Exhibits

The Age of the Delegates in 1787

Introduction

It has often been remarked that in the journey of life, the young rely on energy to counteract the experience of the old. And vice versa. What makes this Constitutional Convention remarkable is that the delegates were both young and experienced. The average age of the delegates was 42 and four of the most influential delegates—Alexander Hamilton, Edmund Randolph, Gouvernor Morris, and James Madison—were in their thirties. Over half of the delegates graduated from College with nine from Princeton and six from British Universities. Even more significant was the continental political experience of the Framers: 8 signed the Declaration of Independence, 25 served in the Continental Congress, 15 helped draft the new State Constitutions between 1776 and 1780, and 40 served in the Confederation Congress between 1783 and 1787.

The Delegates by Age

Delegates in their 20s	State	Life	Age
Jonathon Dayton	NJ	1760 – 1824	26
John F. Mercer	MD	1759 – 1821	28
Richard Dobbs Spaight	NC	1758 – 1802	29
Charles Pinckney	SC	1757 – 1824	29
Delegates in their 30s
William R. Davie	NC	1756 – 1804	30
Alexander Hamilton	NY	1757 – 1804	30
Nicholas Gilman	NH	1755 – 1814	32
William Houstoun	GA	1755 – 1813	32
Rufus King	MA	1755 – 1827	32
John Lansing, Jr.	NY	1754 – 1829	32
Abraham Baldwin	GA	1754 – 1807	33
Edmund J. Randolph	VA	1753 – 1813	34
Gouverneur Morris	PA	1752 – 1816	35
Jacob Broom	DE	1752 – 1810	35
James Madison, Jr.	VA	1751 – 1836	36
Jared Ingersoll	PA	1749 – 1822	37
William Few	GA	1748 – 1828	39
Luther Martin	MD	1748 – 1826	39
William Blount	NC	1749 – 1800	39
Delegates in their 40s
Gunning Bedford, Jr.	DE	1747 – 1812	40
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney	SC	1746 – 1825	41
William C. Houston	NJ	1746 – 1788	41
James McClurg	VA	1746 – 1823	41
William Paterson	NJ	1745 – 1815	41
Richard Bassett	DE	1745 – 1815	42
Oliver Ellsworth	CT	1745 – 1807	42
David Brearly	NJ	1745 – 1790	42
Charles Cotesworth Pinckney	MA	1745 – 1819	42
Pierce Butler	SC	1744 – 1822	43
Elbridge Gerry	MA	1744 – 1814	43
Thomas Mifflin	PA	1744 – 1800	43
James McHenry	MD	1743 – 1816	44
James Wilson	PA	1742 – 1798	45
John Langdon	NH	1741 – 1811	46
Thomas Fitzsimons	PA	1741 – 1811	46
Alexander Martin	NC	1740 – 1807	47
William L. Pierce	GA	1740 – 1789	47
George Clymer	PA	1739 – 1813	48
John Rutledge	SC	1739 – 1800	48
Nathaniel Gorham	MA	1738 – 1796	49
Robert Yates	NY	1738 – 1801	49
Delegates in their 50s and older
Hugh Williamson	NC	1735 – 1819	52
Robert Morris	PA	1734 – 1806	53
George Read	DE	1733 – 1798	53
John Blair	VA	1732 – 1800	55
John Dickinson	DE	1732 – 1808	55
George Washington	VA	1732 – 1799	55
Daniel of St. Thomas Jenifer	MD	1730 – 1796	57
William Samuel Johnson	CT	1727 – 1819	59
George Wythe	VA	1726 – 1806	61
George Mason	VA	1725 – 1792	62
William Livingston	NJ	1723 – 1790	63
David Brearly	MD	1723 – 1790	64
Roger Sherman	CT	1721 – 1793	66
Benjamin Franklin	PA	1706 – 1790	81

Age of Delegates	Alphabetical List	Continental Experience	Economic Interests
Educational Background	State List	Titles of Honor	Quorum Requirements
A Four-Act Drama	Artistic Portrayals of the Convention	Attendance Record	Committee Chart
Interactive Map of Philadelphia	Intro to the Convention	Letters from the Convention	Madison’s Notes
Major Themes of the Convention	Summary of the Convention	The Delegates	The Constitution
Timeline of the Convention	Washington at City Tavern	Exhibit Home	Constitutional Convention Document Collection

The Age of the Delegates in 1787

Introduction

The Delegates by Age

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