Malcolm Rivera
The United States Constitution was signed by 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, representing 12 of the 13 states. The signing took place on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, and marked the end of a four-month-long convention. The delegates who signed the Constitution endorsed the document and declared their states' support for it. While some had reservations about certain parts of the Constitution, they felt it was the best that could be achieved at the time. The signatures of the 39 delegates are a record of their personal endorsement and state delegation support for the Constitution.
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The signing of the United States Constitution
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The signing of the Constitution was the culmination of a four-month-long Constitutional Convention that began in May 1787. The Convention, led by George Washington, brought together 55 delegates representing 12 of the 13 original states (all except Rhode Island, which did not send any delegates). The delegates engaged in intense and lengthy debates to create a new framework for the nation's government, replacing the weak central government established by the Articles of Confederation.
The final draft of the Constitution was endorsed by 39 delegates, with George Read signing on behalf of the absent John Dickinson. The youngest signer was Jonathan Dayton, aged 26, while Benjamin Franklin, at 81 years old and in poor health, was the oldest. Franklin, in a speech read by James Wilson, summed up the sentiments of those who signed the document despite their misgivings:
> "There are several parts of this Constitution which I do not at present approve, but I am not sure I shall never approve them. I doubt too whether any other Convention we can obtain, may be able to make a better Constitution. I expect no better and because I am not sure that it is not the best."
The signing of the Constitution marked a significant step towards establishing a new federal government with three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. It laid the foundation for a more perfect union and reflected the aspirations of a young nation seeking to secure its freedom and future.
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Those who signed
The US Constitution, which lays out the framework for the nation's federal government and outlines how its three branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) should function, was signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. These 39 delegates represented 12 of the 13 states (all except Rhode Island, which refused to send delegates). The signing of the Constitution was the culmination of a four-month-long convention, during which the delegates debated, compromised, and drafted the document that would go on to shape the political world.
The 39 individuals who signed the Constitution included Jonathan Dayton, the youngest signer at 26, and Benjamin Franklin, the oldest at 81, who was so infirm that he had to be carried to the sessions in a sedan chair. Franklin, a respected statesman and delegate from Pennsylvania, summed up the sentiments of those who signed, expressing that while he did not approve of every part of the Constitution, he was willing to accept it as the best option at the time.
Other notable signers included George Read, an attorney and politician from Delaware, who took a controversial stance by proposing the abolition of individual state governments in favour of a central government. Gunning Bedford, Jr., a lawyer and politician from Delaware, shared Read's concerns about the representation of smaller states and the limitations of the central government's power. John Dickinson, a delegate from Delaware, supported a strong central government but resented the power asserted by the nationalists. Due to illness, he authorised George Read to sign the Constitution on his behalf.
The signers of the Constitution represented a cross-section of 18th-century American leadership, with experience in local, colonial, and state governments. Virtually all of them had participated in the American Revolution, seven had signed the Declaration of Independence, and thirty had served on active military duty. By signing the Constitution, they gave personal endorsement and state delegation support, signalling their support for the document and the compromises made during its creation.
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Those who didn't sign
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 55 delegates present at the convention, 39 signed the document.
Edmund Randolph, George Mason, and Elbridge Gerry were the most vocal opponents of the Constitution and refused to sign. Randolph, from Virginia, declared that his refusal to sign was "dictated by my conscience, and it is not possible for me to hesitate, much less, to change." Gerry, from Massachusetts, believed that the Constitution combined the negative aspects of democracy and its opposite extreme, and that it would never succeed.
Other delegates who chose not to sign the Constitution include William L. Pierce, Caleb Strong, and Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock, who did not accept or could not attend the convention. Strong, a lawyer and politician, disagreed with the use of an electoral college to elect the president and left the convention early due to his wife's ill health.
Some delegates decided not to sign to signal their concerns about the Constitution's lack of a Bill of Rights, which would specifically outline and protect individual freedoms.
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Amendments and authentication
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 74 delegates chosen to attend the Constitutional Convention, 55 participated, and 39 signed the Constitution. The youngest signer was 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton, and the oldest was 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin.
The US Constitution can be amended, or changed, through a process outlined in Article V. This article states that amendments can be proposed by Congress or by a convention called for by two-thirds of the state legislatures. For an amendment to become part of the Constitution, it must be ratified by either three-fourths of state legislatures or state ratifying conventions, depending on the mode of ratification proposed by Congress. This process can be influenced by deadlines set by Congress, as affirmed in 1939 by the Supreme Court of the United States in Coleman v. Miller.
The Archivist of the United States is responsible for certifying that an amendment has been ratified after receiving official notice from three-fourths of the states. The Archivist publishes the amendment's text along with a list of states that have adopted it. This duty has been performed by various Executive Branch officials since the early days of the nation, with the role assigned to the Secretary of State in 1818.
The closing endorsement of the US Constitution, which includes the signatures of the delegates, serves an authentication function. It provides documentation of the Constitution's validity and records who signed, when, and where. Additionally, the convention's secretary, William Jackson, signed the document to authenticate corrections and amendments made by hand to the final draft.
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The signing's impact
The signing of the United States Constitution occurred on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, representing 12 states, endorsed the Constitution. The signing of the Constitution had a significant impact, both within the United States and globally.
Impact within the United States
The signing of the Constitution united the 13 states under a single governing document, addressing the disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade that had threatened to tear the young country apart. The Constitution introduced novel governmental doctrines and practices, such as checks and balances, separation of powers between the legislative, executive, and judicial branches, and defining said powers. It also established a powerful central government, balancing the interests and views of the individual states.
Global Influence
The United States Constitution has had a profound impact on legal thinking and the adaptation of emerging nations. It has served as a model for independence movements, particularly after World War II, with African self-rule in the 1950s and 1960s drawing inspiration from it when creating courts and defining powers. Nationalists such as Jose Rizal of the Philippines and Sun Yat-sen of China also drew inspiration from the Constitution in their calls for political reform and the establishment of republican governments. The Constitution's influence on global legal thinking and government structures has been significant and long-lasting.
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Frequently asked questions
39 delegates signed the US Constitution.
26-year-old Jonathan Dayton was the youngest signer.
Benjamin Franklin, aged 81, was the oldest signer.
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787.
The US Constitution was signed at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
