Do you know the men in America's history who wrote the United States Constitution? Do you know the men who labored together, no doubt in love and out of loyalty to the cause of freedom and democracy, and with the firm belief that they represented the will and the dreams of all of the citizens when they wrote the words "We the People"?
Just shining the spotlight on one of the framers of the U.S. Constitution can shed tremendous light on what the entire process must have involved.
- James Wilson was never elected to be one of our nation's leaders. But he left an indelible mark in U.S. History. This Mr. Wilson played a huge role in writing into the Constitution the principle that sovereignty resides with the people. Signed both the Declaration of Independence and the U.S. Constitution. (Tell the truth. If you were playing an American history trivia game and that question was asked: “Who did that?” – you would have gotten it wrong, wouldn’t you? The name of James Wilson isn’t like cream. It doesn’t rise to the top when there is a discussion about framers of the U.S. Constitution. Yet he was one of the signers. Per information maintained by the National Archives, he was Signer Number 7 representing Pennsylvania.)
The
United States Constitution was drafted in 1787 by a group of 55
delegates at the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia. These
historical figures played a key role in shaping the document:
-
James Madison – Often called the "Father of the Constitution",
and later helped shape the Bill of Rights.
- George Washington –
Though he did not write the Constitution, Washington presided over
the convention and was a key figure in its adoption.
-
Benjamin Franklin – The oldest delegate, provided wisdom and
mediation during debates.
- Alexander Hamilton and John Jay –
Contributors to The Federalist Papers (addressed topics like
separation of powers, checks and balances, federalism, and the
dangers of factions).
- Roger Sherman – Proposed the Great
Compromise, which shaped the structure of Congress. - Gouverneur
Morris – Known as the "Penman of the Constitution. Credited
with writing much of the final wording of the Constitution, including
the famous "We the People" preamble.
FACT:
Out of the 55 delegates, only 39 signed the final document.
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REFERENCES:
Network, Laws. com. “Who Wrote the Constitution? - US Constitution - LAWS.Com.” LAWS.COM - American Constitution 1789, 7 Apr. 2020, https://constitution.laws.com/who-wrote-the-constitution.
“Meet the Framers of the Constitution.” National Archives, 2 Nov. 2015, https://www.archives.gov/founding-docs/founding-fathers.
HISTORY.com Editors. “Federalist Papers: Summary, Authors & Impact.” HISTORY, 9 Nov. 2009, https://www.history.com/articles/federalist-papers.
Mosvick, Nicholas. “Forgotten Founders: Gouverneur Morris.” National Constitution Center – Constitutioncenter.Org, 8 June 2020, https://constitutioncenter.org/blog/forgotten-founders-gouverneur-morris. Great addition to your personal library.
What were the original framers
of the U.S. Constitution really thinking?
Americans should and need to know!
*
Author: David Robertson; Genre: Non-Fiction;
Publisher: Oxford University Press; Release Date: January 2, 2013
In this provocative new account of the framing of the Constitution, Robertson observes that the Federalist Papers represented only one side in a fierce argument that was settled by compromise–in fact, multiple compromises. …
