United States Constitution

Broadside United States Constitution
Philadelphia: Claypoole and Dunlap,
September 12, 1787
Page 2 - Page 3 - Page 4
Page 5 - Page 6
Manuscript Division
State Department transfer (5.6)

By Saturday, September 8, 1787, the work of the Convention was almost at an end. The delegates appointed a committee consisting of William Samuel Johnson of Connecticut as chairman; Alexander Hamilton of New York; Gouverneur Morris of Pennsylvania; James Madison of Virginia; and Rufus King of Massachusetts "to revise the style of, and arrange, the articles which have been agreed to by the House." Johnson presented a digest of the finished Constitution on September 12, and the Convention ordered copies printed and distributed to the delegates. The delegates made few changes in the Committee of Style report. Motions were made to preface the Constitution with a Bill of Rights and to protect the freedom of the press, but both were defeated when put to a vote. According to Roger Sherman of Connecticut, both proposals were unnecessary because the individual state declarations of rights were still in effect. The Federal Constitution was adopted on September 17, 1787, by thirty-nine delegates attending the Convention. It was then sent to the states for ratification. This copy belonged to James Madison.