ratified, Roger Sherman served in both the US House of Representatives and the US Senate, representing Connecticut. He was the only Founder to sign all four of the major founding documents: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the US Constitution.
