Malcolm Rivera
John Ten Eyck Lansing Jr., born on January 30, 1754, in Albany, New York, was a Founding Father of the United States, an attorney, jurist, and politician. He was a delegate to the 1787 Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, at which the U.S. Constitution was adopted. However, Lansing did not sign the Constitution and is known as one of the non-signing delegates. This paragraph will discuss why John Lansing Jr. did not sign the Constitution and the subsequent impact on his career and legacy.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Year of the Constitutional Convention | 1787 |
| Reason for not signing | Lansing believed the convention was exceeding its instructions by drafting a new constitution instead of amending the Articles of Confederation |
| Other reasons | Lansing thought the proposed constitution infringed on state and individual rights |
| Action taken | Lansing and Yates walked out of the convention after six weeks and explained their departure in a joint letter to New York Governor George Clinton |
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What You'll Learn
- John Lansing believed the convention exceeded its instructions
- Lansing opposed the US Constitution as it infringed on state and individual rights
- Lansing and Yates wrote a joint letter to Governor Clinton explaining their departure
- Lansing and Yates warned against the dangers of centralizing power
- Lansing believed the convention was not considering the consolidation of the US into one government
John Lansing believed the convention exceeded its instructions
John Lansing, Jr. was born on January 30, 1754, in Albany, New York, and was of Dutch ancestry. He graduated from King's College (now Columbia University) and studied law in Albany with Robert Yates, who later became the Chief Justice of New York. In 1779, he was admitted to the bar and practised law in Albany. Lansing also had a long career in politics and government. He served in the New York State Assembly from 1781 to 1784, in 1786, and in 1788, and during his last two terms, he served as the Speaker of the Assembly. He was a member of the Congress of the Confederation in 1785 and served as the mayor of Albany from 1786 to 1790.
In 1787, Lansing, along with Robert Yates and Alexander Hamilton, was appointed as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. However, Lansing and Yates withdrew from the convention after six weeks because they believed it was exceeding its instructions. They had understood that the convention's purpose was solely to amend the Articles of Confederation, but they became disillusioned as the convention moved towards drafting a new constitution. In a joint letter to New York Governor George Clinton, they explained their opposition to any system that would consolidate the United States into one government. They also warned of the dangers of centralizing power and expressed their commitment to protecting individual liberty.
Lansing and Yates's actions at the Constitutional Convention reflected their beliefs in the importance of state sovereignty and individual rights. They felt that the new constitution infringed upon these rights and gave too much power to the central government. After leaving the convention, Lansing continued to oppose the ratification of the constitution. At the 1788 Poughkeepsie Convention, he led the opposition to New York's ratification of the federal constitution, but their attempts ultimately failed by a narrow vote.
Despite his initial opposition to the constitution, Lansing went on to have a distinguished judicial career. He was appointed as a justice of the New York State Supreme Court in 1790 and became chief justice in 1798, serving in that role until 1801. He was then appointed Chancellor of New York State in the same year and held that position until his mandatory retirement in 1814 due to his age. Lansing's disappearance in 1829 remains a mystery, and he is presumed to have drowned or been murdered.
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Lansing opposed the US Constitution as it infringed on state and individual rights
John Lansing Jr., born on January 30, 1754, in Albany, New York, was a Founding Father of the United States, an attorney, jurist, and politician. He studied law and was admitted to the New York State Bar in 1775, beginning his practice in Albany. In 1781, he married Cornelia Ray, with whom he had ten children, although only five survived infancy.
Lansing's political career began in 1781 when he was elected as a member of the New York State Assembly, serving until 1784. He also served in 1786 and 1788, and during his last two terms, he was the Speaker of the Assembly. In 1785, he was a member of the Congress of the Confederation, and from 1786 to 1790, he served as the mayor of Albany.
In 1787, Lansing, along with Robert Yates and Alexander Hamilton, was chosen as a delegate to the United States Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. However, Lansing and Yates withdrew from the convention in July 1787 because they believed it was exceeding its instructions. They had expected the convention to focus on amending the Articles of Confederation, but instead, the delegates were drafting a new constitution.
Lansing and Yates opposed the new US Constitution as they believed it infringed on state and individual rights. They warned against the dangers of centralizing power and wanted to protect the sovereignty of independent states. Additionally, they felt it did not do enough to guarantee individual liberty. In a joint letter to New York Governor George Clinton, they explained their reasons for leaving the convention, stating:
> [We oppose] any system that would consolidate the United States into one government, and [we had understood] that the convention would not consider any such consolidation... [The kind of government recommended by the convention could not] afford that security to equal and permanent liberty which we wished to make an invariable object of our pursuit.
Lansing continued his opposition to the Constitution at the New York Ratifying Convention in 1788, where he and Melancton Smith led the debates as leaders of the Anti-Federalist majority. Despite their efforts, they were ultimately unsuccessful, and the Constitution was approved by a narrow vote of 30 to 27.
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Lansing and Yates wrote a joint letter to Governor Clinton explaining their departure
John Lansing, Jr. was born in Albany, New York, on January 30, 1754. He studied law and was admitted to practice in 1775. From 1775 to 1777, he served as a military secretary to General Philip Schuyler. He then resumed his law practice in Albany and served in the New York State Assembly for six terms between 1780 and 1789. In 1787, Lansing was chosen as a delegate to the United States Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia, along with Robert Yates and Alexander Hamilton.
Lansing and Yates shared the belief that the convention was exceeding its instructions by drafting a new constitution instead of amending the Articles of Confederation. They strongly opposed the newly proposed United States Constitution, arguing that it infringed on the sovereignty of independent states and did not sufficiently guarantee individual liberty. After six weeks, both men withdrew from the convention and wrote a joint letter to Governor George Clinton explaining their departure. In the letter, they stated their opposition to any system that would consolidate the United States into one government, highlighting their understanding that the convention would not consider such consolidation. They also warned of the dangers of centralizing power and urged opposition to the adoption of the Constitution.
Following their departure from the convention, Lansing and Yates continued to voice their dissent. Yates wrote a series of letters under the pseudonyms "Brutus" and "Sydney," and both men led the opposition to New York's ratification of the federal constitution at the 1788 Poughkeepsie Convention. At the New York Ratifying Convention, Lansing, along with Melancton Smith, led the debates as leaders of the Anti-Federalist majority. Despite their efforts, they were ultimately unsuccessful in preventing the Constitution's ratification, which was approved by a narrow vote of 30 to 27.
Lansing and Yates's decision to not sign the Constitution was rooted in their commitment to protecting the rights of individual states and citizens. They believed that the proposed Constitution did not adequately safeguard these rights and, as a result, chose to withdraw their support. Their actions and subsequent explanations in the joint letter to Governor Clinton reflected their dedication to upholding their values and principles.
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Lansing and Yates warned against the dangers of centralizing power
John Lansing, Jr. was born in Albany, New York, on January 30, 1754. He studied law and was admitted to practice in 1775. He served as military secretary to General Philip Schuyler from 1775 to 1777. Lansing then turned to politics and served six terms in the New York Assembly from 1780 to 1784, 1786, and 1788. During his last two terms, he served as Speaker of the Assembly. He was a delegate to the federal Constitutional Convention in 1787 but withdrew from the body in July, refusing to sign the Constitution.
Lansing, along with fellow New York delegate Robert Yates, strongly opposed the newly proposed United States Constitution. They believed that the convention was exceeding its instructions by drafting a new constitution instead of amending the Articles of Confederation. In a joint letter to New York Governor George Clinton, they warned against the dangers of centralizing power and urged opposition to adopting the Constitution. They stated that they opposed any system that would consolidate the United States into one government and argued that such a system could not "afford that security to equal and permanent liberty which we wished to make an invariable object of our pursuit."
Lansing and Yates also believed that the proposed Constitution infringed on the sovereignty of the independent states and did not sufficiently guarantee individual liberty. They walked out of the convention after six weeks and continued to voice their opposition to the Constitution. At the New York Ratifying Convention, Lansing, along with Melancton Smith, led the debates as the leaders of the Anti-Federalist majority but ultimately failed to prevent the Constitution's ratification.
Lansing's refusal to sign the Constitution stemmed from his belief that the convention was overstepping its mandate and his concerns about the potential negative consequences of centralizing power. He preferred a system that upheld the sovereignty of individual states and guaranteed civil liberties.
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Lansing believed the convention was not considering the consolidation of the US into one government
John Lansing, Jr., born on January 30, 1754, in Albany, New York, was a Founding Father of the United States, an attorney, jurist, and politician. He graduated from King's College (now Columbia University) and studied law in Albany with Robert Yates, later the Chief Justice of New York.
In 1787, Lansing, along with Robert Yates and Alexander Hamilton, was appointed as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. However, Lansing and Yates withdrew from the convention when it became clear that the intent was to draft a new constitution rather than amend the Articles of Confederation. They believed that the convention was exceeding its instructions and that the delegates had gathered simply to amend the Articles of Confederation.
In a joint letter to New York Governor George Clinton, Lansing and Yates explained their opposition to any system that would consolidate the United States into one government. They argued that such a system could not "afford that security to equal and permanent liberty" that they wished to uphold. Lansing believed that the convention was not considering the consolidation of the United States into one government and, therefore, withdrew his participation and refused to sign the Constitution.
Lansing and Yates's actions demonstrated their commitment to federalism and their belief in preserving the sovereignty of individual states. They feared that a strong central government would infringe upon the rights of states and individuals. Their stance had a significant impact on the subsequent debates and amendments to the Constitution, with historians recognizing their contribution to the ten important amended Articles that were later incorporated into the Constitution.
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Frequently asked questions
John Lansing, a delegate to the 1787 Constitutional Convention, did not sign the Constitution because he believed the convention was exceeding its instructions by drafting a new constitution instead of amending the Articles of Confederation. He, along with fellow delegate Robert Yates, opposed the centralization of power and believed the new constitution infringed on state and individual rights.
After leaving the convention, John Lansing, along with Robert Yates, wrote a joint letter to New York Governor George Clinton explaining their departure. They warned against the dangers of consolidating power and urged opposition to the adoption of the new constitution.
John Lansing continued his political career, serving in various roles including as a member of the New York State Assembly, Speaker of the Assembly, and mayor of Albany. He later became a justice of the New York State Supreme Court in 1790 and was elevated to the position of Chief Justice in 1798. He also served as Chancellor of New York State from 1801 until his mandatory retirement in 1814. Lansing disappeared mysteriously in December 1829 and was presumed drowned or murdered.
