Of the 55 delegates from the 12 states, eight of themwere from
Pennsylvania, more than any other state. Two well-known
Pennsylvanians at the Constitutional Convention were
Gouverneur
Morris
and
Benjamin Franklin
. Morris was a successful Philadelphia
lawyer. During the convention, he gavemore speeches than anyone
else-—173 in all. Just imagine preparing and giving approximately one
speech per day for the entire school year. Historians think that Morris
was the person who actually wrote the final version of our new
Constitution, but
JamesMadison
of Virginia is given credit as being
the Father of the
U.S. Constitution
.
During the convention, there were heated debates over how each
state was to be fairly represented in the new government. There were
larger states, such as Virginia, that containedmore people and wealth.
Delegates from the smaller states, such as Delaware and New Jersey,
did not feel they would receive equal representation.
Roger Sherman
and
Oliver Ellsworth
, delegates fromConnecticut, offered a plan to
help settle the dispute. Their
compromise
called for representation by
population (now known as the House of Representatives) and also
equal representation for the states (now known as the Senate).
Historians refer to this plan as the Great Compromise.
More than any other person, Benjamin Franklin, who was called the
Great Pacifier, helped to cool the tempers of the delegates. He offered
many compromises that helped to solve disagreements. This new plan
of government, now known as the United States Constitution, was
approved at Independence Hall in Philadelphia on September 17, 1787.
On that day, 39 of the 55 delegates signed their approval for this new
plan of government – one we still use today and one that has been
exported all over the world. Although Franklin did not agree with all
parts of the new plan, he became the oldest signer of the Constitution.
The Constitutional Convention convened in
Philadelphia in 1787, with representatives
fromevery state but Rhode Island. Benjamin
Franklin helped cool many disagreements
during the long, hot summer of debate. His
compromises helped create what is nowknown
as ourUnited States Constitution.
56
Understanding Pennsylvania
