Eleanor Finch
The U.S. Constitution, which outlines the nation's federal government and how its 3 branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) are to function, was signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787, in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 55 delegates present at the convention, several famous Americans, including Edmund Randolph, George Mason, and Elbridge Gerry, chose not to sign the document. These men, and others who did not sign, had concerns about the Constitution's power without a Bill of Rights, among other reasons.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of individuals selected to attend the Constitutional Convention | 70 |
| Number of individuals who did not accept or could not attend | 6 |
| Names of individuals who did not accept or could not attend | Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock |
| Number of delegates present at the convention | 55 |
| Number of delegates who signed the Constitution | 39 |
| Age of the youngest signer | 26 (Jonathan Dayton) |
| Age of the oldest signer | 81 (Benjamin Franklin) |
| Names of some individuals who did not sign | Edmund Randolph, George Mason, Elbridge Gerry |
| States that did not send delegates | Rhode Island |
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What You'll Learn
- Benjamin Franklin signed, despite not agreeing with everything in the document
- Three of the 42 delegates who remained refused to sign
- Edmund Randolph, George Mason, and Elbridge Gerry were vocal about their refusal to sign
- Rhode Island refused to send delegates to the convention
- The signatures of 55 delegates were needed to ratify the Constitution
Benjamin Franklin signed, despite not agreeing with everything in the document
Benjamin Franklin, aged 81, was the oldest delegate at the Constitutional Convention. He was so infirm that he had to be carried to sessions in a sedan chair. Despite not agreeing with everything in the document, he signed the Constitution. In his longest speech at the convention, he said:
> "I confess that there are several parts of this Constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them. For having lived long, I have experienced many instances of being obliged by better information, or fuller consideration, to change opinions even on important subjects, which I once thought right, but found to be otherwise. It is therefore that the older I grow, the more apt I am to doubt my own judgment, and to pay more respect to the judgment of others."
Franklin also noted that the Constitution was near to perfection. He agreed to the Constitution despite its faults, because he believed a general government was necessary for the country. He also doubted that any other convention could make a better Constitution.
Franklin's motion regarding the form of the signing passed 10-1. He then moved that the Constitution be signed by the members, and offered the following as a convenient form: "Done in Convention, by the unanimous consent of the States present the 17th. of Sepr. &c--In Witness whereof we have hereunto subscribed our names."
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Three of the 42 delegates who remained refused to sign
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 55 delegates who attended the convention, only 39 endorsed the Constitution. The remaining three of the 42 delegates who remained refused to sign the document.
Edmund Randolph and George Mason, both from Virginia, and Elbridge Gerry from Massachusetts were the most vocal of those who did not sign. Randolph, for instance, stated that he was taking a step that might be the most awful of his life, but his conscience dictated that it was not possible for him to hesitate or change his mind. Gerry, on the other hand, believed that the Constitution combined the negative aspects of two opposing views: one devoted to democracy, and the other as violent in the opposite extreme. He, along with Randolph and Mason, opposed the Constitution because it did not contain a Bill of Rights.
Benjamin Franklin, the oldest signer at 81, summed up the sentiments of those who did sign, stating that there were parts of the Constitution that he did not presently approve, but he was unsure if he would ever approve of them. He accepted the Constitution because he expected no better and was unsure if it was not the best.
The 39 delegates who signed the Constitution represented 12 states, with Rhode Island being the only state that did not send any delegates to the convention. The signing of the United States Constitution is considered one of the most remarkable achievements in human history.
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Edmund Randolph, George Mason, and Elbridge Gerry were vocal about their refusal to sign
Of the 55 delegates present at the Constitutional Convention, 39 signed the US Constitution. Among the delegates who chose not to sign was Edmund Randolph, a Founding Father of the United States, the seventh Governor of Virginia, and the first US Attorney General. Randolph introduced the Virginia Plan as an outline for a new national government, which was eventually revised into the final draft of the US Constitution. However, Randolph did not agree with all the revisions made to the original Virginia Plan and wanted increased protections for individuals. In refusing to sign, he declared:
> In refusing to sign the Constitution, I take a step which might be the most awful of my life, but it is dictated by my conscience, and it is not possible for me to hesitate, much less, to change.
Another vocal opponent of the Constitution was Elbridge Gerry from Massachusetts. Gerry believed that the Constitution combined the negative aspects of two opposing views: "one devoted to democracy, the worst of all political evils, the other as violent in the opposite extreme." He did not believe that the government created under it would succeed. Gerry is considered a Founding Father in dissent, and his opposition to the Constitution helped inspire the Bill of Rights.
The third famous American who did not sign the Constitution was George Mason, also from Virginia. Mason was a prominent figure in his home state and the main author of the Virginia Declaration of Rights and the Constitution of Virginia. He believed that the Constitution gave too much power to a central government and needed a Bill of Rights to guarantee individual liberty. Mason's refusal to sign cost him dearly, as he lost the friendship of George Washington and others. He is sometimes referred to as the "Forgotten Founder," as he is often uncredited for originating many of the core concepts and language later incorporated into the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.
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Rhode Island refused to send delegates to the convention
The state of Rhode Island refused to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787, becoming the only state not to participate in its proceedings. This decision was influenced by strong local doctrines and traditions, including religious freedom, church-state separation, democracy, federalism, and local autonomy. Rhode Island had a reputation for opposing a closer union with the other former British colonies and valued its state sovereignty.
The Convention, held in Philadelphia, produced a new Constitution, drafted by James Madison, which Rhode Island also refused to ratify. This refusal was due to several reasons, including the absence of a Bill of Rights, the assent given to slavery in multiple clauses, the threat to state sovereignty, and the specified use of a convention rather than a popular referendum for ratification. Rhode Island held its own referendum in March 1788, in defiance of the convention directive, and the proposed Constitution was overwhelmingly rejected.
Rhode Island's opposition to the Constitution continued even after it took effect on March 4, 1789. The state still had not ratified the document and operated outside the new governmental structure. The new Constitution faced strong resistance in Rhode Island due to the issuance of paper money in Rhode Island pounds by the governing Country Party, which was intended to pay off debts incurred during the war. This created a unique economic situation in the state that was at odds with the rest of the country.
It was not until 1790, facing the threat of a trade embargo by the United States, that Rhode Island finally capitulated and ratified the Constitution. However, the ratification came with a lengthy list of caveats and proposed amendments, including the abolition of the slave trade. Rhode Island's history with the Constitution demonstrates a commitment to its local values and a willingness to stand apart from the rest of the country in pursuit of those values.
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The signatures of 55 delegates were needed to ratify the Constitution
The signing of the US Constitution was a significant event in the country's history, marking a shift towards a stronger, more centralized government. The process began with the call for a constitutional convention in 1787, led by Alexander Hamilton, who recognized the need for a stronger central government that could address the limitations of the Articles of Confederation.
The Continental Congress, acknowledging these weaknesses, resolved to gather delegates from the states in Philadelphia to revise the Articles. This Federal Convention, as it was called, saw 55 delegates in attendance out of the 70 appointed by the 12 original states (excluding Rhode Island, which did not send any delegates). The delegates, many of whom had served in the Continental or Confederation Congresses, convened in the Pennsylvania State House in May 1787.
The convention witnessed passionate debates, with delegates advocating for various forms of government. One of the most influential plans presented was the "Virginia Plan," proposed by Edmund Randolph of Virginia, which called for a complete departure from the Articles of Confederation and the establishment of a strong central government based on popular consent and proportional representation.
The outcome of these discussions was the creation of a new form of government, outlined in the US Constitution. On September 17, 1787, the Convention concluded with the signing of this document by 38 or 39 out of the 41 or 55 delegates present. It's important to note that some delegates chose not to sign, expressing their concerns about the absence of a Bill of Rights to protect individual freedoms.
The signatures of 55 delegates were indeed crucial for ratifying the Constitution. According to Article VII, the document would only become binding once it was ratified by nine of the 13 existing states. The process of achieving this threshold, however, took ten months of intense debate and advocacy. The first state to ratify was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. The remaining states, including Massachusetts, Maryland, South Carolina, and New Hampshire, gradually came on board, with New Hampshire being the ninth and final state needed for ratification in June 1788.
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