How many people drafted the Constitution?

Asked by: Dexter Friesen  |  Last update: March 24, 2026
Score: 4.8/5 (25 votes)

While 70 delegates were appointed to the 1787 Constitutional Convention, only 55 attended, and ultimately 39 signed the U.S. Constitution, with key figures like James Madison and Benjamin Franklin being central to its drafting and signing, though some notable framers like George Mason refused to sign.

How many people drafted the US Constitution?

A number of these individuals did not accept or could not attend, including Richard Henry Lee, Patrick Henry, Thomas Jefferson, John Adams, Samuel Adams, and John Hancock. In all, 55 delegates attended the Constitutional Convention sessions, but only 39 actually signed the Constitution.

How many people were involved in drafting the Constitution?

As of December 1947, the Assembly had 299 members: 229 members elected from 12 Indian Provinces and 70 members nominated from 29 Princely States.

How many drafts of the Constitution are there?

Constituent Assembly. The constitution was drafted by the Constituent Assembly, which was elected by elected members of the provincial assemblies. The 389-member assembly (reduced to 299 after the partition of India) took almost three years to draft the constitution holding eleven sessions over a 165-day period.

Who were the 5 people who wrote the Constitution?

Five key framers of the U.S. Constitution include James Madison (the "Father of the Constitution"), George Washington (President of the Convention), Benjamin Franklin (elder statesman), Alexander Hamilton (advocate for strong central government), and James Wilson (key theorist on representation). Other influential figures were Gouverneur Morris, George Mason, and Roger Sherman, while the "Committee of Five" (Adams, Franklin, Jefferson, Livingston, Sherman) drafted the Declaration of Independence, not the Constitution itself.
 

The Making of the American Constitution - Judy Walton

30 related questions found

Who drafted the U.S. Constitution?

Toward the close of these discussions, on September 8, a Committee of Style and Arrangement, including Alexander Hamilton from New York, William Samuel Johnson from Connecticut, Rufus King from Massachusetts, James Madison from Virginia, and Gouverneur Morris from Pennsylvania, was appointed to distill a final draft ...

Who are the 7 principle founding fathers?

The 7 core principles of the U.S. Constitution, established by the Founding Fathers, are Popular Sovereignty, Limited Government, Separation of Powers, Checks and Balances, Federalism, Republicanism, and Individual Rights, all designed to create a balanced government that protects citizens' freedoms while preventing tyranny, originating from the people, and dividing power among branches and levels of government. 

Which president drafted most of the Constitution?

James Madison was the 4th President of the United States, serving from 1809 to 1817. Often referred to as the Father of the Constitution, Madison played a central role in drafting and promoting the U.S. Constitution and the Bill of Rights.

Why is part 7 removed?

Part VII of the Indian Constitution was repealed by the Seventh Amendment Act of 1956 because it dealt with Part B States (former princely states) that became redundant after India reorganized its states on a linguistic basis, making the old classification of Part A, B, C states obsolete and establishing the modern system of States and Union Territories, as explained in sources like IAS Origin and Testbook.
 

Is there 27 or 33 amendments?

There are 27 ratified amendments to the U.S. Constitution, not 33; however, Congress has proposed 33 amendments, with 27 successfully ratified by the states, including the first ten known as the Bill of Rights. The confusion arises because while only 27 are official, there have been other attempts or proposed changes that didn't pass, leading to lists that might include unratified ones. 

Who actually drafted the Constitution?

These committees submitted their reports between April and August 1947. Then based on these reports BN Rau, the constitutional advisor to the constituent assembly drafted the initial draft of the Indian constitution in October 1947.

What is Article 371 A to J?

The articles in it range from Article 371 A to J. The clauses have temporary, transitional, and special provisions. The purpose of this article is to protect the interests of the population belonging to backward regions. It further seeks to protect the economic and cultural interests of the population.

How much time did it take to draft the Constitution?

It took two years, eleven months, and seventeen days to draft the Constitution of India.

Is God mentioned in the U.S. Constitution?

No, the U.S. Constitution does not explicitly mention God, Jesus, or Christianity; its focus is secular, establishing government structure and guaranteeing religious freedom, though it uses the phrase "Year of our Lord" for dating the document and mentions "religion" in the First Amendment regarding no establishment of religion. The document instead separates church and state, ensuring no religious test for office and prohibiting a government-established religion, reflecting the founders' aim for religious liberty.
 

How many times has the Constitution been amended until 2025?

As of July 2025, there have been 106 amendments of the Constitution of India since it was first enacted in 1950. The Indian Constitution is the most amended national constitution in the world.

Why did only 39 people sign the Constitution?

Only 39 delegates signed the U.S. Constitution because many of the 70 appointed delegates didn't attend, some left early due to illness or business, and three prominent figures—George Mason, Elbridge Gerry, and Edmund Randolph—refused to sign, primarily because the document lacked a Bill of Rights to protect individual and state freedoms, fearing a too-powerful central government.
 

Why is the 7th Amendment not incorporated?

history of this amendment and the Court's jurisprudence in this area show that the Seventh Amendment provision of civil jury trials should remain unincorporated as to the states. A. Non-Incorporation Is Consistent With The History And Purpose Of The Seventh Amendment And The Court's Older Jurisprudence.

What is article number 7?

Article 7 of Indian Constitution deals with the complex migration issues that followed Partition . It aims to set clear criteria for determining who retains Indian citizenship . Key Provisions: No Citizenship: Post-March 1 migrants to Pakistan are not Indian citizens.

What is the 7th Constitutional Amendment?

7th Constitutional Amendment Act reorganized Indian states on linguistic lines, created 14 states & 6 UTs, and clarified key constitutional provisions. The 7th Constitutional Amendment Act was introduced to re-organise the states systematically, replacing the earlier boundaries.

Which president did not use the Bible to take the oath of office?

Several U.S. Presidents did not use a Bible for their oath, including John Quincy Adams (used a law book), Theodore Roosevelt (used no book at his first swearing-in), and Lyndon B. Johnson (used a Catholic missal), with Calvin Coolidge also noting he didn't use one, adhering to Vermont tradition. The Constitution doesn't require a Bible, allowing for these variations, often signifying a belief in secularism or responding to unique circumstances. 

Who actually hand wrote the U.S. Constitution?

Jacob Shallus or Shalus (1750–April 18, 1796) was an American calligrapher who was the engrosser or penman of the original copy of the United States Constitution.

Who are the 4 fathers of the United States?

Washington, Adams, Jefferson, and Madison served as the first four presidents; Adams and Jefferson were the nation's first two vice presidents; Jay was the nation's first chief justice; Hamilton was the first secretary of the treasury; Jefferson was the first secretary of state; and Franklin was America's most senior ...

Which founding father was not born in America?

48 of the 56 signers were born in America. Two were born in England (Button Gwinnett, Robert Morris), two in Ireland (George Taylor, Matthew Thornton), two in Scotland (James Wilson, John Witherspoon), one in Northern Ireland (James Smith), and one in Wales (Francis Lewis).

What did the founding fathers say about Jews?

The Founding Fathers held diverse views on Jews, ranging from strong support for religious liberty (Washington, Adams, Hamilton) to criticisms of Judaism (Jefferson), but collectively established a framework where Jews were recognized as full citizens under the First Amendment, ensuring freedom of conscience and protection from persecution, though some underlying biases existed. George Washington famously promised "to give to bigotry no sanction" in a letter to the Newport synagogue, while Jefferson saw religious freedom encompassing Jews but expressed negative theological views, and others like Benjamin Franklin and John Adams showed both admiration and ambivalence, highlighting a complex mix of Enlightenment ideals and historical prejudices.
 

How many of the founding fathers owned slaves?

A majority of the signers of the Declaration of Independence and nearly half of the delegates to the Constitutional Convention owned slaves. Four of the first five presidents of the United States were slaveowners.