Gerry's Hesitance: The Constitution Conundrum

Elbridge Gerry, an American Founding Father, refused to sign the Constitution in 1787 because he believed it did not include a Bill of Rights. Gerry was one of three dissenters, along with George Mason and Edmund Randolph, who voted against the proposed constitution, citing concerns about the convention's authority to make such significant changes and the lack of federal features in the document. Gerry was also unhappy with the lack of specific individual liberties enumerated in the Constitution and generally opposed proposals that strengthened the central government. He successfully lobbied for the inclusion of certain protections, such as freedom of assembly in the First Amendment and protections against search and seizure in the Fourth Amendment.

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Gerry believed the Constitution lacked specific individual liberties

Elbridge Gerry was one of three men who attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787 but refused to sign the Constitution. Gerry, along with George Mason and Edmund Randolph, dissented because the original Constitution did not include a Bill of Rights. Gerry believed that the Constitution lacked specific individual liberties.

Gerry was unhappy about the lack of enumeration of any specific individual liberties in the proposed Constitution and generally opposed proposals that strengthened the central government. He was concerned about the convention's lack of authority to enact such major changes to the nation's system of government and the Constitution's lack of "federal features". He was also vocal in opposing the Three-fifths Compromise, which counted slaves as three-fifths of a person for the purposes of determining the number of each state's votes in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College. Gerry's preference for a more highly centralized government was intended to restrain popular excesses such as Shays's Rebellion.

Gerry proposed that Congress consider all of the proposed constitutional amendments that various state ratifying conventions had called for, notably those of Rhode Island and North Carolina, which had not yet ratified the Constitution. He led the opposition to some of the proposals, arguing that they did not go far enough in ensuring individual liberties. He successfully lobbied for the inclusion of freedom of assembly in the First Amendment and was a leading architect of the Fourth Amendment protections against search and seizure. Gerry sought, unsuccessfully, to insert the word "expressly" into the Tenth Amendment, which could have significantly limited the federal government's power.

Gerry's refusal to sign the Constitution was distressing to him, as he had previously signed the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation. However, he was pleased that many of his motions and beliefs that protected the rights of citizens and the sovereignty of the states had been incorporated into the document. He also checked many of the excesses of the extreme nationalists, preventing the establishment of an even more powerful government.

Gerry wanted to limit the federal government's power

Elbridge Gerry, an American Founding Father, refused to sign the Constitution in 1787 because he believed it did not do enough to limit the federal government's power and protect individual liberties. Gerry, along with George Mason and Edmund Randolph, was one of only three delegates who voted against the proposed constitution at the Constitutional Convention.

Gerry argued that the Constitution did not go far enough in ensuring individual liberties and wanted to see a Bill of Rights included. He was particularly concerned about the rights of private citizens and the power of the federal government over state militias. He successfully lobbied for the inclusion of freedom of assembly in the First Amendment and played a key role in shaping the Fourth Amendment's protections against unreasonable searches and seizures. He also sought to insert the word "expressly" into the Tenth Amendment, which would have significantly limited the federal government's power.

Gerry's opposition to the Three-Fifths Compromise, which counted slaves as three-fifths of a person for representation purposes, is also notable. He opposed slavery and believed that the Constitution should have nothing to do with it. Additionally, Gerry proposed that state executives, rather than the legislature or the people, choose the president, as he believed that both options would lead to corruption or manipulation by self-interested elites.

Gerry's refusal to sign the Constitution was not due to obstructionism but a sincere desire to protect individual liberties and limit federal power. He recognized the importance of compromise and settlement and made significant contributions to the shaping of the Constitution, even if he did not ultimately agree with every aspect of it.

Gerry opposed the Three-Fifths Compromise

Elbridge Gerry was one of three men who attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787 but refused to sign the Constitution. Gerry's opposition to the Three-Fifths Compromise was grounded in his general objection to proportional representation and his desire to avoid placing slaves on equal footing with free men. The Compromise counted slaves as three-fifths of a person when determining the number of each state's votes in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College. The Southern states wanted slaves to count as full people, while the Northern states did not want them considered at all. Gerry, who opposed slavery, asked why "blacks, who were property in the South," should count toward representation "any more than the Cattle & horses of the North"? He believed the constitution should have "nothing to do" with slavery so as "not to sanction it."

Gerry's opposition to the Three-Fifths Compromise was also influenced by his preference for a more centralized government. He argued that the federal government should not control a large standing army and successfully lobbied for limitations on its ability to control state militias. Gerry's centralizationist tendencies were not motivated by a desire for social change but rather to restrain popular excesses, such as those evident in Shays' Rebellion.

Gerry's refusal to sign the Constitution was also due to his concern for the rights of private citizens and his belief that the document lacked sufficient protections for individual liberties. He successfully lobbied for the inclusion of freedom of assembly in the First Amendment and was a leading architect of the Fourth Amendment protections against search and seizure. Additionally, Gerry sought to insert the word "expressly" into the Tenth Amendment to limit the federal government's power further.

Gerry's opposition to the Three-Fifths Compromise and his other objections to the Constitution placed him in a paradoxical position. He has been described as a "Grumbletonian," a man who objected to anything he did not propose, and a "brusque maverick." However, his refusal to sign the Constitution ultimately contributed to the inclusion of amendments that protected citizens' rights and limited the power of the federal government.

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Gerry was concerned about the rights of private citizens

Elbridge Gerry was one of three men who attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787 but initially refused to sign the Constitution. Gerry was concerned about the rights of private citizens and the protection of individual liberties. He believed that the proposed Constitution did not go far enough in guaranteeing these rights and liberties. In particular, he objected to the lack of a Bill of Rights, which he felt was necessary to secure the liberties of Americans. Gerry proposed that Congress consider all the proposed constitutional amendments that various state ratifying conventions had called for, notably those of Rhode Island and North Carolina, which had not yet ratified the Constitution.

Gerry was also vocal in his opposition to the Three-fifths Compromise, which counted slaves as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of determining the number of each state's votes in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College. He argued that slaves, being property, should not count towards representation any more than cattle or horses. Gerry's opposition to the compromise was rooted in his general opposition to proportional representation and his desire to avoid placing slaves on an equal footing with free men.

Gerry also had concerns about the potential for corruption and the manipulation of ignorant or self-interested people by elites. He did not favour direct election by the people, but instead proposed that state executives choose the president. He also pushed for impeachment provisions and helped to reject an absolute presidential veto power. Gerry's education at Harvard in the 1760s exposed him to the English radical Whig "country-opposition" tradition, which influenced his thinking and his approach to the American Revolution.

Although Gerry initially refused to sign the Constitution, he was successful in getting some of his concerns addressed. He lobbied for the inclusion of freedom of assembly in the First Amendment and was a leading architect of the Fourth Amendment protections against search and seizure. He also sought to limit the federal government's power over state militias and its ability to maintain a large standing army. Ultimately, Gerry's refusal to sign the Constitution was motivated by his desire to protect the rights and liberties of private citizens.

Gerry believed the Constitution was inconsistent with republican principles

Elbridge Gerry, an American Founding Father, refused to sign the Constitution in 1787 because he believed it was inconsistent with republican principles. Gerry was a merchant, politician, and diplomat who served as the fifth vice president of the United States under President James Madison from 1813 until his death in 1814. The political practice of gerrymandering is named after him.

Gerry attended the Constitutional Convention in 1787, but declined to sign the Constitution, citing concerns over the rights of private citizens and the lack of a Bill of Rights. He believed that the Constitution did not go far enough in ensuring individual liberties and wanted to see the inclusion of a Bill of Rights to protect those liberties. In particular, he was unhappy about the lack of enumeration of any specific individual liberties in the proposed Constitution and generally opposed proposals that strengthened the central government. He argued that the Constitution should have "nothing to do" with slavery so as "not to sanction it."

Gerry was also vocal in his opposition to the Three-fifths Compromise, which counted slaves as three-fifths of a person for the purpose of determining the number of each state's votes in the House of Representatives and the Electoral College. He proposed that state executives choose the president instead of the Electoral College or Congressional election. Additionally, he successfully lobbied for the inclusion of freedom of assembly in the First Amendment and was a leading architect of the Fourth Amendment protections against search and seizure.

Gerry's refusal to sign the Constitution was not due to a desire for social change but rather to restrain popular excesses, such as those evidenced in Shays's Rebellion. He was also concerned about the lack of authority of the convention to make such significant changes to the nation's system of government. Once the ratification process began, he dropped his call for a second convention, believing that the best course would be to favour the Constitution with amendments. In a letter to the Massachusetts legislature, he wrote, "it was painful for me, on a subject of such national importance, to differ from the respectable members who signed the constitution. But conceiving as I did that the liberties of America were not secured by the system, it was my duty to oppose it."

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