Who Went To The Constitutional Convention

Who Went to the Constitutional Convention? A Complete Guide to the Delegates of 1787

When we talk about the founding of the United States, the Constitutional Convention of 1787 inevitably comes up. On the flip side, it was the moment when a handful of visionary men gathered in Philadelphia to scrap the failing Articles of Confederation and design a stronger federal framework. But who exactly were the people in that room? What states did they represent, what ideas did they bring, and who, surprisingly, was missing from the proceedings?

This pillar‑style guide walks you through the full roster of delegates, highlights the most influential figures, notes the notable absentees, and explains why their presence (or absence) mattered. By the end, you’ll have a clear picture of who walked the halls of Independence Hall and why their decisions still shape American government today.

Why the Convention Matters

Before diving into the roster, it helps to remember why the convention mattered at all. After the Revolutionary War, the United States operated under the Articles of Confederation, a loose alliance that left the national government weak, unable to tax, regulate commerce, or enforce laws. States acted almost like independent countries, printing their own money and negotiating treaties on their own.

By the mid‑1780s, economic turmoil, interstate disputes, and events like Shays’ Rebellion made it clear that a stronger central government was needed. In February 1787, Congress called for a convention “for the sole and express purpose of revising the Articles of Confederation.” What happened in Philadelphia, however, went far beyond a simple revision; the delegates drafted an entirely new constitution that created a federal republic with checks and balances, a bicameral legislature, and an executive branch.

Understanding who was in the room helps explain why the final document looks the way it does — and why certain voices were missing from the conversation.

Who Attended? A State‑by‑State Breakdown

The Constitutional Convention convened on May 25, 1787, in the Pennsylvania State House (now Independence Hall). Over the course of four months, fifty‑five delegates were appointed by the twelve states that sent representatives (Rhode Island refused to participate, fearing a stronger national government). Below is a state‑by‑state snapshot of who showed up, along with a few notes on each delegation’s character.

## Connecticut

• Oliver Ellsworth – A lawyer who later became the third Chief Justice of the United States. He championed the Connecticut Compromise (also known as the Great Compromise), which created a bicameral legislature with equal representation in the Senate and proportional representation in the House.
• William Samuel Johnson – A lawyer and educator who later served as the first president of Columbia College. He supported a strong national government but also advocated for protecting state rights.

## Delaware

• George Read – A signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the Articles of Confederation; he initially opposed a strong national government but eventually supported the Constitution.
• Gunning Bedford Jr. – A fierce advocate for small‑state interests; he famously threatened that the small states would seek foreign alliances if their demands weren’t met.
• John Dickinson – Known as the “Penman of the Revolution” for his early revolutionary writings; he was initially skeptical of a strong central government but eventually signed the Constitution.

## Georgia

• William Few – A self‑made lawyer and soldier who represented the western frontier interests of Georgia. He later served as a U.S. Senator.
• Abraham Baldwin – A minister and educator who founded the University of Georgia; he played a key role in shaping the Great Compromise.

## Maryland

• James McHenry – An Irish‑born physician and soldier who later served as Secretary of War under Washington and Adams.
• Daniel Carroll – A wealthy planter and politician who later helped draft the Bill of Rights.
• Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer – A wealthy planter who supported a strong national government but also advocated for protections for slaveholding states.

## Massachusetts

• Elbridge Gerry – Initially opposed to a strong central government, he later became a vocal advocate for a bill of rights and later served as the fifth Vice President of the United States.
• Rufus King – A lawyer and diplomat who later served as Minister to Britain and played a key role in drafting the Constitution’s language on the slave trade.
• Nathaniel Gorham – A merchant and former president of the Continental Congress; he supported a strong national government but was wary of giving too much power to the executive.
• Nathaniel Gorham (duplicate entry corrected: actually Nathaniel Gorham served; the second Massachusetts delegate was Nathaniel Gorham? Actually Massachusetts had four delegates: Elbridge Gerry, Rufus King, Nathaniel Gorham, and Caleb Strong. Let’s correct.)
• Caleb Strong – A lawyer who later became Governor of Massachusetts and advocated for a moderate federal government.

## New Hampshire

• John Langdon – A shipbuilder and politician who later served as Governor of New Hampshire and as a U.S. Senator. He was a strong nationalist.
• Nicholas Gilman – A soldier and politician who later served in the U.S. House of Representatives.

## New Jersey

• William Livingston – The first governor of New Jersey and a militia leader during the Revolution; he supported a strong union but was wary of excessive federal power.
• William Paterson – Author of the New Jersey Plan, which advocated for equal representation for each state in a unicameral legislature. He later became an Associate Justice of the Supreme Court.
• David Brearley – Chief Justice of New Jersey Supreme Court; he chaired the Committee on Postponed Matters and helped shape the final draft.
• Jonathan Dayton – The youngest delegate at age 26; he later served as Speaker of the House and was implicated in the Burr conspiracy.

## New York

• Alexander Hamilton – Perhaps the most famous delegate, a brilliant economist and future first Secretary of the Treasury. He argued passionately for a strong central government and a vigorous executive.

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• Robert Yates – A lawyer from Albany who served in the Continental Congress; he was known for his cautious approach to federal authority and his focus on protecting state sovereignty.

• John Lansing Jr. – A prominent lawyer and politician who later served as Chancellor of New York; he was a leading Anti-Federalist who feared that a strong central government would inevitably lead to tyranny.

• Robert Livingston – A wealthy landowner and influential political figure who helped enable the Louisiana Purchase decades later; he was a key figure in the New York delegation's debates on executive power.

## Pennsylvania

• Benjamin Franklin – The elder statesman of the convention, whose presence provided legitimacy and wisdom to the proceedings; he famously urged the delegates to seek compromise rather than perfection.
• James Wilson – A brilliant legal scholar and one of the most influential framers of the Constitution; he was a primary architect of the executive branch and later served as a Supreme Court Justice.
• Gouverneur Morris – Known as the "Penman of the Constitution," he was responsible for much of the document's final, polished prose and was a staunch advocate for a strong national government.
• Benjamin Rush – A physician and social reformer who played a significant role in the debates regarding the structure of the federal government and the rights of the individual.

## Delaware

• George Read – A signer of both the Declaration of Independence and the Constitution; he was a moderate who sought to balance the interests of large and small states.
• Jared Ingersoll – A lawyer and diplomat who later served in the U.S. House of Representatives; he was a key figure in the Federalist movement.
• Caesar Rodney – A Revolutionary War hero whose dramatic midnight ride to cast the deciding vote for independence made him a legend; he later served as a U.S. Senator.

## North Carolina

• William Davie – A lawyer and politician who helped shape the structure of the federal judiciary and later served as the Governor of North Carolina.
• Richard Caseload – A soldier and politician who was instrumental in the debates regarding the balance of power between the states and the federal government.

## South Carolina

• John Rutledge – A key figure in the convention who later served as the first Chief Justice of the United States; he was a strong advocate for the interests of the Southern states.
• Charles Pinckney – A prominent lawyer and politician who played a major role in the debates regarding the slave trade and the executive branch.
• Henry Middleton – A wealthy planter and politician who served in the Continental Congress and was a leading voice for the interests of the plantation economy.

## Georgia

• William Bryan – A politician and landowner who was a strong supporter of a unified national government to ensure the security of the southern frontier.
• Lyman Hall – A physician and signer of the Declaration of Independence; he was a key voice in the debates regarding the federal government's power to regulate commerce.
• Button Gwinnett – A signer of the Declaration of Independence whose involvement in the revolutionary cause helped solidify Georgia's commitment to the new union.

The delegates who gathered in Philadelphia in 1787 were a diverse group of men, representing a wide spectrum of political, economic, and social interests. That said, their debates were often heated and their disagreements profound, yet through a series of complex compromises, they managed to forge a framework for a new nation. While the Constitution they produced was not perfect—leaving significant questions regarding slavery and individual rights unresolved—it established the fundamental structure of the American government. The legacy of these men remains embedded in the very fabric of the United States, as the tensions they navigated between state sovereignty and federal authority continue to shape American political discourse to this day.