page_title: History of the United States Constitution
section_title: The delegates
hierarchical_section_title: History of the United States Constitution / Constitutional Convention / The delegates
context_page_description: The history of the United States Constitution is a history of how the government of the United States functions, its rule of law and the rights guaranteed to its citizens. It was signed by the delegates to the Constitutional Convention in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787. It replaced the Articles of Confederation, that served as new nation's first constitution. The government under the Articles proved to be weak and inefficient. When the convention was called to meet in Philadelphia on May 25, 1787, most of the members were aware a new stronger government was necessary.
context_section_description: Appointed to the convention were 74 delegates—only 55 of which actually attended the sessions. The state of Rhode Island refused to send any delegates. They believed the convention was actually a conspiracy to overthrow the Confederation government. Patrick Henry of Virginia was another who refused to attend declaring he "smelt a rat." In particular he suspected James Madison, also of Virginia, of wanting to create a new form of government. Henry was a firm believer that the states offered the best protections for personal rights and wanted nothing to do with upsetting that arrangement. Thomas Jefferson and John Adams were away on diplomatic missions. John Jay was in New York at the diplomatic office. For various reasons many of the country's major political leaders were not at the convention. But the list of those who did attend was impressive. It included Benjamin Franklin, James Wilson, Alexander Hamilton, George Mason, John Dickinson, Gouverneur Morris and George Washington. Many others also became famous as framers of the Constitution.
  The sessions were held in secret. Reporters and spectators were not allowed. To those who already had suspicions, the secrecy of the proceedings only confirmed what they feared. There were even armed guards at the doors. Many of those present had already risked being hanged by the British as traitors during the revolution. Now they worried about what their states would think of abandoning the Articles of Confederation.
caption: Signing of the Constitution, a painting by Thomas Prichard Rossiter (1818-1871)
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