Malcolm Rivera
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 70 individuals appointed to the Constitutional Convention, 55 attended, but only 39 signed the document. The convention's secretary, William Jackson, added a note to verify four amendments made by hand to the final document and signed the note to authenticate its validity. George Washington, as president of the Convention, signed first, followed by the other delegates, grouped by states from north to south.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Name | William Jackson |
| Occupation | Secretary of the Constitutional Convention |
| Role | Signed the document to authenticate four hand-written amendments |
| Date of Signing | September 17, 1787 |
| Location of Signing | Independence Hall, Philadelphia, Pennsylvania |
| Number of Signatures | 39 delegates signed the Constitution |
| Age of Signers | 26 (Jonathan Dayton) to 81 (Benjamin Franklin) |
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What You'll Learn
William Jackson was the secretary who signed the Constitution
William Jackson, the convention's secretary, signed the United States Constitution to authenticate some corrections. He was not himself a delegate. The signing of the United States Constitution took place on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 39 delegates to the Constitutional Convention, representing 12 states (all but Rhode Island, which declined to send delegates), endorsed the Constitution. The signatures included a brief declaration that the delegates' work had been successfully completed and that those whose signatures appear on it subscribe to the final document.
The convention's secretary, William Jackson, added a note to verify four amendments made by hand to the final document and signed the note to authenticate its validity. The signatures of the delegates also included a statement pronouncing the document's adoption by the states present and a formulaic dating of its adoption. The signing of the Constitution was the culmination of a four-month-long convention that began in May 1787. 55 delegates from 12 states met at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia to discuss improvements to the Articles of Confederation.
The delegates decided that creating a new system was preferable to repairing the current one, so they created a new American government. They made decisions and agreed to compromises on issues such as how to elect a president, how the people could be fairly represented in Congress, and how slaves would factor into the population. The final draft, presented to the convention on September 12, contained seven articles, a preamble, and a closing endorsement, of which Gouverneur Morris was the primary author. The language of the concluding endorsement, conceived by Morris and presented to the convention by Benjamin Franklin, was made intentionally ambiguous in hopes of winning over the votes of dissenting delegates.
The closing endorsement of the Constitution served an authentication function only. It neither assigned powers to the federal government nor provided specific limitations on government action. However, it provided essential documentation of the Constitution's validity, a statement of "This is what was agreed to." It records who signed the Constitution, when, and where. The procedure for amending the Constitution is outlined in Article V. The process is overseen by the archivist of the United States.
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Jackson was not a delegate
The secretary who signed the United States Constitution was William Jackson. Jackson was not a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, but he still signed the document to authenticate some corrections.
The signing of the United States Constitution took place on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 70 individuals appointed by the original 13 states (except Rhode Island, which did not send any delegates), 55 attended the sessions, but only 39 signed the Constitution. The delegates represented a cross-section of 18th-century American leadership, with experience in local, colonial, or state government.
The 39 delegates who signed the Constitution included George Washington, the president of the Convention, who signed first. The other delegates, grouped by states, followed, progressing from north to south. The youngest signer was 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton, while the oldest was 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin, who summed up the sentiments of those who signed 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 accept this Constitution [...] because I expect no better and because I am not sure that it is not the best."
The signing of the Constitution was the culmination of a four-month-long convention, during which delegates made decisions and compromises on critical issues such as how to elect a president, fair representation in Congress, and the role of slaves in the population. The final draft, presented on September 12, was a series of unfortunate compromises that disappointed several delegates. Some left before the signing ceremony, and three others refused to sign.
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He signed to authenticate corrections
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 70 individuals chosen by the original 13 states, 55 delegates attended the Constitutional Convention sessions, and 39 signed the Constitution. The delegates represented a cross-section of 18th-century American leadership, with experience in local, colonial, and state governments.
The convention's secretary, William Jackson, added a note to the final document to verify four amendments made by hand. He signed the note to authenticate its validity. Jackson was not a delegate, and his signature was not one of the 39 signatures inscribed on the document.
The signatures on the Constitution were not the only endorsements. The closing protocol also included a brief declaration that the delegates' work had been successfully completed and that those who signed subscribed to the final document. This included a statement of the document's adoption by the states present and a formulaic dating of its adoption.
The signing of the United States Constitution was a significant event in the country's history, laying out the framework for the nation's federal government and delineating the functions of its three branches: the legislative, executive, and judicial. The process of creating and signing the Constitution involved compromises and discussions on various issues, including how to elect a president, fair representation in Congress, and the role of slaves in the population.
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39 delegates signed
The United States Constitution was signed by 39 delegates on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The 39 delegates represented 12 states, with Rhode Island being the only state that refused to send delegates. The signatures were endorsed by the delegates, along with a declaration stating that their work had been completed and that they agreed to the final document. The signatures were organised by states, with the names written from north to south. However, as they ran out of space on the page, a second column of signatures was started on the left.
The 39 delegates included George Washington, who signed first as the president of the convention, John Dickinson, who authorised George Read to sign on his behalf due to illness, and Benjamin Franklin, who was 81 years old and the oldest signer. Franklin summed up the sentiments of those who signed the Constitution, acknowledging that while there were parts he did not approve of, he accepted it as he "expected no better". The signing ceremony concluded the four-month-long convention, and the final document was engrossed by Jacob Shallus.
The convention's secretary, William Jackson, did not sign the Constitution as a delegate but added a note verifying four amendments made by hand. He signed this note to authenticate the validity of the document. Jackson's role as secretary involved overseeing the administrative tasks of the convention, such as recording the minutes of meetings and maintaining records. He worked closely with the delegates to ensure the smooth functioning of the convention and played a crucial role in the signing process by verifying the accuracy of the final document.
The signing of the United States Constitution was a significant event in the country's history, laying the framework for the nation's federal government and outlining the functions of its three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The delegates who signed the Constitution represented a diverse cross-section of 18th-century American leadership, with experience in military, government, and revolutionary activities. The signing ceremony marked the culmination of their efforts to create a new American government, addressing critical issues such as the election of the president, representation in Congress, and the status of slaves.
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George Washington signed first
George Washington, as president of the Constitutional Convention, was the first to sign the United States Constitution. This occurred on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Washington signed the document near the right margin of the page, and when the delegates ran out of space, they began a second column of signatures to the left.
Washington was followed by the 38 other delegates, who signed the document in a grouping of states from north to south. The signing of the Constitution was the culmination of a four-month-long convention, during which the delegates debated and compromised on issues such as how to elect a president, fair representation in Congress, and the role of slaves in the population.
The Constitution laid out the framework for the nation's federal government and delineated the functions of its three branches: legislative, executive, and judicial. The document was endorsed by the delegates as individual witnesses of the unanimous consent of the states present. This endorsement served to authenticate the validity of the Constitution and included a declaration that the delegates' work had been successfully completed and that those who signed subscribed to the final document.
The convention's secretary, William Jackson, added a note to verify four amendments made by hand to the final document and signed the note to authenticate its validity. Jackson was not a delegate, but his signature appears on the Constitution along with those of the 39 delegates.
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Frequently asked questions
The convention's secretary, William Jackson, signed the US Constitution to authenticate some corrections.
William Jackson was the secretary of the Constitutional Convention. He added a note to verify four amendments made by hand to the final document.
The US Constitution lays out the framework for the nation's federal government and describes how its three branches (legislative, executive, and judicial) should function.
The US Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania.
Jonathan Dayton, aged 26, was the youngest signer of the Constitution, while Benjamin Franklin, aged 81, was the oldest.
