Isabella Carter
The Federal Convention of 1787 saw 39 delegates sign the United States Constitution, with several delegates from New Jersey in attendance. One of these was William Paterson, who proposed the New Jersey Plan, which retained the essential features of the original Articles of Confederation. Another delegate was Jonathan Dayton, who divided his time between land speculation, legal practice, and politics. A third delegate was David Brearly, a lawyer and colonel in the militia who had previously been arrested by the British for high treason.
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What You'll Learn
The Federal Convention of 1787
The convention was initially intended to revise the existing Articles of Confederation, but it became clear by mid-June that the delegates would instead draft an entirely new frame of government. This new government would be based on a series of checks and balances, dividing federal authority between the legislative, judicial, and executive branches. Leading up to the convention, James Madison of Virginia, a leading proponent, studied historical republics and confederacies and drafted a document titled "Vices of the Political System of the United States," which offered solutions to the weaknesses of the American political system. Madison's ideas, along with those of other proponents like Alexander Hamilton of New York, influenced the direction of the convention.
The delegates to the convention, including those from New Jersey, such as Jonathan Dayton, William Paterson, and David Brearly, debated and ratified the Constitution of the United States. The discussions and votes were kept secret, and the windows of the meeting hall were nailed shut to ensure privacy. The final document, consisting of four pages, was signed on September 17, 1787, establishing the government of the United States. It came into effect in 1789 after the necessary number of state ratifications and has served as the basis of the country's government ever since.
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Signers included Brearly and Dayton
Signers of the US Constitution from New Jersey included Jonathan Dayton and David Brearly. The Federal Convention of 1787, which saw the drafting and signing of the US Constitution, was attended by 59 delegates from 13 delegations, with New Jersey being one of them.
David Brearly, born in 1745, was a descendant of a family from Yorkshire, England, who migrated to New Jersey around 1680. He was a lawyer and an avid supporter of the Revolutionary cause. He was arrested by the British for high treason but was freed by a group of patriots. During the War for Independence, he rose from captain to colonel in the militia. In 1779, he was elected chief justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court, a position he held until 1789. He was also one of the leading members of the Masonic Order in New Jersey and served as a delegate to the Episcopal General Conference in 1786.
Jonathan Dayton, on the other hand, was born in 1760 in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He studied law and established a legal practice. During the 1780s, he divided his time between land speculation, legal practice, and politics. He was chosen as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787 after the leaders of his political faction, including his father and patron, declined to attend. Although he objected to some provisions of the Constitution, he ultimately signed it. After the convention, Dayton became a prominent Federalist legislator in the new government.
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William Paterson drafted the NJ Plan
The New Jersey Plan was one of two major competing proposals for the structure and functioning of the United States government, introduced at the Constitutional Convention in 1787 in Philadelphia. It was drafted and presented by William Paterson, who was one of five delegates from New Jersey and the head of the state's delegation. Paterson had previously served as New Jersey's first attorney general and worked as a lawyer.
The New Jersey Plan was introduced on June 15, 1787, and was intended to benefit small states such as New Jersey, Delaware, and Maryland. Its most significant proposal called for equal representation for states in a unicameral legislature, regardless of their population. This would prevent larger states, such as New York and Virginia, from having a greater number of representatives and, therefore, more power. The plan also proposed that the Congress of the Confederation be maintained but with substantially expanded powers. Specifically, in addition to the powers it already held under the Articles of Confederation, Congress would gain the authority to raise funds via tariffs and other measures and to regulate interstate commerce and commerce with other nations.
The New Jersey Plan was drafted in response to the Virginia Plan, which had been presented by delegates from Virginia, most notably the state's governor, Edmund Randolph. The Virginia Plan, largely written by Virginian James Madison, proposed a bicameral system with proportional representation based on state population in the House.
On June 19, the delegates rejected the New Jersey Plan. Three states voted in favor, seven voted against, and one was divided. Even delegates who helped Paterson author the plan, such as Connecticut's Roger Sherman, voted against it. The convention ultimately chose the Virginia Plan, and delegates spent the next month working out the details of what became known as the Great Compromise or the Connecticut Compromise. This compromise combined elements of both plans to address the concerns of less populous states.
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The Constitution was signed in Philadelphia
The Constitution of the United States was signed in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, in 1787. George Washington of Virginia presided over the Federal Convention, which was convened to revise the Articles of Confederation, the first national government established six years prior. The Articles of Confederation had failed to empower the central government to carry out essential functions, such as raising revenue, conducting diplomatic relations, and managing western territories effectively.
The convention in Philadelphia debated competing proposals from May to July 1787, including the "New Jersey Plan," drafted by William Paterson, which retained the essential features of the original Articles. The delegates' sharpest disagreements were resolved by prescribing a bicameral legislature with proportional representation in the House and equal state representation in the Senate. This report, dubbed the Great Compromise, smoothed over many contentious points.
After two more months of intense debates and revisions, the delegates produced the document we now know as the Constitution, which expanded the power of the central government while protecting the prerogatives of the states. A total of 39 delegates signed the Constitution, including Jonathan Dayton, one of the New Jersey delegates.
Another New Jersey delegate, William Livingston, did not sign the Constitution. He objected to the document's lack of a bill of rights and, instead, issued a lengthy statement detailing his objections.
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The Constitution expanded central government powers
The US Constitution was created in 1787 by 55 delegates who met in Philadelphia. The delegates included men from New Jersey, such as Brearly, who was born in Trenton, New Jersey, in 1745 and had avidly backed the Revolutionary cause. Another delegate, Jonathan Dayton, was born in New Jersey in 1760 and had a career in law and politics.
The Constitution was designed to allay fears of a too-powerful central government and to solve the problems that had beleaguered the national government. The delegates wanted to strengthen the role and authority of the national government but also feared creating a central government that was too powerful. They wished to preserve state autonomy while also ensuring the states could work together collectively.
> make all Laws which shall be necessary and proper for carrying into Execution the foregoing [enumerated] Powers, and all other Powers vested by this Constitution in the Government of the United States, or in any Department or Officer thereof.
This clause has been used by the Court to expand federal regulatory power, particularly during the era of New Deal Federalism. The Necessary and Proper Clause, along with the Commerce Clause, were relied upon to expand Congress's reach.
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Frequently asked questions
The delegates from New Jersey who signed the US Constitution were Brearly, Dayton, and William Paterson.
Brearly was a descendant of a family from Yorkshire, England, who avidly supported the Revolutionary cause. He was born in 1745 and practiced law in Allentown, NJ.
During the War for Independence, Brearly rose from captain to colonel in the militia. In 1779, he was elected chief justice of the New Jersey Supreme Court.
After the war, Dayton returned home, studied law, and established a practice. He sat in the assembly in 1786-87 and was chosen as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
The "New Jersey Plan" was drafted by William Paterson and proposed a unicameral legislature where all states had equal representation, the appointment of a plural executive, and a supreme court of limited jurisdiction.
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