Foreign-Born Framers

On this Constitution Day, it is worth recalling that 7 of the thirty-nine delegates to the Philadelphia convention whose names are affixed to the Constitution were foreign-born, i.e., born exterior of the territories that became the United States.  These master copy dreamers who “got the project done” were:

Alexander Hamilton (NY) – born inward the West Indies

Thomas Fitzsimmons (PA) – born inward Ireland

Robert Morris (PA) – born inward England

James Wilson (PA) – born inward Scotland

William Paterson (NJ) – born inward Ireland

James McHenry (MD) – born inward Ireland

Pierce Butler (SC) – born inward Ireland

Thanks to the amazing success of Lin-Manuel Miranda’s “Hamilton,” Hamilton’s floor every bit a hardworking immigrant who made especial contributions to the founding is well-known.  But Hamilton was hardly lonely inward this respect.  The same could survive said of others on this list.

Fitzsimmons was a pregnant political leader inward his day, who served inward the Continental Congress, the Pennsylvania House of Representatives, in addition to the kickoff U.S. Congress, where he was a potent supporter of Hamilton’s fiscal programs in addition to an opponent of slavery.  It was Fitzsimmons, inward fact, who presented the kickoff Quaker petition to abolish the slave trade in Congress on Feb 11, 1790.  Fitzsimmons helped establish the Bank of North America in addition to the Insurance Company of North America, in addition to he every bit good advised Hamilton on the creation of the Bank of New York.  Along alongside Maryland’s Daniel Carroll, he was 1 of ii Catholics to sign the Constitution. 

Morris was a supremely influential figure, who kept the revolutionary state of war endeavour afloat during a critical menstruation in addition to contributed hence much to its fiscal direction that he is sometimes called the "Financier of the American Revolution."  He was Superintendent of Finance from 1781 to 1784, a purpose inward which he spearheaded the creation of America’s kickoff national bank.  Along alongside George Washington, he in all probability was 1 of the ii or iii virtually powerful men at the Philadelphia convention, exerting a critical behind-the-scenes influence.  After the Constitution was ratified, he represented Pennsylvania inward the kickoff U.S. Senate.

Wilson is the alone founder to sign both the Constitution in addition to the Declaration of Independence in addition to to serve every bit a Justice on the U.S. Supreme Court.  He wrote the kickoff consummate draft of the Constitution, in addition to inward that capacity he was primarily responsible for the precise linguistic communication of many of its virtually pregnant clauses in addition to phrases, including the Vesting Clauses, the Necessary in addition to Proper Clause, the Supremacy Clause, in addition to the purplish opening words of the Preamble: “We the People.”  One of the best lawyers in addition to legal minds of his generation, Wilson every bit good has been called the "most democratic" founder because of his unwavering back upward for pop sovereignty in addition to the regulation of 1 person, 1 vote.  As a Supreme Court Justice, he participated inward several of import cases, including Hayburn’s Case, Chisholm v. Georgia, in addition to Ware v. Hylton.

Paterson every bit good played an of import purpose at the Philadelphia convention, where he was every bit a champion of small-scale province interests in addition to authored the New Bailiwick of Jersey Plan, the leading option to the nationalist’s Virginia Plan.  He was the kickoff Attorney General of New Bailiwick of Jersey in addition to served inward the kickoff U.S. Senate, where he helped to draft the Judiciary Act of 1789.  Paterson every bit good was the Governor of New Bailiwick of Jersey for ii years earlier existence appointed past times George Washington to the U.S. Supreme Court.  During his nearly 14 years on the Court, he wrote or joined many cardinal decisions, including Van Horne’s Lessee v. Dorrance, Calder v. Bull, Stuart v. Laird, in addition to Marbury v. Madison.

McHenry came to America every bit a teenager in addition to trained every bit a physician nether Benjamin Rush.  After supporting the state of war endeavour every bit an regular army surgeon in addition to aide to General Washington, he served inward the Maryland Senate in addition to and hence represented Maryland inward the Continental Congress.  In 1788, he was elected to the Maryland House of Delegates, in addition to inward 1791, he returned to the Maryland Senate, where he sat for 5 additional years.  President Washington appointed him Secretary of War inward 1796, a seat he held inward both the Washington in addition to Adams administrations.  Fort McHenry of “Star Spangled Banner” fame was named after him.

Butler’s contributions to the Constitution are no crusade for celebration, since many of them (e.g., the Fugitive Slave Clause) grew out of his involvement inward protecting slavery.  Still, he was an of import fellow member of the South Carolina delegation in addition to an influential figure inward the founding generation.  Butler was a Revolutionary War hero in addition to represented South Carolina inward the kickoff U.S. Senate.  He holds the dubious distinction of both hounding Wilson to his decease on trace of piece of job organisation human relationship of the latter’s unpaid debts in addition to hosting Aaron Burr at his abode after Burr shot in addition to killed Hamilton.

7/39 is an ugly ratio. Rounded to the 5th decimal place, it comes to 17.94872%.  Yet happily in that location was simply about other immigrant who set his mention to the Constitution: the immature secretarial assistant of the convention, William Jackson.

Born inward England inward 1759, Jackson came to America every bit an orphan in addition to joined the continental regular army every bit a teenager.  He served on General Washington’s staff in addition to afterwards became an assistant to the kickoff U.S. Secretary of War, Benjamin Lincoln.   On May 25, 1787, the kickoff twenty-four hours of the Philadelphia convention, Hamilton nominated Jackson to survive its secretary, in addition to the delegates chose him for that seat over Benjamin Franklin’s grandson, William Temple Franklin.  Jackson’s official periodical of the convention has oft been criticized, but the criticism is in all probability unfair, every bit Professor Mary Sarah Bilder patiently explains inward this illuminating article.

Because people oft mistakenly assume that 39 men signed the Constitution (including John Dickinson, who was non genuinely introduce on September 17, but whose signature was added at his direction past times simply about other delegate from Delaware, George Read), the fact that Jackson every bit good set his mention to the document makes for a overnice chip of trivia.  In the introduce context, it every bit good way that 8/40, or precisely 20 percent, of those individuals who signed the Constitution were foreign-born.

There is much truth to the sentiment that the USA was “built past times immigrants.”  This familiar observation does non enjoin the whole story, of course, because the reason was every bit good built past times others, including slaves in addition to the native-born (many of whom were every bit good enslaved).  What Americans exercise non normally realize is that fifty-fifty the master copy Constitution itself would non survive what it is without the vital contributions of immigrants.  “We the People of the United States” has ever included many individuals who were born somewhere else.