Which presidents signed the constitution

He was in France during the Convention, where he served as the U. John Adams was serving as the U. Currently, all four pages are displayed behind protective glass framed with titanium. To preserve the parchment's quality, the cases contain argon gas and are kept at 67 degrees Fahrenheit with a relative humidity of 40 percent.

Constitution Day is celebrated on September 17, the anniversary of the day the framers signed the document. The Constitution does not set forth requirements for the right to vote. As a result, at the outset of the Union, only male property-owners could vote. African Americans were not considered citizens, and women were excluded from the electoral process. Native Americans were not given the right to vote until James Madison, "the father of the Constitution," was one of the first to arrive in Philadelphia for the Constitutional Convention.

He arrived in early May, bearing the blueprint for the new Constitution. Of the forty-two delegates who attended most of the meetings, thirty-nine actually signed the Constitution.

Edmund Randolph and George Mason of Virginia and Elbridge Gerry of Massachusetts refused to sign due in part due to the lack of a bill of rights.

When it came time for the states to ratify the Constitution, the lack of any bill of rights was the primary sticking point. Authored by Connecticut delegate Roger Sherman, it called for proportional representation in the House, and one representative per state in the Senate this was later changed to two.

The compromise passed 5-to-4, with one state, Massachusetts, "divided. When it was ratified in , the Constitution enshrined the institution of slavery through the so-called "Three-Fifths Compromise," which called for those "bound to service for a term of years" and "all other Persons" meaning slaves to be counted for representation purposes as three-fifths of free people.

The word "slavery," however, did not appear in the Constitution until the ratification of the 13th Amendment, which abolished slavery in the United States. Patrick Henry was elected as a delegate to the Constitutional Convention, but declined, because he "smelt a rat. Because of his poor health, Benjamin Franklin needed help to sign the Constitution.

As he did so, tears streamed down his face. Gouverneur Morris was largely responsible for the "wording" of the Constitution, although there was a Committee of Style formed in September The oldest person to sign the Constitution was Benjamin Franklin The youngest was Jonathan Dayton of New Jersey When the Constitution was signed, the United States population was 4 million.

It is now more than million. Philadelphia was the nation's largest city, with 40, inhabitants. A proclamation by President George Washington and a congressional resolution established the first national Thanksgiving Day on November 26, The reason for the holiday was to give "thanks" for the new Constitution. There was initially a question as to how to address the President. James Wilson originally proposed the President be chosen by popular vote, but the delegates agreed after 60 ballots on a system known as the Electoral College.

Although there have been proposed amendments to change it, this "indirect" system of electing the president is still intact. George Washington and James Madison were the only presidents who signed the Constitution. In November of the Congress of the Confederation adjourned and left the United States without a central government until April That is when the first Congress under the new Constitution convened with its first quorum.

James Madison was the only delegate to attend every meeting. He took detailed notes of the various discussions and debates that took place during the convention. The journal that he kept during the Constitutional Convention was kept secret until after he died.

The journal was published in A number of the delegates, like Washington, either served in the Continental Congress or fought the British during the American Revolution.

Not all of the delegates agreed with the final product. Some expressed reservations but signed the Constitution, anticipating vigorous debates within their states. Critics who shared the views of these delegates preferred the decentralized nature of the Articles of Confederation as a check on the power of the central government. Dubbed "Anti-Federalists" by their opponents, Americans would debate the benefits of a new Constitution for the next ten months.

The state listings reflect the states they represented during the Federal Convention:. Hill, ed. Norton, : The Records of the Federal Convention of , rev. A member of Virginia's General Assembly, George Mason did not serve in the Continental or Confederation Congresses at any point during his political career.

Featured Search Historical Highlights of the House. Learn about Foreign Leader Addresses. Rhode Island finally approved the Constitution on May 29, , by a margin of two votes.

Toggle navigation. Myth one: The Constitution was written on hemp paper The Constitution and the Declaration of Independence were written on parchment.

Myth three: John Adams also signed the Constitution Like Jefferson, Adams was in service for his country overseas when the Constitution was signed. Myth seven: An enthusiastic country quickly embraced the Constitution After the delegates signed the Constitution on September 17, , five states immediately ratified it.

Myth eight: The Convention delegates were unanimous in approving the document When the Constitutional Convention ended in , 42 delegates gathered at the Pennsylvania State House now Independence Hall for the signing ceremony. Sign up for our email newsletter.