Throughout the debate over ratifying the newly proposed Constitution of 1787, thousands of speeches were given in a variety of forums. Speeches were delivered in the Constitutional Convention, the Confederation Congress, legislative assemblies (by governors and legislators), state ratifying conventions, public meetings, debating societies, and even in churches. In some cases, notes of speeches survive that were taken by people in the audience, by shorthand note takers bent on their publication, and occasionally even by the orator himself. Many speeches were recorded in newspapers and pamphlets. The impact of most of these speeches is difficult to determine. However, the five speeches printed below had not only an immediate impact but subsequently a much broader impact on the national ratification debate.
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Benjamin Franklin praised the work of the Convention and in spite of the new Constitution not being perfect, he urged all his fellow delegates to sign the Constitution even if they might personally object to some of its provisions.
James Wilson’s speech was the first publicaly given by a delegate to the Constitutional Convention to publicly defend the Constitution, especially against its lack of a bill of rights.
John Hancock advocated that the Constitution be ratified unconditionally with nine recommendatory amendments. This, in turn, influenced other states to ratify the Constitution with recommendatory amendments.
In September 1787, Edmund Randolph, was one of three delegates to the Constitutional Convention who refused to sign the Constitution. Later, in his first speech in the Virginia Convention, he announced that he would vote to ratify the Constitution, which led to the Virginia Convention’s ratification by a slim majority, which in turn led to New York’s ratification.
Melancton Smith, the leader of the New York Convention’s opposition to the Constitution, concluded after word of Virginia’s ratification reached Poughkeepsie, that a conditional ratification by New York would dangerously isolate New York out of the Union. Consequently, Smith advocated unconditional ratification of the Constitution while continuing efforts to obtain amendments via the procedures outlined in Article V of the Constitution.