Isabella Carter
The US Constitution was signed by 39 delegates, including George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, and Abraham Baldwin. However, not everyone who helped draft the document signed it. Edmund Randolph, George Mason, and Elbridge Gerry were among those who chose not to sign, citing concerns about the lack of a Bill of Rights and the potential for the central government to become too powerful. Rhode Island also refused to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention, and several other individuals who were appointed to attend did not accept or were unable to do so.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Number of delegates selected | 74 |
| Number of delegates who attended | 55 |
| Number of delegates who signed | 39 |
| Number of states represented | 12 |
| States not represented | Rhode Island |
| Signers' ages | 26-81 |
| Signers' names | George Washington, Benjamin Franklin, Jonathan Dayton, and others |
| Reasons for not signing | Lack of specific statements of rights, such as freedom of speech, freedom of religion, and freedom of the press |
| Notable non-signers | Edmund Randolph, George Mason, Elbridge Gerry, Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Samuel Adams, John Hancock |
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What You'll Learn
Rhode Island refused to send delegates to the convention
The US Constitution was signed by 39 delegates, representing 12 of the 13 states. Rhode Island was the only state that refused to send delegates to the Constitutional Convention in 1787.
Rhode Island's opposition was due to several factors. Firstly, the state had concerns about the centralisation of power in the federal government at the expense of state authority. Rhode Islanders also wished to continue printing their own paper money, which would have been prohibited under the new Constitution. The state's large Quaker population objected to provisions in the Constitution that permitted the slave trade. Additionally, Rhode Island wanted further limitations on federal power, including checks and balances on congressional authority.
Rhode Island's absence from the Constitutional Convention earned it a number of deprecatory nicknames, including "Rogue Island" and "the Perverse Sister". The state's reputation for opposing a closer union with the other former British colonies led to negative press coverage. However, despite its initial refusal to send delegates, Rhode Island eventually ratified the Constitution in 1790 due to threats of secession from other states and a potential trade embargo.
The ratification process in Rhode Island was marked by internal divisions, with some citizens boycotting the vote. The state's General Assembly attached a lengthy list of caveats and proposed amendments to its ratification, including the abolition of the slave trade and protections for religious freedom. Rhode Island's delayed ratification meant that it was the last state to formally approve the Constitution, more than a year after it went into effect.
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74 individuals were selected to attend, but only 55 attended
The United States Constitution was not signed into effect. Instead, the states had to ratify the Constitution, and nine of the 13 states had to approve it for it to become law. Many of the men who had debated and drafted the Constitution signed their names to the document, showing their support and endorsement. However, it is important to note that their signatures did not necessarily indicate full agreement with every detail in the document.
The original states, except Rhode Island, collectively appointed 70 to 74 individuals to the Constitutional Convention. A number of these individuals did not accept or could not attend, including Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock. In total, 55 delegates attended the sessions, but only 39 actually signed the Constitution.
The delegates ranged in age from Jonathan Dayton, aged 26, to Benjamin Franklin, aged 81. Franklin, a respected statesman and delegate representing Pennsylvania, summed up the sentiments of those who did sign, expressing that while he did not approve of every part of the Constitution, he expected no better and believed it was the best that could be achieved at the time. Franklin's closing endorsement of the U.S. Constitution served an authentication function, documenting the validity of the Constitution and the unanimous consent of the states present.
Several attendees left before the signing ceremony, and three of the 42 who remained refused to sign. The most notable non-signers were Edmund Randolph and George Mason from Virginia, and Elbridge Gerry from Massachusetts. These men had strong concerns about the Constitution's power and the lack of a specific Bill of Rights protecting individual freedoms.
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39 delegates signed the constitution
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, representing 12 states, endorsed the Constitution. All but Rhode Island, which declined to send delegates, were present.
The 39 delegates who signed the Constitution were witnesses to the unanimous consent of the states present. They signed as individuals, rather than on behalf of their states. The signatures were accompanied by a brief declaration stating that the delegates' work had been completed and that those who signed the document subscribed to its final form.
The names of the 39 delegates are inscribed upon the proposed constitution. The convention's secretary, William Jackson, also signed the document to authenticate some corrections, though he was not himself a delegate. George Washington, as president of the Convention, signed first, followed by the other delegates, grouped by states from north to south.
Jonathan Dayton, aged 26, was the youngest to sign the Constitution, while Benjamin Franklin, aged 81, was the oldest. Franklin was also the first signer to die, in April 1790, and James Madison was the last, dying in June 1836.
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Notable non-signers include Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Samuel Adams
Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, and Samuel Adams were all notable figures in the history of the United States who did not sign the US Constitution. Here is some more information about each of these individuals:
Thomas Jefferson
Thomas Jefferson was a key figure in the American Revolution and the third president of the United States. He was serving as the United States minister in France when the Federal Constitution was written in 1787, and so he did not sign it. However, he remained well-informed about events in America through his correspondence with James Madison, and he was able to influence the development of the federal government through his letters. Later, as the first secretary of state, vice president, and leader of the first political opposition party, Jefferson played a crucial role in shaping the powers of the Constitution and the nature of the emerging republic. He also sought to establish a federal government of limited powers and believed in a strong separation of church and state.
John Adams
John Adams was the first president of the United States from the North and the second cousin of Samuel Adams. He was a prominent public figure and a very active member of Congress, engaging with up to ninety committees and chairing twenty-five during the second Continental Congress. In 1776, he offered a resolution that amounted to a declaration of independence from Great Britain, and he was a fierce advocate for the Declaration drafted by Thomas Jefferson. Adams was also involved in negotiations to establish a commercial treaty with Britain and end the war. He was elected as the Vice President of the United States in 1789 and then served as President from 1796 to 1801.
Samuel Adams
Samuel Adams was a politician and leader of the Massachusetts "radicals" during the American Revolution. He was a delegate to the Continental Congress from 1774 to 1781 and a signer of the Declaration of Independence. He was also a member of the convention that framed the Massachusetts constitution of 1780 and sat in the convention that ratified the Federal Constitution. Initially, he opposed the ratification of the Constitution, fearing that it would give too much power to the federal government. However, he eventually abandoned his opposition when the Federalists promised to support future amendments, including a bill of rights. Adams went on to serve as the lieutenant governor of Massachusetts from 1789 to 1793 and then as governor from 1794 to 1797.
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The youngest signer was 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton
The United States Constitution was signed by 39 delegates, with Jonathan Dayton being the youngest among them at 26 years of age. Dayton was born in Elizabethtown, New Jersey, on October 16, 1760, and served as a delegate from his home state. He attended the College of New Jersey, now Princeton, and served in the Revolutionary War under his father, Elias Dayton, in the 3rd New Jersey Regiment. During the war, he was promoted to Lieutenant and participated in the Sullivan Expedition, which saw the destruction of Native American villages and farmland in Upstate New York.
Following the war, Dayton studied law and entered politics, becoming a prominent Federalist legislator. He was elected to the United States House of Representatives in 1791 and served as its third Speaker from 1795 to 1799. He also served as a delegate to the Continental Congress and the Constitutional Convention, where he actively supported the efforts of his fellow New Jersey delegates, William Paterson and John Livingston. As a junior delegate, Dayton occasionally spoke and debated at the Convention.
Dayton's political career was not without controversy. In 1807, he was arrested and put on trial for treason in connection with Aaron Burr's conspiracy to establish an independent country in the Southwestern United States and parts of Mexico. Although he was exonerated by a grand jury, his reputation suffered, and his national political career never recovered. Despite this, Dayton remained active in politics, serving as a United States Senator before his 40th birthday. He died on October 9, 1824, at the age of 63.
Today, Dayton is honoured in various places named after him, including the Jonathan Dayton High School in Springfield Township, Union County, New Jersey, and the Dayton neighbourhood of Newark, New Jersey. Interestingly, it is said that Dayton never once set foot in the city of Dayton, which was established in 1796 while he owned 250,000 acres in the Great Miami River basin.
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Frequently asked questions
George Mason, Elbridge Gerry, and Edmund Randolph refused to sign the US Constitution because it lacked a bill of rights. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams also did not sign as they were on diplomatic missions in Europe during the convention.
No, the US Constitution was not signed into effect. Instead, it was ratified by nine of the 13 states and became the law of the land.
Those who refused to sign the US Constitution did so because they wanted a "bill of rights" that would spell out the immunities of individual citizens. They agreed with enough of the document and felt it was the best that could be achieved at the time.
No, Rhode Island did not send any delegates to the Constitutional Convention.
