Key Players Behind The Us Constitution

The drafting of the U.S. Constitution was a collaborative effort involving many key players. The process began with the Constitutional Convention, which assembled in Philadelphia in May 1787. Fifty-five delegates attended, chosen by their state legislatures, with instructions from Congress to revise the failing Articles of Confederation. The delegates included George Washington, who served as the convention's president, as well as James Madison, Alexander Hamilton, and Benjamin Franklin. The convention was marked by fierce debates and compromises on issues such as congressional representation and slavery. A “Committee of Detail” was elected to draft a detailed constitution, including John Rutledge, Edmund Randolph, Nathaniel Gorham, Oliver Ellsworth, and James Wilson. After reviewing a rough draft by Randolph, the committee presented a working draft on August 6, 1787. A Committee of Style and Arrangement, including Hamilton, William Johnson, Rufus King, Madison, and Gouverneur Morris, was then appointed to revise and condense the draft into its final form. Morris, known as the penman of the Constitution, contributed significantly to the final text, including coining the famous phrase We the People. The final draft was completed and signed by the delegates on September 17, 1787, and ratified on June 21, 1788.

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The Committee of Detail

The drafting of the United States Constitution began on May 25, 1787, when the Constitutional Convention met for the first time at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The Constitutional Convention was called to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was the first constitution of the United States. However, the Convention soon abandoned the Articles, drafting a new Constitution with a much stronger national government.

On July 24, 1787, after two months of fierce debate, the delegates appointed a Committee of Detail to put its decisions in writing. The Committee of Detail was composed of John Rutledge (South Carolina), Edmund Randolph (Virginia), Nathaniel Gorham (Massachusetts), Oliver Ellsworth (Connecticut), and James Wilson (Pennsylvania). The committee first studied the Convention's resolutions, state constitutions, the Articles of Confederation, and other applicable reports and documents. Then, Edmund Randolph of Virginia wrote out a rough draft of a constitution, which James Wilson revised. A clean copy was sent to prominent Philadelphia printers John Dunlap and David Claypoole, who printed copies for use by the delegates. The draft was kept secret to avoid controversy.

On August 6, 1787, John Rutledge delivered a working draft of the proposed Constitution and provided printed copies to the delegates. The report of the committee conformed to the resolutions adopted by the convention, adding some elements. A twenty-three article (plus preamble) constitution was presented. From August 6 to September 10, the report of the committee of detail was discussed, section by section and clause by clause. Details were attended to, and further compromises were effected.

The Committee of Style and Arrangement

The draft Constitution received the unanimous approval of the state delegations. On September 17, 1787, 39 delegates signed the Constitution, with George Read signing for the absent John Dickinson of Delaware, bringing the total number of signatures to 39.

The Constitutional Convention

The drafting of the US Constitution began on May 25, 1787, at the Constitutional Convention, which was held at the Pennsylvania State House in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The convention was called to revise the Articles of Confederation, which was America's first constitution. However, the Convention soon abandoned the Articles, drafting a new Constitution with a much stronger national government.

To facilitate the drafting process, the convention appointed several committees, including the Committee of Detail, the Committee of Eleven, and the Committee of Style and Arrangement. The Committee of Detail, composed of John Rutledge, Edmund Randolph, Nathaniel Gorham, Oliver Ellsworth, and James Wilson, was tasked with writing the first draft of the Constitution. The Committee of Eleven addressed issues related to federal assumption of state debts, the method of choosing the president, and the impeachment of the president. The Committee of Style and Arrangement, which included Gouverneur Morris, Alexander Hamilton, and James Madison, was responsible for distilling the approved articles into a final draft. Morris, known as the "penman of the Constitution," played a significant role in shaping the final document.

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The Articles of Confederation

The Second Continental Congress, which began laying the groundwork for an independent United States, appointed three committees on June 11, 1776. One of these committees was tasked with determining the form the confederation of the colonies should take. This committee was composed of one representative from each colony, with John Dickinson, a delegate from Delaware, as the principal writer. The Dickinson Draft of the Articles of Confederation named the confederation "the United States of America".

The final draft of the Articles of Confederation was completed on November 15, 1777, after considerable debate and revision. Consensus was achieved by including language that guaranteed each state retained its sovereignty, leaving the matter of western land claims in the hands of individual states. The Articles also established a unicameral legislature with limited powers and outlined a Congress with representation not based on population—each state would have one vote in Congress.

However, the Articles of Confederation had several weaknesses. The national government had no enforcement powers, could not regulate commerce, and could not print money. The states' disputes over territory, war pensions, taxation, and trade threatened to tear the young country apart. The government's weaknesses became apparent, especially after Shays's Rebellion, and Alexander Hamilton and other prominent political thinkers began asking for changes to the Articles that would strengthen the powers afforded to the central government. In 1786, some states met to address interstate protectionist trade barriers, and a gathering was set in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787 to revise the Articles. This became the Constitutional Convention, which assembled delegates from across the states.

The ratification process

The founders set the terms for ratifying the Constitution, bypassing the state legislatures and calling for special ratifying conventions in each state. Ratification by 9 of the 13 states was required to enact the new government. The Federalists, who believed that a strong central government was necessary, needed to convert at least three states.

The first state to ratify the Constitution was Delaware on December 7, 1787, followed by Pennsylvania, New Jersey, Georgia, and Connecticut. Massachusetts became the sixth state to ratify the Constitution, but it requested that nineteen alterations be made. The tide turned in Massachusetts, where the “vote now, amend later” compromise helped secure victory in that state and eventually in the final holdouts. Maryland became the seventh state to ratify, followed by South Carolina as the eighth. New Hampshire became the ninth and final state needed to ratify the Constitution on June 21, 1788.

After ratification, Congress set dates for the first federal elections, which were held from December 15, 1788, to January 10, 1789, and the new government was set to begin on March 4, 1789. In the nation’s first presidential election, George Washington was elected President and John Adams was elected Vice President.

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