Malcolm Rivera
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 39 delegates representing 12 states (all except Rhode Island, which did not send any delegates) endorsed the Constitution. One of these delegates was Alexander Hamilton, who was the only one of the three delegates from New York to sign the document.
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What You'll Learn
- Alexander Hamilton was the only one of three New York delegates to sign the Constitution
- Hamilton was absent from many debates and frustrated by his conservative fellow delegates
- Hamilton's extreme nationalism put him at odds with most of the other delegates
- John Lansing, a New York delegate, mysteriously disappeared in 1829
- Yates and Lansing left the 1787 convention early, warning against centralising power
Alexander Hamilton was the only one of three New York delegates to sign the Constitution
The signing of the United States Constitution occurred on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 55 delegates attended the sessions, but only 39 signed the Constitution.
Alexander Hamilton was the only one of three delegates from New York to sign the Constitution. Hamilton had read law in Albany and entered practice before being attracted to public service. He was elected to the Continental Congress in 1782-83 and established a law office in New York City the following year. Due to his interest in strengthening the central government, he represented his state at the Annapolis Convention in 1786, where he urged the calling of the Constitutional Convention.
In 1787, Hamilton served in the legislature, which appointed him as a delegate to the convention. However, he played a surprisingly small part in the debates due to frequent absences on legal business, his extreme nationalism, and his frustration with the conservative views of his two fellow New York delegates. Despite this, he sat on the Committee of Style and signed the finished document, even though he later called the Constitution a weak and worthless fabric, certain to be superseded.
The other two delegates from New York, John Lansing and Robert Yates, left the proceedings early and did not sign the Constitution. They wrote a joint letter to Governor Clinton of New York, warning against the dangers of centralizing power and urging opposition to adopting the Constitution. Yates continued to criticize the Constitution in a series of letters signed "Brutus" and "Sydney" and voted against its ratification at the Poughkeepsie convention.
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Hamilton was absent from many debates and frustrated by his conservative fellow delegates
Alexander Hamilton, born in 1757 in the British West Indies, was the only delegate from New York to sign the US Constitution. Hamilton's journey to becoming a delegate began in 1772 when he travelled to New York City and attended Barber's Academy in Elizabethtown, New Jersey. He later enrolled at King's College (now Columbia University) in New York City in 1773, but the American Revolution interrupted his studies. During the war, he served as an artillery captain and rose to the rank of lieutenant colonel in 1776-77. He joined the staff of General Washington as a secretary and aide-de-camp and became a close confidant.
In 1782-83, Hamilton was elected to the Continental Congress, and he established a law office in New York City the following year. His interest in strengthening the central government led to his representation of New York at the Annapolis Convention in 1786, where he advocated for the Constitutional Convention. The legislature appointed him as a delegate to the convention in 1787, but he played a surprisingly small part in the debates due to frequent absences, his extreme nationalism, and his frustration with the conservative views of his fellow New York delegates.
Hamilton's nationalism put him at odds with most delegates, and he clashed with the conservative views of his fellow New York delegates, John Lansing and Robert Yates. Lansing and Yates, both lawyers, shared concerns about the convention exceeding its mandate. They believed the delegates were only meant to amend the Articles of Confederation, not create a new constitution. As a result, they left the convention and expressed their opposition to centralising power in a joint letter to Governor George Clinton.
Despite his limited participation in the debates, Hamilton did sit on the Committee of Style. He was the only one of the three New York delegates to sign the final document, indicating his support for the Constitution despite his criticisms. Hamilton actively participated in New York's ratification process the following year, collaborating with John Jay and James Madison on The Federalist Papers. Although he felt the Constitution was deficient in several aspects, he successfully campaigned for its adoption.
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Hamilton's extreme nationalism put him at odds with most of the other delegates
Alexander Hamilton was the only delegate from New York to sign the US Constitution. Hamilton was an immigrant from the West Indies, and his agenda was driven by his concern that Americans' deep local loyalties would undermine the fragile unity that marked America during and after the Revolution. This fear was a key to understanding his extreme nationalism, which put him at odds with most of the other delegates.
Hamilton's nationalism was rooted in his belief in a strong central government and his interpretation of the Constitution, which consistently favoured greater federal power at the expense of state power. This placed him at odds with Thomas Jefferson and other Founding Fathers, who preferred the decentralised nature of the Articles of Confederation as a check on the power of the central government. Hamilton's extreme nationalism was also influenced by his belief in strong public finances, which he considered indispensable for securing national independence and developing a dynamic commercial republic. He also believed that foreign capital investment could benefit America, a view that was not shared by his contemporaries, who generally feared the free flow of capital across borders.
Hamilton's nationalism was further shaped by his interpretation of the concept of honour, which was fundamental to his vision of himself and the nation. This led him to participate in several "affairs of honour", often concluded by duels, including the famous duel with Aaron Burr, which resulted in Hamilton's death.
Hamilton's ideas and actions were influenced by several schools of thought, and while he is often invoked by contemporary American nationalists, his nationalism differs significantly from theirs. Hamilton's nationalism was shaped by his unique background and experiences, and his primary goal was to strengthen the unity and independence of the newly formed United States.
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John Lansing, a New York delegate, mysteriously disappeared in 1829
John Lansing, a delegate from New York, mysteriously disappeared in 1829. Lansing was born in Albany, New York, in 1754 and had a successful career in law and politics. He served in the military as a secretary to General Philip Schuyler from 1776 to 1777 before turning to politics and serving six terms in the New York Assembly between 1780 and 1788. He also served as the mayor of Albany from 1786 to 1790.
In 1787, Lansing travelled to Philadelphia as part of the New York delegation to the Constitutional Convention. However, he and his fellow delegate, Robert Yates, left the convention early due to their opposition to the centralization of power and their concerns about the dangers of a strong central government. They wrote a joint letter to Governor George Clinton of New York expressing these concerns. Despite their efforts, the convention ultimately produced a document that expanded the power of the central government while also protecting the prerogatives of the states.
Lansing's disappearance in 1829 remains a mystery. While on a visit to New York City, he left his hotel to post some letters, but he was never seen again. It was suspected that he had been murdered, but no trace of him was ever found. Lansing's death, or probable murder, remains the most mysterious of all the delegates to the Constitutional Convention.
The Constitutional Convention of 1787 brought together delegates from twelve of the thirteen original states (all except Rhode Island) to discuss revisions to the Articles of Confederation, which had established the first national government. The delegates debated and drafted what would become the United States Constitution, which was signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
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Yates and Lansing left the 1787 convention early, warning against centralising power
Robert Yates and John Lansing, both delegates from New York, left the Federal Convention of 1787 early, warning against centralising power. They were related to each other by marriage. Yates, a recognised leader of the Antifederalists, opposed any concessions to the federal congress that might diminish the sovereignty of the states. He travelled to Philadelphia in May 1787 for the convention, expecting that the delegates would discuss revising the existing Articles. However, it soon became apparent that the convention intended more than modification of the current plan of union. On July 5, 1787, the day the committee presented its report, Yates and Lansing left the proceedings. In a joint letter to Gov. George Clinton of New York, they explained that their early departure was due to their opposition to centralising power in the government. They urged opposition to adopting the Constitution.
Yates and Lansing's concerns about centralising power reflected their commitment to protecting the sovereignty of individual states. As Antifederalists, they believed that the central government should not infringe on state powers. In the context of the convention, they feared that the proposed changes would lead to the annihilation of state governments. This view was shared by other delegates, who preferred the decentralised nature of the Articles of Confederation as a check on the power of the central government. The Articles, ratified in 1781, established the first national government and protected state sovereignty, but they also limited the central government's ability to carry out essential functions, such as raising revenue and conducting diplomatic relations.
The Federal Convention of 1787 was called to address the perceived weaknesses of the Articles of Confederation. While Yates and Lansing acknowledged the need for revisions, they strongly disagreed with the direction the convention was taking. They believed that the convention's proposals would grant too much power to the central government at the expense of the states. This tension between centralisation and decentralisation was a central debate during the formation of the United States Constitution.
Yates and Lansing's early departure from the convention and their subsequent actions demonstrate their unwavering commitment to their principles. Yates, in particular, continued to vocally oppose the Constitution even after the convention. He attacked the document in a series of letters signed with pseudonyms such as "Brutus" and "Sydney". Additionally, he voted against ratification at the Poughkeepsie convention. Their warnings about the dangers of centralising power highlight the complexities and differing ideologies that existed during the nation-building process in the United States.
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Frequently asked questions
Alexander Hamilton was the only delegate from New York to sign the US Constitution.
39 delegates signed the US Constitution.
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787.
The US Constitution was signed at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
The US Constitution lays out the framework of the nation's federal government and delineates how its three branches—the legislative, executive, and judicial—are to function.
