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KEY PLAYERS |
John Adams
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| MASSACHUSETTS |
| John Adams a resident of Massachusetts who became a national icon during the revolution when he helped create the Declaration of Independence and took part in the Continental congress. He was essential in foreign Relations with Europe, helping to create the treaty between Great Britain and the United States. He then served as Ambassador to Great Britain and the Netherlands. It was during his ambassadorship that the proposed federal constitution was drafted and but through the ratification process. Though Adams was not physically in the United States He authored three volumes entitled “A Defence of the Constitutions of Government of the United States” where he states his federalist principles of government which included the separation of powers and a mixed democratic republic. His principles could be seen in the 1780 Massachusetts State Constitution as Adams was the main creator of said document. During the ratifications Adams’ “Defence” was harshly critiqued by many for trying to create a “natural aristocracy”, however, many of his principles, such as checks and balances, are essential in the Constitution. |
Elbridge Gerry
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Elbridge Gerry was a resident of Massachusetts who became a major figure in the federal government during the Revolution. Throughout his Career he was a signer of the Declaration of Independence, a member of the Continental Congress, delegates to the Philadelphia Convention and the Massachusetts ratifying convention, Governor of Massachusetts, Senator, and finally Vice President. While a member of the Federalist Party after the ratification, Gerry refused to sign the constitution because it lacked a bill of rights upon signing. |
Pennsylvania |
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John Smilie was a Pennsylvanian who served in both the state legislature and the federal legislature throughout his political career. As a member of the antifederalist party in Pennsylvania, he led the opposition against the proposed constitution in the Pennsylvanian Ratification Debates. His outspoken comments against the constitution and the opposing delegates were centered on the idea of a bill of rights which he staunchly supported.
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James Wilson
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James Wilson was a Pennsylvanian who served became an important figure in the federal government since the separation from England. His appearance and debates were seen in the Declaration of Independence, both continental congresses and both the Philadelphia Convention and the Pennsylvanian Ratification Debates. He was a federalist and one of the most learned framers of the constitution as he studied law. He became on the first original members of the Supreme Court and was part of the United States Senate.
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| VIRGINIA |
Thomas Jefferson
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Thomas Jefferson was a Virginian who became a national icon after writing the Declaration of Independence. He was the governor of Virginia and assumed multiple roles in the federal government. During the Ratification of the Federal Constitution, Thomas Jefferson was the Foreign Minister of France and lived in Paris France for the duration of the ratification. While there, he authored the “Notes on the State of Virginia” which was published in France, England and the United States. While he was not physically present for the duration, Jefferson wrote and received multiple letters, pamphlets and newspapers from his delegates. Later in his political Career, Jefferson, a member of the Republican Party, became President of the United States.
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Patrick Henry
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Patrick Henry was a Virginian who is most famously known for his “Give Me Liberty or Give Me Death” Speech that he gave to the Virginia Convention in 1775. Seen as a major regional figure in Virginia, Henry was a stout states’ rights advocate and held the governorship of Virginia after Jefferson. He first declined the invitation to the Philadelphia convention but joined in the Virginia Ratification Convention where he led the Antifederalists in opposition to the proposed Constitution.
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James Madison was a Virginian who became a national figure during the Philadelphia Convention where the proposed Constitution came into being. He was a stout federalist who used all of his political might and rhetoric to sway opinions in favor of the constitution. While he played a great physical role in the Virginia ratification debate, Madison, along with John Jay and Alexander Hamilton, co authored “The Federalist Papers” which gave arguments for the ratification of the proposed constitution. Later in his political career, Madison became President of the United States.
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James Madison
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George Mason
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George Mason is a Virginian who was essential in the creation of the Federal Constitution as it is recognized today. As a statesman from Virginia, he was a member of the Philadelphia Convention and the Virginia Ratification Convention. He is most well known for as the father of the bill of rights. As part of the Virginia Convention for the State Constitution, George Mason created the bill of rights for Virginia and later, along with James Madison, directly enforced the necessity for the bill of Rights in the Federal Constitution. As an antifederalist he supported more states’ rights and an expressed declaration of rights to counter what he feared was a too powerful federal government. He was one of three (including Elbridge Gerry and Edmund Randolph) who refused to sign the constitution because it lacked a bill of rights. |
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