The Constitution: Those Who Didn't Sign It

The United States Constitution was signed by 39 of the 42 men present at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, on September 17, 1787. The remaining three men, George Mason, Elbridge Gerry, and Edmund Randolph, refused to sign because the Constitution lacked a bill of rights. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams, who were on diplomatic missions in Europe, were also among those who did not sign the document. The signatures on the Constitution served as an authentication of the document's validity, recording who signed it, when, and where.

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Elbridge Gerry, George Mason, and Edmund Randolph refused to sign

Elbridge Gerry, George Mason, and Edmund Randolph were among the Founding Fathers of the United States who refused to sign the Constitution.

Elbridge Gerry (1744-1814) was born in Marblehead, Massachusetts, to a wealthy family. He served in the colonial and revolutionary legislatures during the early 1770s and was part of the Continental Congress from 1775 to 1780 and again from 1783 to 1785, where he signed the Declaration of Independence. During his second term as governor of Massachusetts, Gerry approved a controversial redistricting plan that benefited the Republican Party, a tactic now known as "gerrymandering." Despite his refusal to sign the Constitution, he is recognized for his contributions to the founding of the nation and is featured in the mural of the members of the Constitutional Convention in the National Archives Building in Washington, D.C.

George Mason (1725-1792) was a prominent figure and plantation owner in Virginia, known for his counsel and friendship with George Washington. As a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, Mason refused to sign the Constitution because he believed it gave too much power to a central government and lacked a bill of rights to guarantee individual liberty. He also dissented due to the Convention's perceived reluctance to address the institution of slavery, despite being a slave owner himself. Mason's refusal cost him friendships and his place in history, earning him the title of the "Forgotten Founder." However, he is credited for originating core concepts and language later incorporated into the Declaration of Independence and the Bill of Rights.

Edmund Randolph (1753-1813), a delegate from Virginia and the seventh Governor of the state, also played a significant role in shaping the Constitution. He introduced the Virginia Plan, which served as an outline for a new national government. However, Randolph did not sign the final draft as he desired increased protections for individuals and disagreed with some revisions to the original plan. Interestingly, he reversed his position at the Virginia Ratifying Convention in 1788, where he assured Virginia's leaders that the Constitution would have minimal significance and that it would enter a league of sovereign states rather than a consolidated union.

These men, along with other Founding Fathers who refused to sign, held diverse reasons for their dissent, ranging from concerns over individual liberties to disagreements with specific provisions. Their actions and perspectives contribute to the complex history of the United States Constitution and the ongoing evolution of the nation's political landscape.

Rhode Island didn't send any delegates

Rhode Island was the only state that did not send any delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787. The state had a reputation for opposing a closer union with the other former British colonies that had formed the United States of America. This stance earned Rhode Island the nickname "Rogue Island".

The Constitutional Convention was called to discuss amendments to the Articles of Confederation, which were seen as having several shortcomings. However, Rhode Island refused to send a delegation and instead continued to operate outside the new governmental structure. The state's opposition was mainly due to its issuance of paper money, which had caused rampant inflation and made Rhode Island a symbol of what was wrong with the Confederation for many Americans.

Rhode Island vetoed an act of Congress, which gave it a functional veto power over amendments. This act earned the state additional deprecatory nicknames, including "the Perverse Sister", "an evil genius", and "the Quintessence of Villainy". The press war surrounding Rhode Island's opposition lasted for nearly ten years, from 1781 to 1787, when the Constitutional Convention began.

Despite its initial refusal to send delegates, Rhode Island eventually ratified the Constitution on May 29, 1790, after the United States threatened a trade embargo against the state for non-compliance. The state's ratification included a lengthy list of caveats and proposed amendments, such as the abolition of the slave trade.

Benjamin Franklin was the oldest signer at 81

Benjamin Franklin was the oldest signer of the US Constitution at 81. He was three times the age of the convention's youngest delegate, Jonathan Dayton, aged 26, and twice the average age of all the delegates, which was 41. At the time, Franklin was in poor health, suffering from obesity and gout, and had to be carried to the sessions in a sedan chair.

Franklin was the only person to sign the Declaration of Independence, the Treaty of Paris, peace with Britain, and the Constitution. He is remembered as one of America's most influential Founding Fathers, honoured on the $100 bill, and in the names of warships, towns, counties, educational institutions, and corporations.

Franklin earned the title of "The First American" for his early and passionate campaigning for colonial unity. He was also a prodigious inventor, with more than 30,000 letters and documents collected in The Papers of Benjamin Franklin.

During the Constitutional Convention, Franklin refused to publicly debate the issue of slavery. He did, however, help write a new constitution for the Pennsylvania Society for Promoting the Abolition of Slavery and became the organisation's president in 1787. Franklin's moderate temperament and ability to bring contending parties together served him well during the Convention.

In October 1787, before any state had ratified the Constitution, Franklin sent a copy of the document to a Paris banker, reflecting his optimistic and universal outlook.

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39 delegates signed the Constitution

The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 74 individuals selected to attend the Constitutional Convention, 55 attended the sessions, and only 39 signed the Constitution. The delegates represented 12 states, with Rhode Island being the only state that did not send any delegates.

The 39 signatures on the Constitution included the convention's secretary, William Jackson, who added a note to verify four amendments made by hand to the final document. The signatories were grouped by state, with the listing of states arranged from north to south. George Washington, as president of the Convention, signed first, followed by the other delegates.

The youngest signer was 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton, and the oldest was 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin, who was so infirm that he had to be carried to the sessions in a sedan chair. Franklin summed up the sentiments of those who signed the Constitution, acknowledging that while there were parts of the document he did not approve of, he accepted it because he "expected no better" and was "not sure that it [was] not the best".

The signing of the Constitution was preceded by a four-month-long convention, during which time the document was drafted. The Constitution laid out the framework for the nation's federal government and delineated how its three branches—the legislative, executive, and judicial—were to function. Of those who signed the document, virtually all had taken part in the American Revolution, seven had signed the Declaration of Independence, and 30 had served on active military duty.

42 delegates attended the signing ceremony

The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The signing ceremony was the culmination of a four-month-long convention, during which the Constitution was drafted and debated.

Seventy-four individuals were selected to attend the Constitutional Convention, but only 55 delegates attended the sessions. Of those 55, only 39 actually signed the Constitution. The delegates represented 12 states, with Rhode Island being the only state that did not send any delegates to the convention.

The final draft of the Constitution, presented to the convention on September 12, was the result of intense debates, revisions, and compromises. The document expanded the power of the central government while protecting the prerogatives of the states. The delegates who signed the Constitution endorsed it as individual witnesses of the unanimous consent of the states present, rather than on behalf of particular states.

Benjamin Franklin, at 81 years old, was the oldest delegate and had to be carried to the sessions in a sedan chair. Despite any perceived imperfections, Franklin strongly endorsed the Constitution and proposed that it be endorsed by the delegates unanimously. The language of the concluding endorsement, conceived by Gouverneur Morris and presented by Franklin, was made intentionally ambiguous to win over the votes of dissenting delegates.

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