Jonah Patel
Roger Sherman was an early American politician, lawyer, and Founding Father of the United States. He was born in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1721 and died in New Haven, Connecticut, in 1793. Sherman is the only person to have signed all four of the most significant documents in US history: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution. He played a crucial role in shaping the country's new constitution and is known for his proposal for a bicameral legislature, known as the Connecticut Compromise, which helped prevent a deadlock at the Constitutional Convention.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date and place of birth | 19 April 1721, Newton, Massachusetts |
| Education | Limited; had access to his father's library and attended a grammar school in Stoughton |
| Early career | Shoemaker and surveyor |
| Political career | Held numerous public offices, including serving in the Connecticut legislature, as a justice of the peace, and as a judge of the superior court; delegate to the Continental Congress; member of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence; delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention |
| Role in the Constitution | Signed the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution; proposed a bicameral national legislature where states would be represented equally; helped shape the country's new constitution at the Philadelphia Convention; promoted the Connecticut Compromise, providing for a bicameral legislature using a dual system of representation |
| Later life and death | Served in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate; died in 1793 |
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What You'll Learn
Roger Sherman's role in the drafting of the Declaration of Independence
Roger Sherman was an early American politician, lawyer, and Founding Father of the United States. He is the only person to have signed all four great state papers of the US: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution.
Sherman was a member of the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence. He was also a member of the committee of 13 that was responsible for preparing a draft constitution for the new nation. During the debate, Sherman proposed a bicameral national legislature where states would be represented equally. The committee of 13 rejected his proposal, adopting a unicameral legislature and what would become the Articles of Confederation.
Sherman's proposal for a bicameral legislature would later be realised in the Connecticut Compromise, which formed the basis of the present system of the federal government. As a delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, Sherman was instrumental in shaping the country's new constitution. He was also a vocal supporter of Alexander Hamilton's proposal for federal assumption of states' debts.
Sherman was one of the most active members of the Constitutional Convention, making motions or seconds 160 times. He was a critical opponent of James Madison and the more populous states, ardently defending the rights of smaller states. Despite being described as a “terse, ineloquent speaker” who never kept a personal record of his experience, Sherman was admired by many of the most notable figures of the revolution, including Adams, Jefferson, and Madison.
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His stance on paper money and the Bill of Rights
Roger Sherman was an early American politician, lawyer, and Founding Father of the United States. He is the only person to have signed all four great state papers: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution.
Sherman is known for his stance against paper money, which is reflected in his authoring of Article I, Section 10 of the United States Constitution. He believed that the government should not have the power to emit bills of credit or make anything other than gold and silver coin a valid form of payment. He saw paper money as a threat to the stability and integrity of the economy and wanted to ensure that the government could not use it to manipulate or control the financial system.
Sherman also played a role in the creation of the Bill of Rights. He was a member of the Constitutional Convention, which produced the United States Constitution, and he was a strong supporter of federalism. He believed that the rights of the states needed to be protected against encroachments by the federal government. However, he also wanted to ensure that the national government had the power to raise revenue and regulate commerce. He saw the convention as a means to modify the already existing government, rather than create a new one.
Sherman's views on the Bill of Rights were shaped by his experiences in Connecticut, which was a highly isolationist state. Connecticut operated with little dependence on other states, using its ports to trade directly with the West Indies. He believed that the people lacked the wisdom to govern themselves and that a strong national government was necessary to protect the rights and interests of the states.
Sherman's contributions to the Bill of Rights were influenced by his desire to balance the powers of the federal government and the states, and to protect the rights and interests of the American people, particularly those of Connecticut. He was a strong advocate for federalism and believed that a central government was necessary to address national needs and handle international affairs.
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Sherman's involvement in the Continental Congress
Roger Sherman was a longtime and influential member of the Continental Congress. He was a delegate to the Second Continental Congress in Philadelphia, where he signed the Continental Association, imposing an economic boycott on all British trade. He also signed the Declaration of Independence in 1776 and helped draft the Articles of Confederation.
As a member of the Committee of Five, Sherman played a significant role in drafting the Declaration of Independence. He was also appointed to the committee of 13, tasked with preparing a draft constitution for the new nation. During the debates, Sherman proposed a bicameral national legislature, with equal representation for all states. However, his proposal was rejected in favour of a unicameral legislature, which became the basis for the Articles of Confederation.
Sherman was a vocal and persistent member of the Constitutional Convention in 1787, where he actively defended the rights of smaller states. He is known for his plan, the Connecticut (or Great) Compromise, which provided for a bicameral legislature with a dual system of representation. This compromise prevented a deadlock at the convention and established the foundation of the current federal government system.
Sherman 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. He was a strong supporter of Alexander Hamilton's proposals, including the assumption of state debts and the establishment of a national bank.
Roger Sherman is the only person to have signed all four significant documents in early US history: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution.
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His defence of smaller states
Roger Sherman was an early American politician, lawyer, and Founding Father of the United States. He is the only person to have signed all four great state papers: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution. Born in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1721, Sherman's early career was as a shoemaker and cordwainer (leatherworker). However, he had a natural ability with numbers, which helped him teach himself surveying, and he soon rose to become surveyor of New Haven County.
Sherman's defence of smaller states was a key part of his political career. During the Constitutional Convention of 1787, a critical difference emerged between larger states advocating for congressional representation based on population, and smaller states desiring equal representation regardless of size. Sherman proposed the Connecticut (or Great) Compromise, which provided for a bicameral legislature using a dual system of representation. In the House, representation would be based on a state's population, but in the Senate, each state would be equally represented. This compromise helped save the convention from disintegrating and established the basis of the present system of federal government.
Sherman's proposal for a bicameral national legislature was initially rejected by the committee of 13, which adopted a unicameral legislature and the Articles of Confederation. However, his proposal would later form the basis of the Connecticut Compromise, which was integral in shaping the country's new constitution. As a representative of Connecticut, a small state, Sherman was a vocal and persistent member of the convention, and his plan for representation of large and small states prevented a deadlock.
Sherman's defence of smaller states extended beyond the Constitutional Convention. He was a longtime member of the Continental Congress and supported nonimportation measures, heading the New Haven committee of correspondence. He also served on the Board of War in 1776 and the Board of Treasury, and was involved in issues of supply purchasing, Native American affairs, and the administration of the post office. In addition, Sherman was a delegate to the 1787 Philadelphia Convention, during which he supported Alexander Hamilton's proposal for federal assumption of states' debts, the establishment of a national bank, and the enactment of a tariff.
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Sherman's role as a Founding Father
Roger Sherman (1721-1793) was an early American politician, lawyer, and Founding Father of the United States. He is the only person to have signed all four great state papers of the US: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the Constitution.
Sherman was born in Newton, Massachusetts, and his family later moved to what became the town of Stoughton, Massachusetts. Sherman's early career was as a shoemaker, but he had a natural ability with numbers and taught himself surveying. He moved to Connecticut in 1743 and was appointed surveyor of New Haven County. He also began a legal career, despite a lack of formal education, and was admitted to the bar in 1754. He held numerous public offices, serving several terms in the Connecticut legislature between 1755 and 1766. He was a justice of the peace in Litchfield County and eventually rose to become a judge of the superior court, a post he held into the 1780s.
Sherman was an early supporter of American independence from Britain and a member of the Continental Congress. He was appointed to the Committee of Five that drafted the Declaration of Independence. He also served on the committee of 13 that was responsible for preparing a draft constitution for the new nation. During the Constitutional Convention, he proposed a bicameral national legislature with equal representation for states, known as the Connecticut Compromise, which helped save the convention from disintegrating. Sherman was a vocal member of the convention, making motions or seconds 160 times, and was an ardent defender of the rights of smaller states.
After the ratification of the Constitution, Sherman 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. He supported Alexander Hamilton's proposal for federal assumption of states' debts and the establishment of a national bank.
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Frequently asked questions
Roger Sherman was an influential member of the Constitutional Convention of 1787. He was a vocal supporter of Alexander Hamilton's proposal for federal assumption of states' debts and is credited with fathering the Connecticut Compromise, which established the basis of the present system of federal government.
The Connecticut Compromise, also known as the Great Compromise, proposed a bicameral legislature using a dual system of representation. This meant that the size of representation in the House would be based on a state's population, but the size of each state's representation in the Senate would be equal.
Roger Sherman is the only person to have signed all four of the most significant documents in US history: the Continental Association, the Declaration of Independence, the Articles of Confederation, and the United States Constitution.
Roger Sherman was born in Newton, Massachusetts, in 1721. His family moved to Dorchester (now Stoughton) when he was two years old. Sherman had a limited education but was an avid reader and later became a lawyer and politician. He held numerous public offices and served several terms in the Connecticut legislature.
Roger Sherman was against the use of paper money. He authored Article I, Section 10 of the United States Constitution, which prohibited the states from coining money or emitting bills of credit. He believed that these measures would diminish the role and power of the states over the people.
