Malcolm Rivera
The United States Constitution was signed by 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, representing 12 states (all except Rhode Island, which did not send any delegates). The delegates included politicians, lawyers, merchants, and military men. George Washington, the Convention President, was a Virginia planter and Commander-in-Chief of the Continental Army, known as the Father of the Country. Other notable signers include Benjamin Franklin, the oldest delegate at 81, and Jonathan Dayton, the youngest signer at 26. Many of the signers had served in the Continental forces during the Revolution, and some, like Rufus King, had graduated from Harvard. These men came from diverse backgrounds but shared a commitment to shaping the future of the United States.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of individuals selected to attend the Constitutional Convention | 70 or 74 |
| Number of individuals who attended the Constitutional Convention | 55 |
| Number of individuals who signed the Constitution | 39 |
| Age range of the signers | 26-81 |
| Occupations of the signers | Lawyers, merchants, politicians, military leaders, planters, colonial officials, educators |
| Places of birth of the signers | Thirteen colonies, Ireland, England, Scotland, West Indies |
| Notable actions at the Convention | Endorsement of the Constitution, creation of the Connecticut Compromise, negotiation of the Great Compromise, advocacy for equal representation of small states |
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What You'll Learn
Military backgrounds
Many of the signers of the US Constitution had military backgrounds. Virtually every signer had taken part in the American Revolution, and at least 29 had served in the Continental forces, most of them in positions of command.
Rufus King, for example, briefly served as an aide to a General during the Revolution. William Paterson served in various legal positions during the war, including Attorney General for New Jersey.
The most notable military figure among the signers, however, was George Washington. Washington served as Commander in Chief of the Continental Army during the Revolution, leading the American forces to victory over the British. By resigning his commission at the close of the war, Washington ensured that democratic civilian authority would prevail in the new nation. His authority and support were critical to the success of the Constitutional Convention.
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Lawyers
Several of the signers of the US Constitution were lawyers. Gunning Bedford Jr. was a lawyer who transitioned into politics after the American Revolution. He was serving as Attorney General for Delaware when he was called to serve in the delegation to the Convention. John Dickinson practised law before serving in the Pennsylvania assembly and authoring several documents speaking out against unjust taxation. Rufus King graduated from Harvard before briefly serving as an aide to a General. He then started a law practice in Newburyport, Massachusetts, and began his political career by serving in the Massachusetts Legislature. William Paterson studied law under Richard Stockton, a signer of the Declaration of Independence. During the American Revolution, he served in various legal positions, including Attorney General for New Jersey. After the war, he retreated from public life to private law practice. Jared Ingersoll became one of the most prominent lawyers of his day. He received his education at Yale and London's Middle Temple and later engaged in a successful legal practice and political career. He served in the Continental Congress during the Revolutionary War.
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Politicians
Several of the 39 signers of the US Constitution were politicians, some of whom had also served in the military. George Washington, for example, was Commander in Chief of the Continental Army and led the American forces to victory over the British. He was unanimously chosen by the Electoral College as the first President of the United States.
Rufus King, who served as a Massachusetts delegate to the Continental Congress from 1784 to 1786, also had a military background, having served as an aide to a General during the American Revolution. John Dickinson, who began his political career in Pennsylvania, practised law and served in the Pennsylvania assembly. He wrote several documents opposing the Stamp Act and unjust taxation.
Gunning Bedford Jr. was Attorney General for Delaware and served in the delegation to the Convention. He stirred controversy with his allusions to smaller states seeking allegiance with other countries if the Constitution did not protect them. He advocated for equal representation of smaller states and limitations on the powers of the central government.
William Samuel Johnson, a career politician for Connecticut, was another strong supporter of equal representation for small states and the Connecticut Compromise. He served as chair of the Committee of Style, which crafted the final version of the Constitution.
Other politicians who signed the Constitution include John Langdon, a New Hampshire merchant and senator; Nicholas Gilman, a New Hampshire merchant and congressman; and Nathaniel Gorham, a successful businessman who was active in local and colonial politics before the Revolutionary War.
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Merchants
Several merchants were among the signers of the US Constitution. John Langdon (1741-1819) was a wealthy merchant from Portsmouth, New Hampshire, who served in the US Senate from 1789 to 1801. He was also a state legislator and governor before and after his time in Congress. Nicholas Gilman (1755-1814), also from New Hampshire, was another merchant who signed the Constitution. Gilman served in the Confederation Congress and went on to serve in the House and the Senate, although he had a relatively inconspicuous congressional career. Nathaniel Gorham (1738-1796), born into a moderately successful merchant family in Charlestown, established a successful business of his own and became active in local and colonial politics before the Revolutionary War. He served in the Continental Congress, including a year as its president, and held the influential role of chairman of the Committee of the Whole at the Constitutional Convention. After the Convention, he left politics to pursue a real estate venture, which ultimately left him bankrupt. Thomas FitzSimons (1741-1811) of Pennsylvania was a Philadelphia merchant who later served in the US House from 1789 to 1795. He was one of only two Catholic signers of the Constitution.
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Planters
The planter class was a racial and socioeconomic class that emerged in the Americas during European colonization in the early modern period. Members of the planter class were primarily of European descent and consisted of individuals who owned or were financially connected to plantations. These plantations were large-scale farms that produced cash crops in high demand across European and American markets, such as tobacco, sugarcane, cotton, indigo, coffee, tea, cocoa, and fruits.
The planter class in North America formed part of the American gentry. In the state of North Carolina, the planter class of the eastern coastal area, who grew tobacco and rice, originated primarily from England and the Scottish Highlands. The western part of the state, in contrast, was populated by non-slave-owning yeomen farmers of Scots-Irish descent. During the American Revolution, the plantation class remained loyal to the British crown, causing conflict with the majority of the state population who supported American independence.
The establishment of plantations in the Americas was driven by the economic potential of growing cash crops that were in high demand in Europe. Initially, these plantations relied on the labor of indentured servants from Europe, but they were later replaced by enslaved Africans brought over through the Atlantic slave trade. The triangular trade pattern that emerged involved European goods being exchanged for slaves in Africa, who were then brought to the Americas to be sold to colonists. These colonists, often members of the planter class, subjected the enslaved Africans to brutal mistreatment and forced them to produce cash crops that were then shipped back to Europe.
The abolition of slavery in the late 18th and early 19th centuries led to a decline in the fortunes of the planter class. While they initially responded by importing indentured servants from Asia, by the 20th century, the planter class had lost its political and social influence in both the Americas and Europe.
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