Isabella Carter
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was drafted by Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr. Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin, and has been described as one of the most democratic constitutions in America at the time. The constitution was drafted in the context of ongoing political changes within the province, as sentiment built in the Continental Congress for a complete break with England. The document proclaimed the rights of citizens and expanded the voting franchise to all tax-paying men, including African American men. The constitution also featured a unicameral legislature and a collective executive, which may have influenced the later French Republic's formation under the French Constitution of 1793.
| Characteristics | Values |
|---|---|
| Date of ratification | 28 September 1776 |
| Drafters | Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, Benjamin Franklin, George Clymer, and Thomas Paine |
| Voting rights | All tax-paying men, including African American men |
| Legislature | Unicameral, with members elected for one-year terms |
| Executive | Collective, with a 12-member Supreme Executive Council |
| Declaration of Rights | Included; coinciding with the Virginia Declaration of Rights of 1776 |
| Influence | May have influenced the French Constitution of 1793 |
| Replacement | Replaced in 1790 by a new constitution |
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What You'll Learn
The constitution was drafted by non-government men
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was drafted by men who were not members of the state's government. The principal authors were George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin, though others such as George Clymer, Timothy Matlack, and Thomas Paine may have also been involved. These men were part of an elected court composed of many non-landowners.
The constitution was drafted following the publication of Thomas Paine's Common Sense in January 1776, which sparked a sentiment in the Continental Congress for a complete break with England. This led to a call for a new form of government, and the election of convention representatives in late June 1776 to write a new state constitution.
The framers of the constitution crafted a document that expanded the voting franchise to all tax-paying men, including African American men. This was a notable change, as it was less restrictive than the previous requirement for voters to own property. The constitution also placed power in a unicameral legislature, whose members were elected to one-year terms. There was no governor to veto laws, and no upper house to check popular enthusiasms. This set the stage for a less effective government, and the conditions for one-party rule.
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 has been described as the most democratic in America at the time. Its highly democratic government structure may have influenced the later French Republic's formation under the French Constitution of 1793.
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It expanded voting rights to all tax-paying men
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was drafted by Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin. It was the state's first constitution following its declaration of independence. The constitution was highly democratic and featured a unicameral legislature and a collective executive.
One of the most noticeable changes in the new constitution was the expansion of voting rights to all tax-paying men. This was radical for the time, as it was less restrictive than the requirement that voters own property. This change gave voting rights to African American men who paid taxes.
The constitution was influenced by the language of the Stamp Act Congress, the First Continental Congress, and the Declaration of Independence. The authors crafted a document that proclaimed in detail the rights of citizens. Power resided in a unicameral legislature whose members were elected to one-year terms. The framers of the constitution believed that adding an upper house would lead to the creation of an aristocracy.
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was controversial from the beginning. It was replaced in 1790 by a new constitution that more evenly considered the complexities of government and the rights of citizens. However, it set a precedent for democratic expansion and influenced the later French Republic's formation under the French Constitution of 1793.
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It included a declaration of rights
The 1776 Pennsylvania Constitution was drafted by Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin. Notably, many of the men involved in its creation were not members of Pennsylvania's government at the time.
The constitution included a declaration of rights, which was influenced by the language of the Stamp Act Congress, the First Continental Congress, and the Declaration of Independence. The declaration of rights proclaimed and expanded the rights of citizens, and expanded the voting franchise to all tax-paying free men. This included African American men who paid taxes. The constitution also included a unicameral legislature, with members elected for one-year terms.
The framers of the constitution believed that adding an upper house would lead to the creation of an aristocracy down the line. In placing power in the hands of a single assembly, with neither a governor to veto laws nor an upper house to check popular enthusiasms, they set the stage for a less effective government.
The constitution also provided for an elected Council of Censors to provide periodic review of the operation of the laws and institutions "in order that the freedom of the commonwealth may be preserved inviolate forever". The Council of Censors was given the power to call a convention to amend any article of the constitution that may be defective, explain those that were not clearly expressed, and add new articles as necessary for the preservation of the rights and happiness of the people.
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![Historic Framed Print, Front page of Independant [i.e., Independent] Chronicle (Boston) Nov. 7, 1776, with reprint of Pennsylvania Constitution from the Pennsylvania Journal, Oct. 9, 1776], 17-7/8" x 21-7/8"](https://m.media-amazon.com/images/I/510c-PnIDdL._AC_UY218_.jpg)
It was influenced by the Stamp Act Congress
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was a radical document, influenced by the Stamp Act Congress of 1765. The Stamp Act Congress was a meeting of representatives from nine British colonies in North America, including Pennsylvania. The delegates discussed their unified opposition to the Stamp Act, a new tax imposed by the British Parliament that required all printed materials to carry a stamp purchased from a government agent, showing that tax had been paid.
The Stamp Act Congress issued a Declaration of Rights and Grievances, claiming that Parliament did not have the right to impose the tax because the colonies were not represented in Parliament. This was a significant moment as it was the first time that representatives of the colonies had gathered and acted collectively, and it precipitated the formation of the Continental Congress and the onset of the American Revolution. The delegates also petitioned the King of England and Parliament for a repeal of the Stamp Act, which was granted in 1766 due to domestic reasons rather than sympathy with colonial protests.
The influence of the Stamp Act Congress can be seen in the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776, which was drafted by Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr. Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin. The constitution proclaimed in detail the rights of citizens and expanded the voting franchise to all tax-paying free men, including African American men. Power resided in a unicameral legislature, with members elected to one-year terms, and government was to be administered by a twelve-member Supreme Executive Council.
The framers of the Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776, therefore, built upon the ideas of colonial unity, the rights of citizens, and opposition to taxation without representation that had been articulated by the Stamp Act Congress a decade earlier. By expanding the franchise and enumerating the rights of citizens, they increased the democratic nature of Pennsylvania's governing charter.
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It was controversial from the beginning
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was controversial from the beginning. It was drafted by Robert Whitehill, Timothy Matlack, Dr Thomas Young, George Bryan, James Cannon, and Benjamin Franklin, many of whom were not members of Pennsylvania's government at the time. The constitution was influenced by the language of the Stamp Act Congress, the First Continental Congress, and the Declaration of Independence. It proclaimed the rights of citizens and expanded voting rights to all tax-paying men, including African American men. This was a radical change for the era, as it was less restrictive than the requirement for voters to own property.
The constitution also established a unicameral legislature, with members elected for one-year terms, and a twelve-member Supreme Executive Council. The framers believed that an upper house would lead to the creation of an aristocracy. The constitution was designed to promote the general happiness of the people of Pennsylvania and their posterity, without partiality or prejudice.
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was tied to ongoing political changes within the province. As the Revolution evolved, the views of some political leaders differed from those of the Provincial Assembly and the Deputy Governor, John Penn. Extralegal committees were established that eventually displaced and took over the government. For example, in June 1774, after Governor Penn refused to convene the Assembly to consider the British government's response to the Boston Tea Party, a public meeting inspired 8,000 people in Philadelphia to call for the First Continental Congress and the establishment of a committee of correspondence to communicate with the other colonies.
The Pennsylvania Constitution of 1776 was also controversial because it included a declaration of rights that coincided with the Virginia Declaration of Rights of 1776. It was described as the most democratic in America, and it may have influenced the later French Republic's formation under the French Constitution of 1793. However, it was replaced in 1790 by a new constitution that more evenly considered the complexities of government and the rights of citizens.
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Frequently asked questions
The 1776 Constitution of Pennsylvania was considered radical due to its highly democratic nature. It expanded voting rights to all tax-paying men, including African American men, a notable change from the previous requirement for voters to own property.
The constitution featured a unicameral legislature with members elected for one-year terms. It also included a collective executive, or a Supreme Executive Council, with members chosen by the legislature. This structure aimed to prevent the development of an aristocracy.
The constitution was influenced by the language of the Stamp Act Congress, the First Continental Congress, and the Declaration of Independence. It was also shaped by the political context of the time, including the publication of Thomas Paine's "Common Sense" in January 1776, which advocated for a complete break from England.
