Delaware Convention (1787)

Delaware Convention (1787)

The Delaware Convention in December 1787 convened in New Castle, Delaware to consider ratification of the United States Constitution produced by the Philadelphia Convention (1787). Delegates from the three counties of New Castle, Kent, and Sussex debated the instrument alongside contemporaneous state debates in Massachusetts, Virginia, and New York. Delaware’s action preceded and influenced subsequent ratifications by Pennsylvania and New Jersey.

Background and Delaware's Political Context

Delaware’s decision reflected tensions rooted in the Articles of Confederation era and debates among adherents of Federalism and Antifederalism. The state’s economy and mercantile interests in Wilmington and the shipbuilding centers of New Castle intersected with concerns addressed at the Congress of the Confederation and by figures from Maryland and New Jersey. Local politics in the wake of the Shays' Rebellion and international incidents involving Barbary States and the Treaty of Paris (1783) informed Delawareans’ preference for a stronger national framework, as voiced in correspondence with leaders in Philadelphia, Baltimore, and Boston. The state’s proximity to the Delaware River trade routes and its relationship with institutions such as the Bank of North America and the Continental Congress shaped county-level priorities prior to the convention.

Delegates and Key Figures

Six delegates represented Delaware: prominent figures included George Read, John Dickinson, and Richard Bassett, alongside Gunning Bedford Sr. and others aligned with pro-ratification interests. These men had previous service in the Second Continental Congress, the Delaware General Assembly, and the Constitutional debates surrounding the Federal Convention (1787). George Read had participated in the Continental Congress and signed the Declaration of Independence, while John Dickinson was known for authorship of the Letters from a Farmer in Pennsylvania and roles in the Pennsylvania Convention (1787). Richard Bassett later served in the United States Senate, and Gunning Bedford Sr. and Gunning Bedford Jr. (not present) were associated with legal and judicial developments in the region similar to those in Maryland Court of Appeals and Pennsylvania Supreme Court affairs. The delegation’s legalistic and mercantile backgrounds mirrored those of delegates in Massachusetts, Connecticut, and South Carolina.

Proceedings and Debates

The convention convened amid communications with leaders at the Philadelphia Convention (1787) and the Continental Congress (1781–1789). Debates emphasized representation clauses and the balance of state and national interests as debated in the Federalist Papers by Alexander Hamilton, James Madison, and John Jay, and criticized in writings by Patrick Henry and George Mason. Delaware delegates examined clauses relating to the Commerce Clause, the Three-Fifths Compromise, and the structure of the United States Senate and the House of Representatives. Arguments invoked precedents from the Articles of Confederation and experiences in the Rhode Island General Assembly and New Hampshire. Procedural influences included parliamentary practices from the British Parliament debates and legal norms from the English Bill of Rights era. While some Delawareans expressed concerns akin to those voiced at the Virginia sessions about separation of powers and individual liberty, the Delaware debate was brief and concentrated on securing protections similar to those later associated with the Bill of Rights advocated by George Mason and Samuel Adams.

Ratification Vote and Outcome

On December 7, 1787, the convention voted unanimously to ratify the United States Constitution, making Delaware the first state to complete ratification. The decisive vote followed motions and assurances reflecting negotiations comparable to those in Massachusetts and commitments that would inform conditional ratifications in Rhode Island and North Carolina. The ratification certificate was transmitted to the Congress of the Confederation and to delegates in New York City, where the New York debates continued. Delaware’s unanimous endorsement was cited by Federalists such as John Jay and Alexander Hamilton as momentum for ratification in larger states like Virginia and Pennsylvania.

Impact on Delaware and the Federal Constitution

Delaware’s early ratification bolstered the legitimacy of the Constitution of the United States and influenced ratification strategies employed by Federalist coalitions in New Jersey, Pennsylvania, and Maryland. The state’s adoption affected local institutions including the Delaware General Assembly and judicial offices that later interfaced with the United States Supreme Court and the evolving national legal system shaped by decisions like Marbury v. Madison and later statutes enacted by the United States Congress. Prominent Delaware ratifiers—George Read, John Dickinson, and Richard Bassett—went on to serve in federal roles, connecting Delaware’s political elite to the nascent Federal Government. The state’s action is memorialized alongside landmark ratifying conventions in historiography of the United States Constitution and in commemorations by institutions such as the Historical Society of Delaware and artifacts in the Smithsonian Institution.

Category:1787 in the United States Category:United States constitutional history Category:Delaware history