Simone Lawson
The Founding Fathers are often referred to as the masters of the Constitution. The group was made up of men with specific ideas about the role of government in the new nation. The Constitution was drafted at the Constitutional Convention, which assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia between May 25 and September 17, 1787. The convention was presided over by George Washington, and included key figures such as James Madison, Roger Sherman, James Wilson, and William Paterson. The Constitution has since been amended 27 times and has served as a model for the constitutions of many nations.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of drafting | May 25 to September 17, 1787 |
| Location | Independence Hall, Philadelphia |
| President of the Convention | George Washington |
| Key players | James Madison, Roger Sherman, James Wilson, William Paterson, Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, George Mason |
| Number of delegates | 55 |
| Number of states represented | 12 |
| Notable compromises | Connecticut Compromise, bicameral legislature, three-fifths compromise, Electoral College |
| Number of amendments | 27 |
| First 10 amendments | Known as the Bill of Rights |
| First Amendment | Freedom of religion, speech, press, assembly, and right to petition |
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The Founding Fathers
Other key Founding Fathers included James Madison, often referred to as the "father of the Constitution." Madison was a driving force behind the convention and his ideas heavily influenced the structure of the government, including his proposal for a bicameral national legislature, consisting of the House of Representatives and the Senate. Another notable contribution came from Roger Sherman, who proposed the Connecticut Compromise or Great Compromise. This compromise addressed the issue of representation in Congress, proposing proportional representation in the lower house and equal representation in the Senate, with each state having two senators.
Alexander Hamilton, John Jay, and Thomas Jefferson also played significant roles, particularly in advocating for the Constitution through their writings. Hamilton penned the majority of the 85 essays known as the Federalist Papers, which defended the need for a strong national government and critiqued the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. Thomas Jefferson later called these papers the "best commentary on the principles of government ever written."
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George Washington
Washington had concerns about the disintegration of the nation and believed in the need for a strong national government and a single executive leader. He supported the ratification of the newly proposed Constitution and later became the first president of the United States, serving two terms. As president, he guided the new government through the organisation of the executive branch, founded the nation's capital, Washington, D.C., and established precedents that have influenced succeeding presidents.
Washington's contributions to the Constitutional Convention were significant. He provided guidance to the delegates and helped create an atmosphere that allowed for the compromises necessary to form a new government. While he did not often participate in the debates, his opinions carried weight, and he used his position to keep order and provide deciding votes on various proposals. Washington's support for the Constitution was crucial to its ratification, as Federalists urged others to accept it because of his endorsement.
Washington's private letters reveal his support for the Constitution, and his letter of 17 September 1787, as president of the Convention, was attached to the Constitution whenever it was printed. In this letter, he wrote, "the Constitution, which we now present, is the result of a spirit of amity and of that mutual deference and concession which the peculiarity of our political situation rendered indispensable." Washington's role as a nationalist and his belief in a strong union of states were key factors in his support for the Constitution and its ratification.
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James Madison
Born into a prominent slave-owning planter family in Virginia, Madison joined the Patriots in 1774, strongly opposed to British taxation. He was a member of the Virginia House of Delegates and the Continental Congress during and after the American Revolutionary War. Dissatisfied with the weak national government established by the Articles of Confederation, Madison helped organise the Constitutional Convention, which produced a new constitution designed to strengthen republican government against democratic assembly.
Madison had proposed liberalising the article on religious freedom in the Articles of Confederation, but the larger Virginia Convention stripped the proposed constitution of radical language, replacing "free expression" of faith with the less controversial mention of "tolerance" within religion. Madison's theories advanced the rights and happiness of man, and his most active efforts served devotedly the cause of civil and political liberty.
Madison took day-by-day notes of debates at the Constitutional Convention, which furnish the only comprehensive history of the proceedings. To promote ratification, he collaborated with Alexander Hamilton and John Jay in the newspaper publication of the Federalist Papers (Madison wrote 29 or fewer than 20 out of 85). Madison also sponsored the first 10 amendments to the Constitution—the Bill of Rights—placing emphasis in the debate on freedom of religion, speech, and press.
Madison's influence produced ratification by Virginia, leading John Marshall to say that, if eloquence included "persuasion by convincing, Mr. Madison was the most eloquent man I ever heard." Madison's Virginia, or large-state, Plan put forward through Governor Edmund Randolph furnished the basic framework and guiding principles of the Constitution, earning him the title of Father of the Constitution.
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Roger Sherman
Sherman is renowned for being the only person to sign all four great state papers of the United States: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution. He also signed the 1774 Petition to the King. As a delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, Sherman played a crucial role in resolving a critical difference between larger states advocating for congressional representation based on population and smaller states seeking equal representation. He proposed the "Connecticut Compromise," also known as "the Great Compromise," which established a bicameral legislature with a dual system of representation. This compromise prevented a deadlock at the Constitutional Convention and laid the foundation for the present federal government system.
In addition to his political career, Sherman had a successful legal career in Connecticut. He served as a justice of the Superior Court of Connecticut from 1766 to the 1780s and represented Connecticut at the Continental Congress. He also served as a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, where he signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and helped draft the Articles of Confederation. Sherman held multiple high-profile political and judicial positions simultaneously during the last 30 years of his life, demonstrating his dedication to public service. He also served in Congress under the new Constitution, first as a representative from 1789 to 1791 and then as a senator from 1791 until his death in 1793.
Sherman's legacy is honoured in various ways. The town of Sherman, Connecticut, was named after him, and he is portrayed on the pediment of the Jefferson Memorial as a member of the Committee of Five. Additionally, a painting of Roger Sherman by Ralph Earl hangs in the Yale University Art Gallery.
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William Paterson
Paterson played a significant role in the Constitutional Convention, particularly in advocating for the rights of small states. He proposed the New Jersey Plan, which called for each state to have equal representation in Congress, regardless of population size. Paterson feared that the interests of small states would be overlooked if representation was based on proportional representation. He wrote, "I would rather submit to a Monarch, to a despot, than to such a fate."
Paterson's proposal was not initially accepted, and he left the convention in July 1787. However, he returned in September when aspects of his plan were incorporated into the Connecticut Compromise, which proposed a bicameral Congress with proportional representation in the House of Representatives and equal representation in the Senate. This compromise helped hold the Union together and facilitated the ratification of the Constitution.
In addition to his role in the Constitutional Convention, Paterson served in various other political positions. He represented New Jersey in the provincial congress from 1775 to 1776 and was the state's first attorney general from 1776 to 1783. After the ratification of the Constitution, Paterson served as a US senator from 1789 to 1790 and helped draft the Judiciary Act of 1789. He was also the second governor of New Jersey from 1790 to 1793. In 1793, he was nominated by President George Washington to serve as an associate justice of the US Supreme Court, a position he held until his death in 1806.
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Frequently asked questions
The Founding Fathers are known as the masters of the constitution.
The Founding Fathers were the delegates who assembled at Independence Hall in Philadelphia between May 25 and September 17, 1787, to draft the United States Constitution.
Some of the key Founding Fathers include George Washington, James Madison, Roger Sherman, James Wilson, William Paterson, and Alexander Hamilton.
George Washington was unanimously elected as the president of the Constitutional Convention. James Madison, also known as the "father of the Constitution", was a driving force behind the convention and proposed the Virginia Plan. Roger Sherman proposed the Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise. James Wilson advocated for a single executive with absolute veto power. William Paterson authored the New Jersey Plan to safeguard the rights of small states. Alexander Hamilton penned the Federalist Papers, a series of essays that probed the weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation.
The United States Constitution, which became effective in 1789, has served as a model for the constitutions of many nations. It outlines the structure and powers of Congress, the branches of government, and the system of checks and balances to prevent the misuse of power.
