Omar Bennett
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 55 delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention, only 39 signed the document. The youngest signer was 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton, and the oldest was 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin, who was so unwell that he had to be carried to the sessions in a sedan chair. The document was also signed by the convention's secretary, William Jackson, who added a note verifying four amendments made by hand to the final draft.
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What You'll Learn
The signing of the US Constitution
The signing of the Constitution was the culmination of a four-month-long convention during which the document was debated, amended, and finalised. The final draft, presented on September 12, was cleverly crafted by Gouverneur Morris to make the constitution seem unanimously supported. On the final day, Benjamin Franklin delivered an address endorsing the Constitution, hoping to gain the support of critics and create a sense of common accord. The delegates then signed the document as individual witnesses of the unanimous consent of the states present, rather than on behalf of their individual states.
The 39 signers of the Constitution included individuals such as George Washington, a Virginia planter known as the "Father of the Country," and Robert Morris, who served as the Confederation Congress's superintendent of finance from 1781 to 1784. Other signers included Thomas FitzSimons, a Philadelphia merchant and one of only two Catholic signers, along with Daniel Carroll. Abraham Baldwin of Georgia was the only signer buried in Washington, DC.
The signing of the Constitution was a significant event in American history, as it 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 later ratified by special conventions in each of the then-existing thirteen American states, becoming the supreme law of the United States of America.
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Who refused to sign?
The signing of the United States Constitution occurred on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. Of the 55 delegates present at the convention, 39 signed the Constitution. The remaining 16 delegates either refused to sign or had already left the convention by mid-September.
The following delegates decided not to sign the Constitution:
- William L. Pierce
- John F. Mercer
- William C. Houston
- John Lansing, Jr.
- William R. Davie
- Edmund J. Randolph
- George Mason
- Elbridge Gerry
Edmund Randolph and George Mason, both from Virginia, and Elbridge Gerry from Massachusetts were the most vocal in their refusal to sign. Randolph declared:
> In refusing to sign the Constitution, I take a step which might be the most awful of my life, but it is dictated by my conscience, and it is not possible for me to hesitate, much less, to change.
Gerry also explained his refusal to sign, stating that he "believed that our union's existence was not in danger as some alleged." He also believed that the Constitution gave too much power to the federal government and that it needed a Bill of Rights.
It is important to note that the Constitution of the United States was not signed into effect. Instead, by the process outlined in Article VII, the states had to ratify the Constitution, and nine of the 13 states had to ratify it for it to become the law of the land. The signatures of the delegates served as a personal endorsement (though some with reservations) and state delegation support to the Constitution.
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The role of George Washington
The United States Constitution was signed on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. 55 delegates attended the sessions of the Constitutional Convention, but only 39 actually signed the Constitution.
George Washington played a crucial role in the drafting and ratification of the Constitution. He was elected unanimously as the president of the convention, a position he assumed on May 14, 1787. Washington's role was significant, as he worked to forge consensus among the delegates, who were a group of passionate federalists and anti-federalists. He demanded complete secrecy as the delegates embarked on the controversial task of revising the Articles of Confederation.
Washington's commanding presence and influence were instrumental in achieving the final outcome. He was a nationalist who believed in a strong union of the states, and his opinions carried weight among the delegates. While he spoke rarely during the debates, his support for the Constitution was evident in his private letters. He praised the amendment provision, which allowed for corrections to be made after the Constitution's implementation.
Washington's image and signature on the Constitution were used by Federalists to gain support for its ratification. His letter of September 17, 1787, as president of the Convention to the president of Congress, was attached to the Constitution whenever it was printed. In this letter, he expressed his support for the Constitution, stating that it was the result of "a spirit of amity and of that mutual deference and concession." Washington's endorsement carried significant weight, and it made it challenging for Anti-Federalists to justify their opposition to the ratification.
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The age range of the signers
The 55 delegates who attended the Constitutional Convention sessions in 1787 ranged in age from 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton to 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin. Franklin, who was so infirm that he had to be carried to sessions in a sedan chair, was the first signer to die, in April 1790. Dayton, on the other hand, lived until 1824.
The age gap between the youngest and oldest signers was 55 years. The average age of the 39 signers was likely in the mid-forties, as virtually every signer had taken part in the Revolution, and at least 29 had served in the Continental forces, most of them in positions of command.
The youngest signer, Jonathan Dayton, was born in 1760 and represented New Jersey at the Constitutional Convention. He went on to serve in the United States House of Representatives and the United States Senate.
The oldest signer, Benjamin Franklin, was born in 1706 and represented Pennsylvania at the Convention. A renowned polymath and one of the Founding Fathers of the United States, Franklin played an influential role in the American Enlightenment and independence.
The signers' ages also reflected their diverse backgrounds and experiences. For example, Abraham Baldwin, who was 33 at the time of signing, was a Yale-educated native of Connecticut who had represented Georgia in the House and later served in the Senate. On the other hand, George Clymer, 48, was a Philadelphia merchant who had also signed the Declaration of Independence and served in the House.
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The process of creating the document
The process of creating the U.S. Constitution began with the appointment of individuals to the Constitutional Convention by the original states, except Rhode Island. Out of the 70 individuals chosen, only 55 attended the sessions, with 39 signing the Constitution. The delegates' ages ranged from 26-year-old Jonathan Dayton to 81-year-old Benjamin Franklin, the latter of whom had to be carried to the sessions due to his infirmity.
The Constitutional Convention lasted four months, and on its final day, Benjamin Franklin delivered an address endorsing the Constitution, despite its imperfections. He proposed that the delegates sign the Constitution as individual witnesses of the unanimous consent of the states present, which they agreed to. The signers' names were then grouped by state, with the states arranged geographically from north to south.
The final draft of the Constitution was presented to the convention on September 12, 1787, containing seven articles, a preamble, and a closing statement. The closing endorsement, conceived by Gouverneur Morris and presented by Franklin, was intentionally ambiguous to gain the votes of dissenting delegates. It served to authenticate the Constitution and document its validity.
The Signing of the United States Constitution occurred on September 17, 1787, at Independence Hall in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania. The convention's secretary, William Jackson, added a note verifying four amendments made by hand to the final document and signed it. George Washington, as president of the Convention, signed first, followed by the other delegates.
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