Sources of the Constitution The Framers were well educated and widely read. They were familiar with the governments of ancient Greece and Rome and those of contemporary Great Britain and Europe. They knew the political writings of their time, of such works as William Blackstone's Commentaries on the Laws of England, the Baron de Montesquieu's The Spirit of the Laws, Jean Jacques Rousseau's Social Contract, John Locke's Two Treatises of Government, and many others. More immediately, the Framers drew on their own experiences. Remember, they were familiar with the Second Continental Congress, the Articles of Confederation, and their own State governments. Much that went into the Constitution came directly, sometimes word for word, from the Articles. A number of provisions were drawn from the several State constitutions, as well.

The Convention Completes Its Work For several weeks, through the hot Philadelphia summer, the delegates took up resolution after resolution. Finally, on September 8, a committee was named "to revise the stile of and arrange the articles which had been argeed to" by the convention. That group, the Committee of Stile and Arrangement headed by Gouvernneur Morris, put the Constitution in its final form. Then, on September 17, the convention approved its work and 39 names were placed on the finished document. Perhaps none of the Framers were completely satisfied with their work. But nevertheless, the Constitution was signed.

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Our Political Beginnings | The Coming of Independence | The Critical Period | Creating the Constitution | Ratifying the Constitution